scholarly journals Determining Number of Factors in Dynamic Factor Models Contributing to GDP Nowcasting

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (22) ◽  
pp. 2865
Author(s):  
Jiayi Luo ◽  
Cindy Long Yu
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Factor Models ◽  
Data Series ◽  
Dynamic Factor ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Dynamic Factor Models ◽  
Monthly Data ◽  
Macroeconomic Conditions ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Shrinkage Prior

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.

scholarly journals Dynamic factor models: Does the specification matter?

SERIEs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Miranda ◽  
Pilar Poncela ◽  
Esther Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Factor Models ◽  
Model Specification ◽  
Dynamic Factor ◽  
Dynamic Factor Models ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Time Varying Parameters ◽  
Out Of Sample ◽  
Mixed Frequency Data ◽  
Natural Way ◽  
Factor Estimation

AbstractDynamic factor models (DFMs), which assume the existence of a small number of unobserved underlying factors common to a large number of variables, are very popular among empirical macroeconomists. Factors can be extracted using either nonparametric principal components or parametric Kalman filter and smoothing procedures, with the former being computationally simpler and robust against misspecification and the latter coping in a natural way with missing and mixed-frequency data, time-varying parameters, nonlinearities and non-stationarity, among many other stylized facts often observed in real systems of economic variables. This paper analyses the empirical consequences on factor estimation, in-sample predictions and out-of-sample forecasting of using alternative estimators of the DFM under various sources of potential misspecification. In particular, we consider factor extraction when assuming different number of factors and different factor dynamics. The factors are extracted from a popular data base of US macroeconomic variables, widely analyzed in the literature without consensus about the most appropriate model specification. We show that this lack of consensus is only marginally crucial when it comes to factor extraction, but it matters when the objective is out-of-sample forecasting.

scholarly journals Markov-switching dynamic factor models in real time

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximo Camacho ◽  
Gabriel Perez-Quiros ◽  
Pilar Poncela
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Markov Switching ◽  
Factor Models ◽  
Dynamic Factor ◽  
Dynamic Factor Models ◽  
Switching Dynamic

Nowcasting global trade in goods and services

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Fernando Cantú-Bazaldúa
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Global Trade ◽  
Dynamic Factor ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Dynamic Factor Models ◽  
Significant Information ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
World Economic

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.

scholarly journals Quantifying Drivers of Forecasted Returns Using Approximate Dynamic Factor Models for Mixed-Frequency Panel Data

Forecasting ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-90
Author(s):  
Monica Defend ◽  
Aleksey Min ◽  
Lorenzo Portelli ◽  
Franz Ramsauer ◽  
Francesco Sandrini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Model Selection ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Selection Criterion ◽  
Factor Models ◽  
Dynamic Factor ◽  
Dynamic Factor Models ◽  
Mixed Frequency ◽  
Model Selection Criterion ◽  
Mixed Frequency Data

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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