This paper describes recent work to strengthen nowcasting capacity at the IMF’s European department. It motivates and compiles datasets of standard and nontraditional variables, such as Google search and air quality. It applies standard dynamic factor models (DFMs) and several machine learning...

We design a novel empirical framework to examine market efficiency through out-of-sample(OOS) predictability. We frame the classic empirical asset pricing problem as a machine learningclassification problem. We construct classification models to predict return states. The prediction- based...

We examine machine learning and factor-based portfolio optimization. We find that factors based on autoencoder neural networks exhibit a weaker relationship with commonly used characteristic-sorted portfolios than popular dimensionality reduction techniques. Machine learning methods also lead to...

We focus on the stock selection step of the index tracking problem in passive investment management and incorporate constant changes in the dynamics of markets into the decision. We propose an approach, using machine learning techniques, which analyzes the performance of the selection methods...

Artificial intelligence (AI), powered by machine learning algorithms, is capable of extracting information efficiently from big data and, therefore, has great potential for improving financial decision-making. In this chapter, we summarize several important applications of AI in this context....

We survey the nascent literature on machine learning in the study of financial markets. We highlight the best examples of what this line of research has to offer and recommend promising directions for future research. This survey is designed for both financial economists interested in grasping...

We survey the nascent literature on machine learning in the study of financial markets. We highlight the best examples of what this line of research has to offer and recommend promising directions for future research. This survey is designed for both financial economists interested in grasping...

We find economically and statistically significant gains when using machine learning for portfolio allocation between the market index and risk-free asset. Optimal portfolio rules for time-varying expected returns and volatility are implemented with two Random Forest models. One model is...

We apply machine-learning techniques to predict drug approvals using drug-development and clinical-trial data from 2003 to 2015 involving several thousand drug-indication pairs with over 140 features across 15 disease groups. To deal with missing data, we use imputation methods that allow us to...

This paper derives ex-ante (co)variances of stock-level and portfolio-level risk premium predictions from neural networks (NNs). Based on the precision of risk premium forecasts, I provide improved investment strategies. The confident high-low strategies that take long-short positions...