In economics, rank-size regressions provide popular estimators of tail exponents of heavy-tailed distributions. We discuss the properties of this approach when the tail of the distribution is regularly varying rather than strictly Pareto. The estimator then over-estimates the true value in the...

This paper applies a local-linear non-parametric kernel regression technique to examine the effect of macroeconomic factors on stock market performance in Ghana. We show that the popular parametric specification in the existing literature suffers from functional misspecification. The evidence...

We define a dynamic and self-adjusting mixture of Gaussian Graphical Models to cluster financial returns, and provide a new method for extraction of nonparametric estimates of dynamic alphas (excess return) and betas (to a choice set of explanatory factors) in a multivariate setting. This...

We introduce the notion of realized copula. Based on assumptions of the marginal distributions of daily stock returns and a copula family, realized copula is defined as the copula structure materialized in realized covariance estimated from within-day high-frequency data. Copula parameters are...

We demonstrate that the parameters controlling skewness and kurtosis in popular equity return models estimated at daily frequency can be obtained almost as precisely as if volatility is observable by simply incorporating the strong information content of realized volatility measures extracted...

We propose a new and flexible non-parametric framework for estimating the jump tails of Itô semimartingale processes. The approach is based on a relatively simple-to-implement set of estimating equations associated with the compensator for the jump measure, or its "intensity", that only...

This paper introduces a new class of stochastic volatility models which allows for stochastic volatility of volatility (SVV): Volatility modulated non-Gaussian Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (VMOU) processes. Various probabilistic properties of (integrated) VMOU processes are presented. Further we study the...

We investigate the asymptotic properties of an existing high frequency realized skewness measure and propose a more reliable new estimator which is robust to the microstructure noise at ultra-high frequency level. Asymptotic theory for the new estimator has been derived. Simulation example...

Leverage effect has become an extensively studied phenomenon which describes the negative relation between the stock return and its volatility. Although this characteristic of stock returns is well acknowledged, most studies about it are based on cross-sectional calibration with parametric...

This paper examines the joint dynamics of a system of asset returns by describing and implementing a factor multivariate stochastic volatility (factor MSV) model. The foundation for the model discussed here is the work of Doz and Renault (2006). Despite its attractive design, that model has not...