We study optimal hedging design for returns on an Italian equity mutual fund index since 2008. Alternative hedging instruments include one-month futures contracts for FTSE-MIB, FTSE100 and Xetra DAX. We use bivariate models of our Italian equity mutual fund index and each hedging instrument to...

This contribution studies the out-of-sample performance of trading strategies applying 2-State-Markov-Switching models. Thereby, different probability thresholds are considered where the investor decides when to go in, respectively, out of the stock market. Furthermore, the investor may decide...

Some researchers, for example, Koop [1], and Sims [2], have advocated for Bayesian alternatives to unit-root testing over the classical approach using the augmented Dickey-Fuller test (ADF). This paper studies the power of what Koop [1] has called the Objectiveʺ Bayesian approach to unit-root...

This paper presents a study of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Bayesian Network (BN) for use in stock index prediction. The data from Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) market are applied as a case study. Based on the rescaled range analysis, the neural network was used to capture the...

This paper introduces a new parametric measure of productivity change using the hyperbolic distance function. More specifically, the paper first estimates a stochastic translog hyperbolic distance function, which satisfies regularity conditions, using the Bayesian approach. Then it derives an...

This paper examines the long-run and short-run impacts of exchange rate and price changes on trade flows in Nigeria using exports and imports functions. The bounds testing (ARDL) approach to cointegration is applied on a quarterly data from 1980 Q1 to 2007 Q4. The results indicate that in both...

In this era of open economy, nations are concerned with increasing the quality of life of their citizens. And, the quality of life mainly comes from the macro-economic prosperity. Thus, fast growth of gross domestic Product has become the most important objective of any economy. There are...

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the interactions among energy consumption, real income and energy price in Saudi Arabia using annual data from 1982 to 2007. We analyzed the dynamic interaction by applying widely used time series analysis techniques such as unit root tests, Vector...

Despite having accumulated physical and human capital at significant rates, Latin America's growth has been generally disappointing. Successful growth episodes have been accompanied by surges in TFP, sound and stable macroeconomic policies, and fewer distortions and government interventions....

This paper sets out a comprehensive framework to identify regional business cycles within Spain and analyses their stylised features and the degree of synchronisation both within them and between them and the Spanish economy. We show that the regional cycles are quite heterogeneous although they...