This paper revisits the question if the user cost of capital plays an important role for investment decisions using Bayesian estimation techniques. These methods offer advantages over classical econometric tools in this area: The most important are that prior distributions offer a convincing way...

This paper provides some test cases, called circuits, for the evaluation of Gaussian likelihood maximization algorithms of the cointegrated vector autoregressive model. Both I(1) and I(2) models are considered. The performance of algorithms is compared first in terms of effectiveness, defined as...

This paper introduces an estimation procedure for a random effects probit model in presence of heteroskedasticity and a likelihood ratio test for homoskedasticity. The cases where the heteroskedasticity is due to individual effects or idiosyncratic errors or both are analyzed. Monte Carlo...

This paper focuses on finding starting-values for the estimation of Vector STAR models. Based on a Monte Carlo study, different procedures are evaluated. Their performance is assessed with respect to model fit and computational effort. I employ (i) grid search algorithms and (ii) heuristic...

This paper considers the algorithmic implementation of the heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent (HAC) estimation problem for covariance matrices of parameter estimators. We introduce a new algorithm, mainly based on the fast Fourier transform, and show via computer simulation that...

This paper introduces a nonparametric binary classification tree approach to inferring unobserved strategies from the observed actions of economic agents. The strategies are in the form of possibly nested if- then statements. We apply our approach to experimental data from the repeated ultimatum...

This paper deals with the estimation of structural econometric models where the probability distribution of endogenous variables is implicitly defined as an equilibrium of a fixed-point problem. It proposes a pseudo maximum likelihood procedure and studies its asymptotic properties.

Conventional wisdom says that the middle classes in many developed countries have recently suffered losses, in terms of both the share of the total population belonging to the middle class, and also their share in total income. Here, distribution-free methods are developed for inference on these...

In this paper, we study the finite sample accuracy of confidence intervals for index functional built via parametric bootstrap, in the case of inequality indices. To estimate the parameters of the assumed parametric data generating distribution, we propose a Generalized Method of Moment...