Trends and cyclical components in economic time series are modeled in a Bayesian framework. This enables prior notions about the duration of cycles to be used, while the generalized class of stochastic cycles employed allows the possibility of relatively smooth cycles being extracted. The...

In this article we estimate a time-varying " natural " rate of interest (TVNRI) for a synthetic euro area over the period 1979Q1-2002Q4 using a small backward-looking macroeconomic model, broadly following a methodology developed by Laubach and Williams (2003) for the United States. The Kalman...

Following the approach of Mésonnier and Renne (2007), we estimate a Natural Rate of Interest (NRI) using quarterly Peruvian data for the period 1996:3 - 2008:3. The model has six equations and it is estimated using the Kalman filter with output gap and NRI as unobservable variables. Estimation...

The output gap plays a crucial role in thinking of many inflation targeting central banks yet, the real time estimates of the output gap undergo substantial revisions as more data become available. In this paper, we use the state space framework to augment the simple Hodrick-Prescott filter with...

This paper uses the Kalman filter to estimate potential output as a latent process. We estimate two Dynamic Linear Models, comparing the results obtained through a traditional and a New Keynesian model. We verify that the traditional measures of output gap, even if usually applied in the...

Several recent studies have used multivariate unobserved components models to identify the output gap and the non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment. A key assumption of these models is that one common cycle component, such as the output gap, drives the cyclical fluctuations in all...

Since the mid-2000s, Japan's industrial production (IP) has been characterized by increasing volatility. To examine the background to this, we apply the structural factor analysis developed by Foerster, Sarte, and Watson (2011) and decompose variations in Japan's IP into aggregate and sectoral...

In this paper we propose a simple model to forecast industrial production in Italy up to 6 months ahead. We show that the forecasts produced using the model outperform some popular forecasts as well as those stemming from an ARIMA model used as a benchmark and those from some single equation...

We apply Diebold-Yilmaz spillover index methodology to monthly industrial production indices to study business cycle interdependence among G-6 industrialized countries since 1958. The business cycle spillover index fluctuates substantially over time, increasing especially after the 1973-75,...

In this paper we propose a simple model to forecast industrial production in Italy. We show that the forecasts produced using the model outperform some popular forecasts as well as those stemming from a trading days- and outlierrobust ARIMA model used as a benchmark. We show that the use of...