Pitfalls in using Weibull tailed distributions

By assuming that the underlying distribution belongs to the domain of attraction of an extreme value distribution, one can extrapolate the data to a far tail region so that a rare event can be predicted. However, when the distribution is in the domain of attraction of a Gumbel distribution, the extrapolation is quite limited generally in comparison with a heavy tailed distribution. In view of this drawback, a Weibull tailed distribution has been studied recently. Some methods for choosing the sample fraction in estimating the Weibull tail coefficient and some bias reduction estimators have been proposed in the literature. In this paper, we show that the theoretical optimal sample fraction does not exist and a bias reduction estimator does not always produce a smaller mean squared error than a biased estimator. These are different from using a heavy tailed distribution. Further we propose a refined class of Weibull tailed distributions which are more useful in estimating high quantiles and extreme tail probabilities.     

A note on all-bias designs with applications in spline regression models

If a model is fitted to empirical data, bias can arise from terms which are not incorporated in the model assumptions. As a consequence the commonly used optimality criteria based on the generalized variance of the estimator of the model parameters may not lead to efficient designs for the statistical analysis. In this note some general aspects of all-bias designs are presented, which were introduced in this context by Box and Draper (1959). Using an interesting correspondence between the points of all-bias designs and the knots of quadrature formulas we establish sufficient conditions such that a given design is an all-bias design. The results are illustrated in the special case of spline regression models. In particular our results generalize recent findings of Woods and Lewis (2006).     

Modeling rare events through a pRARMAX process

7 and 8 introduce a power max-autoregressive process, in short pARMAX, as an alternative to heavy tailed ARMA when modeling rare events. In this paper, an extension of pARMAX is considered, by including a random component which makes the model more applicable to real data. We will see conditions under which this new model, here denoted as pRARMAX, has unique stationary distribution and we analyze its extremal behavior. Based on Bortot and Tawn (1998), we derive a threshold-dependent extremal index which is a functional of the coefficient of tail dependence of 14 and 15 which in turn relates with the pRARMAX parameter. In order to fit a pRARMAX model to an observed data series, we present a methodology based on minimizing the Bayes risk in classification theory and analyze this procedure through a simulation study. We illustrate with an application to financial data.     

新巴塞尔协议中信用风险管理IRB法解析

为研究商业银行的信用风险管理问题,对新巴塞尔协议中信用风险管理IRB法进行系统分析,概括其基本框架,并通过详细解析其设定的4种风险要素函数来解释目前我国商业银行在运用各种信用风险管理模型时存在“黑箱”的原因,同时,探讨该方法与各种信用风险管理模型的兼容关系,通过解析信用风险管理模型中各种风险要素函数设定的内在逻辑关系,总结目前我国商业银行应用IRB法时存在的各种数据估计上的困难,从而得出应对各种困难的对策。     

Evolution of capital structure in east Asia—corporate inertia or endeavours?

Summary.  The paper examines the capital structure adjustment dynamics of listed non-financial corporations in seven east Asian countries before, during and after the crisis of 1997–1998. Our methodology allows for speeds of adjustment to vary, not only among firms, but also over time, distinguishing between cases of sudden and smooth adjustment. Whereas, compared with firms in the least affected countries, average leverages were much higher, generalized method-of-moments analysis of the Worldscope panel data suggests that average speeds of adjustment were lower in the worst affected countries. This holds also for the severely financially distressed firms in some worst affected countries, though the trend reversed in the post-crisis period. These findings have important implications for the regulatory environment as well as access to market finance.     

An alternate version of the conceptual predictive statistic based on a symmetrized discrepancy measure

The conceptual predictive statistic, C_p, is a widely used criterion for model selection in linear regression. C_p serves as an estimator of a discrepancy, a measure that reflects the disparity between the generating model and a fitted candidate model. This discrepancy, based on scaled squared error loss, is asymmetric: an alternate measure is obtained by reversing the roles of the two models in the definition of the measure. We propose a variant of the C_p statistic based on estimating a symmetrized version of the discrepancy targeted by C_p. We claim that the resulting criterion provides better protection against overfitting than C_p, since the symmetric discrepancy is more sensitive towards detecting overspecification than its asymmetric counterpart. We illustrate our claim by presenting simulation results. Finally, we demonstrate the practical utility of the new criterion by discussing a modeling application based on data collected in a cardiac rehabilitation program at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.     

SV模型下中国股票型开放式基金杠杆效应分析

针对中国股票型开放式基金收益波动中是否存在杠杆效应的问题,在对该类基金整体及所选取的三支具有代表性的单个基金分析的基础上,运用一个带杠杆效应的SV模型对其收益的波动性建模,并利用MCMC方法对模型进行参数估计。结果显示：不同于一般对股票市场的研究结论,无论股票型开放式基金整体还是单个基金,其收益率序列的波动中均不存在显著的杠杆效应。     

引入持仓量的沪铜指数长记忆波动性研究

通过协整关系检验、误差修正模型、向量自回归模型、格兰杰因果关系检验、脉冲响应函数证明了在建立模型时引入持仓量序列的必要性。运用修正R/S分析,建立了沪铜指数收益率波动的ARFIMA、FI-GARCH、ARFIMA-FIGARCH模型,并运用此种模型对沪铜指数的收益率序列rt、收益率波动序列｜rt｜及残差序列｜εt｜进行相关研究和分析,结果表明：ARFIMA（0,d1,0）-FIGARCH（1,d2,1）模型的预测效果比较好。     

A multivariate time series model for the analysis and prediction of carbon monoxide atmospheric concentrations

We use a Bayesian multivariate time series model for the analysis of the dynamics of carbon monoxide atmospheric concentrations. The data are observed at four sites. It is assumed that the logarithm of the observed process can be represented as the sum of unobservable components: a trend, a daily periodicity, a stationary autoregressive signal and an erratic term. Bayesian analysis is performed via Gibbs sampling. In particular, we consider the problem of joint temporal prediction when data are observed at a few sites and it is not possible to fit a complex space–time model. A retrospective analysis of the trend component is also given, which is important in that it explains the evolution of the variability in the observed process.     

Bayesian inference for generalized additive mixed models based on Markov random field priors

Most regression problems in practice require flexible semiparametric forms of the predictor for modelling the dependence of responses on covariates. Moreover, it is often necessary to add random effects accounting for overdispersion caused by unobserved heterogeneity or for correlation in longitudinal or spatial data. We present a unified approach for Bayesian inference via Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation in generalized additive and semiparametric mixed models. Different types of covariates, such as the usual covariates with fixed effects, metrical covariates with non-linear effects, unstructured random effects, trend and seasonal components in longitudinal data and spatial covariates, are all treated within the same general framework by assigning appropriate Markov random field priors with different forms and degrees of smoothness. We applied the approach in several case-studies and consulting cases, showing that the methods are also computationally feasible in problems with many covariates and large data sets. In this paper, we choose two typical applications.