In this paper we study various methods for detecting the co integrating rank as the number of variables gets large. We show that the use of standard tools will always lead to misleading inferences in such settings due to excessive size distortions. Particularly the LR test tends to produce too...

We propose a new Information Criterion for Impulse Response Function Matching estimators of the structural parameters of macroeconomic models. The main advantage of our procedure is that it allows the researcher to select the impulse responses that are most informative about the deep parameters,...

The question of variable selection in a regression model is a major open research topic in econometrics. Traditionally two broad classes of methods have been used. One is sequential testing and the other is information criteria. The advent of large datasets used by institutions such as central...

We derive the parameter restrictions that a standard equity market model implies for a bivariate vector autoregression for stock prices and dividends, and we show how to test these restrictions using likelihood ratio tests.  The restrictions, which imply that stock returns are unpredictable,...

Tests for relative predictive accuracy have become a widespread addendum to forecast comparisons. Many empirical research reports conclude that the difference between the entertained forecasting models is 'insignificant'. This paper collects arguments that cast doubt on the usefulness of...

We compare testing strategies for Granger noncausality in vector autoregressions (VARs) that may or may not have unit roots and cointegration. Sequential testing methods are examined; these test for cointegration and use either a differenced VAR or a vector error correction model (VECM), in which...

We estimate a Markov-switching mixture of two familiar macroeconomic models: a richly parameterized dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model and a corresponding Bayesian vector autoregression (BVAR) model. We show that the Markov-switching mixture model dominates both individual...