Temperature-based weather derivatives are written on an index which is normally defined to be a nonlinear function of average daily temperatures. Recent empirical work has demonstrated the usefulness of simple time-series models of temperature for estimating the payoffs to these instruments....

Let the kp-variate random vector X be partitioned into k subvectors Xi of dimension p each, and let the covariance matrix [Psi] of X be partitioned analogously into submatrices [Psi]ij. The common principal component (CPC) model for dependent random vectors assumes the existence of an orthogonal...

This paper gives a systematic application of maximum likelihood inference concerning cointegration vectors in non-stationary vector valued autoregressive time series models with Gaussian errors, where the model includes a constant term and seasonal dummies. The hypothesis of cointegration is...

In this article we propose a theoretical model for analyzing capital requirement in agricultural production and define excess capital thereupon. We develop a two-step method that allows endogenous regressors in the maximum likelihood estimation. The two-step procedure is also capably of...

This paper proposes an algorithm to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of structural parameters in discrete games with multiple equilibria. The method combines a genetic algorithm (GA) with a pseudo maximum likelihood (PML) procedure. The GA searches efficiently over the huge space of possible...

A three parameter (location, scale, shape) generalization of the logistic distribution is fitted to data. Local maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters are derived. Although the likelihood function is unbounded, the likelihood equations have a consistent root. ML-estimation combined with...

This paper analyzes the linkages between governance quality and country stress events. It focuses on two types of events: fiscal and political stress events, for which two innovative stress indicators are introduced. The results suggest that weaker governance quality is associated with a higher...

Lebanon’s credit growth in 2008–10 has been concentrated in trade and services, household loans, and the construction sector. These sectors accounted for almost 80 percent of all new loans extended since 2008. Real estate lending in particular has been increased substantially. On...

Two desirable properties of maximum likelihood-based parameter estimates are that the estimates are asymptotically unbiased and asymptotically normally distributed. In this article, the authors test whether the asymptotic properties of maximum likelihood estimation are achieved in sample sizes...

The binary-choice regression models such as probit and logit are used to describe the effect of explanatory variables on a binary response vari- able. Typically estimated by the maximum likelihood method, estimates are very sensitive to deviations from a model, such as heteroscedastic- ity and...