In this paper the relatively new technique of neural nets is integrated in a traditional model of portfolio choice. On the basis of Arrow’s State Preference Model the investment decision depends on the expectation building process which consists of two components. The individual information...

Many economic and econometric applications require the integration of functions lacking a closed form antiderivative, which is therefore a task that can only be solved by numerical methods. We propose a new family of probability densities that can be used as substitutes and have the property of...

Central bank intervention in the form of quantitative easing (QE) during times of low interest rates is a controversial topic. This paper introduces a novel approach to study the effectiveness of such unconventional measures. Using U.S. data on six key financial and macroeconomic variables...

An electoral cycle created by governments is a phenomenon that seems to characterise, at least in some particular occasions and/or circumstances, the democratic economies. As it is generally accepted, the short-run electorally-induced fluctuations prejudice the long-run welfare. Since the very...

In the euro area, monetary policy is conducted by a single central bank for 19 member countries. However, countries are heterogeneous in their economic development, including their inflation rates. This paper combines a New Keynesian model and a neural network to assess whether the European...

In the euro area, monetary policy is conducted by a single central bank for 20 member countries. However, countries are heterogeneous in their economic development, including their inflation rates. This paper combines a New Keynesian model and a neural network to assess whether the European...

The early warning system literature on banking crises has often relied on linear classifiers such as the logit model, which are usually estimated with large datasets of multiple regions of countries. We construct an EWS based on an artificial neural network model with monthly data from the...

This paper looks into the Greek – Turkish arms race a decade after an earlier contribution on the issue that relied heavily on Artificial Neural Networks. The time period between the two papers contributes to the reliability of the results derived, not just by increasing the number of...

Using a panel of 439 German regions, we evaluate and compare the performance of various Neural Network (NN) models as forecasting tools for regional employment growth. Because of relevant differences in data availability between the former East and West Germany, the NN models are computed...

One of the main tasks of a bank is to lend money. As a financial intermediary, one of its roles is to reduce lending risks. Bank lending is an art as well as a science. Success depends on techniques used, knowledge and on an aptitude to assess both credit-worthiness of a potential borrower and...