Most of the official data are released with a lag period, which increases the difficulties for decision-makers assessing the situation. To solve the problem of data lag, we used real-time Baidu Index to nowcast the Chinese consumer behavior of buying the bestselling smartphone, Huawei Mate 7. We...

Many households in developing countries lack formal financial histories, making it difficult for firms to extend credit, and for potential borrowers to receive it. However, many of these households have mobile phones, which generate rich data about behavior. This article shows that behavioral...

Many households in developing countries lack formal financial histories, making it difficult for banks to extend loans, and for potential borrowers to receive them. However, many of these households have mobile phones, which generate rich data about behavior. This paper shows that behavioral...