Standard fixed symmetric kernel type density estimators are known to encounter problems for positive random variables with a large probability mass close to zero. We show that in such settings, alternatives of asymmetric gamma kernel estimators are superior but also differ in asymptotic and...

This paper introduces a parsimonious and yet flexible semiparametric model to forecast financial volatility. The new model extends the linear nonnegative autoregressive model of Barndorff-Nielsen and Shephard (2001) and Nielsen and Shephard (2003) by way of a power transformation. It is...

This paper employs a semiparametric procedure to estimate the diffusion process of short-term interest rates. The Monte Carlo study shows that the semiparametric approach produces more accurate volatility estimates than models that accommodate asymmetry, level effect and serial dependence in the...

This chapter is concerned with the problem of quantile prediction (or forecasting). There are numerous applications in economics and finance where quantiles are of interest. We primarily focus on methods that are relevant for dynamic time series data. The chapter is organized around two key...