Adaptive Shrinkage in Bayesian Vector Autoregressive Models

Vector autoregressive (VAR) models are frequently used for forecasting and impulse response analysis. For both applications, shrinkage priors can help improving inference. In this article, we apply the Normal-Gamma shrinkage prior to the VAR with stochastic volatility case and derive its relevant conditional posterior distributions. This framework imposes a set of normally distributed priors on the autoregressive coefficients and the covariance parameters of the VAR along with Gamma priors on a set of local and global prior scaling parameters. In a second step, we modify this prior setup by introducing another layer of shrinkage with scaling parameters that push certain regions of the parameter space to zero. Two simulation exercises show that the proposed framework yields more precise estimates of model parameters and impulse response functions. In addition, a forecasting exercise applied to U.S. data shows that this prior performs well relative to other commonly used specifications in terms of point and density predictions. Finally, performing structural inference suggests that responses to monetary policy shocks appear to be reasonable.     

我国市场债券收益的可预测性及其经济价值研究

债券收益的可预测性及其经济价值一直是颇具争议的热点问题.本文首先利用回归模型检验了我国债券收益的可预测性,并分析了债券收益的非马尔科夫性和随机波动特征.在此基础上,在广义随机波动HJM框架下提出了非马尔科夫DTSM模型的构建方法,并分析了非马尔科夫性和随机波动性对于债券超额收益的可预测性及其经济价值实现的作用.最后,考察了我国市场上债券收益可预测性的来源.结果表明,我国债券收益可预测性具有很强的统计显著性,且可以转化为显著的经济收益.在此过程中,非马尔科夫性、随机波动性具有十分关键的作用.经济环境驱动的时变性风险溢价是我国债券收益可预测性的主要来源,而非涵盖随机波动因子也显著含有债券收益的预测信息.     

时变风险厌恶下的期权定价——基于上证50ETF期权的实证研究

传统的随机波动率（SV）期权定价是在投资者具有常数风险偏好假设下进行的.但近年来越来越多的研究表明,市场参与者具有时变风险厌恶特征.基于此,本文对时变风险厌恶条件下的期权定价问题进行深入研究.首先,对传统的（非仿射）常数风险厌恶SV（CRA-SV）期权定价模型进行扩展,构建时变风险厌恶SV（TVRA-SV）期权定价模型对期权进行定价,并分析时变风险厌恶对期权价格的影响;其次,采用标的资产与期权数据信息,建立基于连续粒子滤波的极大似然估计方法,对定价模型的客观与风险中性参数进行联合估计;最后,采用我国期权市场上的上证50ETF期权数据,对构建的定价模型进行实证检验.结果表明：TVRA-SV期权定价模型相比传统的CRA-SV期权定价模型具有更好的数据拟合效果,能够更充分地刻画标的上证50ETF收益率在客观与风险中性测度下的波动性;TVRA-SV期权定价模型相比传统的Black-Scholes（B-S）期权定价模型和CRA-SV期权定价模型都具有明显更高的定价精确性。     

Detecting level shifts in ARMA-GARCH (1,1) Models

The purpose of this article is to present a new method to detect level shifts in the context of conditional heteroscedastic models. First, we define precisely what type of outlier we are referring to, a concept that has been scarcely touched in the field of GARCH (1,1) models, and then we go on to present our methodology based on the nature of the Lagrange multiplier tests. The validity and efficiency of the proposed procedure are demonstrated through different simulation experiments. To conclude, we present a practical application of the method to the time series of returns of US short-term interest rates.     

A robust statistical approach to select adequate error distributions for financial returns

In this article, we propose a robust statistical approach to select an appropriate error distribution, in a classical multiplicative heteroscedastic model. In a first step, unlike to the traditional approach, we do not use any GARCH-type estimation of the conditional variance. Instead, we propose to use a recently developed nonparametric procedure [31 D. Mercurio and V. Spokoiny, Statistical inference for time-inhomogeneous volatility models, Ann. Stat. 32 (2004), pp. 577–602.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]]: the local adaptive volatility estimation. The motivation for using this method is to avoid a possible model misspecification for the conditional variance. In a second step, we suggest a set of estimation and model selection procedures (Berk–Jones tests, kernel density-based selection, censored likelihood score, and coverage probability) based on the so-obtained residuals. These methods enable to assess the global fit of a set of distributions as well as to focus on their behaviour in the tails, giving us the capacity to map the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate distributions. A bootstrap procedure is provided to compute the rejection regions in this semiparametric context. Finally, we illustrate our methodology throughout a small simulation study and an application on three time series of daily returns (UBS stock returns, BOVESPA returns and EUR/USD exchange rates).     

Comparison of asymmetric stochastic volatility models under different correlation structures

This paper conducts simulation-based comparison of several stochastic volatility models with leverage effects. Two new variants of asymmetric stochastic volatility models, which are subject to a logarithmic transformation on the squared asset returns, are proposed. The leverage effect is introduced into the model through correlation either between the innovations of the observation equation and the latent process, or between the logarithm of squared asset returns and the latent process. Suitable Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms are developed for parameter estimation and model comparison. Simulation results show that our proposed formulation of the leverage effect and the accompanying inference methods give rise to reasonable parameter estimates. Applications to two data sets uncover a negative correlation (which can be interpreted as a leverage effect) between the observed returns and volatilities, and a negative correlation between the logarithm of squared returns and volatilities.     

The impact of jumps and leverage in forecasting covolatility

ABSTRACT

The paper investigates the impact of jumps in forecasting covolatility, accommodating leverage effects. We modify the preaveraged truncated covariance estimator of Koike (2016 Koike, Y. (2016). Estimation of integrated covariances in the simultaneous presence of non-synchronicity, microstructure noise and jumps. Econometric Theory 32:533–611.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) such that the estimated matrix is positive definite. Using this approach, we can disentangle the estimates of the integrated covolatility matrix and jump variations from the quadratic covariation matrix. Empirical results for three stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange indicate that the cojumps of two assets have a significant impact on future covolatility, but the impact is negligible for forecasting weekly and monthly horizons.     

中、印、美股市联动差异性研究

基于扩散视角和跳跃视角探究了中、印、美股市联动行为。基于扩散视角,美国和印度股市与中国股市有明显的单向收益溢出效应,中美之间有明显的波动溢出效应,但是中印之间却不存在这种关系。从非对称影响的结果来看,只存在印度股市和美国股市与中国股市单向的非对称影响。基于跳跃视角,中印、中美股市的平均跳跃幅度和平均方差贡献率,与其跳跃强度相比联动性更高,中印联合跳跃比率相关系数和中美联合跳跃比率相关系数都处于较高水平,同时稳健性检验的结果表明结论整体具有一致性。     

First hitting time of integral diffusions and applications

We study the first hitting time of integral functionals of time-homogeneous diffusions, and characterize their Laplace transforms through a stochastic time change. We obtain explicit expressions of the Laplace transforms for the geometric Brownian motion (GBM) and the mean-reverting GBM process. We also introduce a novel probability identity based on an independent exponential randomization and obtain explicit Laplace transforms of the price of arithmetic Asian options and other derivative prices that non-linearly depend on the integral diffusions. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.     

混合贝塔分布随机波动模型及其贝叶斯分析

为了更准确地揭示金融资产收益率数据的真实数据生成过程,提出了基于混合贝塔分布的随机波动模型,讨论了混合贝塔分布随机波动模型的贝叶斯估计方法,并给出了一种Gibbs抽样算法。以上证A股综指简单收益率为例,分别建立了基于正态分布和混合贝塔分布的随机波动模型,研究表明,基于混合贝塔分布的随机波动模型更准确地描述了样本数据的真实数据生成过程,而正态分布的随机波动模型将高峰厚尾等现象归结为波动冲击,从而低估了收益率的平均波动水平,高估了波动的持续性和波动的冲击扰动。