Since Mandelbrot's seminal work (1963), alpha-stable distributions with infinite variance have been regarded as a more realistic distributional assumption than the normal distribution for some economic variables, especially financial data. After providing a brief survey of theoretical results on...

In this paper we investigate asymmetries in time-varying means, volatilities, correlations, and betas of equity returns in a multivariate threshold framework. We consider alternative specifications in which the threshold variable is based on well-established equity pricing factors and...

In simple static linear simultaneous equation models the empirical distributions of IV and OLS are examined under alternative sampling schemes and compared with their first-order asymptotic approximations. We demonstrate that the limiting distribution of consistent IV is not affected by...

We estimate and test for multiple structural breaks in distribution with unknown break dates via a characteristic function approach. By minimizing the sum of squared generalized residuals, we can consistently estimate the break fractions. We propose a sup-F type test for structural breaks in...

Numerous heavy-tailed distributions are used for modeling financial data and in problems related to the modeling of economics processes. These distributions have higher peaks and heavier tails than normal distributions. Moreover, in some situations, we cannot observe complete information about...

We introduce a nonparametric block bootstrap approach for Quasi-Likelihood Ratio type tests of nonlinear restrictions. Our method applies to extremum estimators, such as quasi-maximum likelihood and generalized method of moments estimators. Unlike existing parametric bootstrap procedures for...

In the world of multivariate extremes, estimation of the dependence structure still presents a challenge and an interesting problem. A procedure for the bivariate case is presented that opens the road to a similar way of handling the problem in a truly multivariate setting. We consider a...

We construct a coherent theory of extreme macro instability, an important macro phenomenon most recently experienced in the United States in 2008-09. The model is then used to identify significant policymaking lessons from the Great Recession. The analysis is part of the ongoing GEM Project that...

Economic modeling assumes, for the most part, that agents are Bayesian, that is, that they entertain probabilistic beliefs, objective or subjective, regarding any event in question. We argue that the formation of such beliefs calls for a deeper examination and for explicit modeling. Models of...