We develop a new method to sample from posterior distributions in hierarchical models without using Markov chain Monte Carlo. This method, which is a variant of importance sampling ideas, is generally applicable to high-dimensional models involving large data sets. Samples are independent, so...

This paper introduces a new family of Bayesian semi-parametric models for the conditional distribution of daily stock index returns. The proposed models capture key stylized facts of such returns, namely heavy tails, asymmetry, volatility clustering, and leverage. A Bayesian nonparametric prior...

In many applications, data exhibit skewness and in this paper we present a new family of density functions modeling skewness based on a transformation, analagous to those of location and scale. Here we note that location will always refer to mode. Hence, in order to model data to include shape,...

In this paper, we study the drivers of customer satisfaction for financial services. We discuss a full Bayesian analysis based on data collected from customers of a leading financial services company. Our approach allows us to explicitly accommodate missing data and enables quantitative...

This paper develops a new family of Bayesian semiparametric models. A particular member of this family is used to model option prices with the aim of improving out-of-sample predictions. A detailed empirical analysis is made for European index call and put options to illustrate the ideas

This paper shows how uncertainty about the type of return distribution (distribution uncertainty) can be incorporated in asset allocation decisions by using a novel, Bayesian semiparametric approach. To evaluate the economic importance of distribution uncertainty, the extent of changes in...

Scale mixtures of uniform distributions are used to model non-normal data in both univariate and multivariate settings. In addition to providing greater modelling flexibility, the use of scale mixtures of uniforms also results in straightforward computational strategies, particularly in a...