This paper uses a threshold autoregressive (TAR) framework to assess the relative importance of structural breaks and asymmetric persistence in accounting for the post-war unemployment experience. In comparing unemployment patterns across time periods and countries, we take the US as a...

We employ the Barberis, Shleifer and Wurgler (2005) methodology to investigate the impact of changes to the FTSE 100 index on return comovement 1992-2002. For FTSE entries, the average weekly increase in the beta coefficient is 0.38 in univariate regressions and 0.60 in bivariate regressions...

This study indirectly addresses the issue of potential nonlinearities in real exchange rate adjustment for 18 OECD economies 1973-1998 using recent developments in the theory of nonparametric cointegration. While the standard Johansen tests yield mixed evidence, the results from a new...

Using threshold autoregressive specifications, this paper develops new parametric tests for level asymmetries. It proposes bootstrap likelihood ratio statistics to test the symmetric adjustment null against sign and amplitude asymmetries or a combination of both. Monte Carlo simulations show...