In the context of Local Polynomial estimators the global bandwidth parameter takes one of most important roles. There are several methods to get a consistent estimator for it. In particular, starting from the Mean Square Error of Local Polynomial estimators, the “plug-in†method is...

One of the key variables for a bank's management is the development of the "risk-free interest rate", which is the reference for all bond and loan rates as well as an indicator for the state of the economy and therefore the bank"s future perspectives. Turning towards long-term analysis, the...

In recent years the relationship between ÎmoneyÌ and the macroeconomy has assumed prominence in the academic literature and in Central Banks circles. Although some Central Bankers have stated that they have formally abandoned the notion of using monetary aggregates as indicators of the impact...

An efficient procedure is proposed to evaluate option prices using neural networks. The method considers alternatives to the procedures suggested by Hutchinson, Lo and Poggio in the Journal of Finance of 1994

One of the most critical issues when using neural networks is how to select appropriate network architectures for the problem at hand. Practitioners usually refer to information criteria which might lead to over-parameterized models with heavy consequence on overfitting and poor ex-post forecast...

Here artificial neural networks (ANNs) are employed for efficiency purposes. First, the main features of ANNs are presented. Then, common techniques of the efficiency literature are reviewed: parametric (deterministic and stochastic) and non-parametric (Data Envelopment Analysis [DEA] and Free...

The performance of a "capital certain" Divisia index constructed using the same components included in the Bank of England"s MSI plus national savings; a "risky" Divisia index constructed by adding bonds, shares and unit trusts to the list of assets included in the first index; and a capital...

On last yearÌs conference in Barcelona the authors presented an innovative expectation formation hypothesis. The assumption of fully rational agents is rejected and replaced by a bounded rationality approach that is modelled by means of a fuzzy rule-base. These rules as well as their components...

Investment decision-making is modeled by means of a Kohonen neural net, whose neurons represent firms as decision-makers. Thus, the network reconstructs collective decision-making by the productive system. This model focuses on the decision to invest in novel fields of activity, which requires...