Large-Dimensional Dynamic Factor Models in Real-Time: A Survey

Author(s):  
Matteo Luciani
Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (22) ◽  
pp. 2865
Author(s):  
Jiayi Luo ◽  
Cindy Long Yu

Real-time nowcasting is a process to assess current-quarter GDP from timely released economic and financial series before the figure is disseminated in order to catch the overall macroeconomic conditions in real time. In economic data nowcasting, dynamic factor models (DFMs) are widely used due to their abilities to bridge information with different frequencies and to achieve dimension reduction. However, most of the research using DFMs assumes a fixed known number of factors contributing to GDP nowcasting. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian approach with the horseshoe shrinkage prior to determine the number of factors that have nowcasting power in GDP and to accurately estimate model parameters and latent factors simultaneously. The horseshoe prior is a powerful shrinkage prior in that it can shrink unimportant signals to 0 while keeping important ones remaining large and practically unshrunk. The validity of the method is demonstrated through simulation studies and an empirical study of nowcasting U.S. quarterly GDP growth rates using monthly data series in the U.S. market.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximo Camacho ◽  
Gabriel Perez-Quiros ◽  
Pilar Poncela

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Fernando Cantú-Bazaldúa

World economic aggregates are compiled infrequently and released after considerable lags. There are, however, many potentially relevant series released in a timely manner and at a higher frequency that could provide significant information about the evolution of global aggregates. The challenge is then to extract the relevant information from this multitude of indicators and combine it to track the real-time evolution of the target variables. We develop a methodology based on dynamic factor models adapted for variables with heterogeneous frequencies, ragged ends and missing data. We apply this methodology to nowcast global trade in goods in goods and services. In addition to monitoring these variables in real time, this method can also be used to obtain short-term forecasts based on the most up-to-date values of the underlying indicators.


Forecasting ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-90
Author(s):  
Monica Defend ◽  
Aleksey Min ◽  
Lorenzo Portelli ◽  
Franz Ramsauer ◽  
Francesco Sandrini ◽  
...  

This article considers the estimation of Approximate Dynamic Factor Models with homoscedastic, cross-sectionally correlated errors for incomplete panel data. In contrast to existing estimation approaches, the presented estimation method comprises two expectation-maximization algorithms and uses conditional factor moments in closed form. To determine the unknown factor dimension and autoregressive order, we propose a two-step information-based model selection criterion. The performance of our estimation procedure and the model selection criterion is investigated within a Monte Carlo study. Finally, we apply the Approximate Dynamic Factor Model to real-economy vintage data to support investment decisions and risk management. For this purpose, an autoregressive model with the estimated factor span of the mixed-frequency data as exogenous variables maps the behavior of weekly S&P500 log-returns. We detect the main drivers of the index development and define two dynamic trading strategies resulting from prediction intervals for the subsequent returns.


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