This paper extends the use of Rao (1982b)'s Quadratic Entropy (RQE) to modern portfolio theory. It argues that the RQE of a portfolio is a valid, flexible and unifying approach to measuring portfolio diversification. The paper demonstrates that portfolio's RQE can encompass most existing...

We estimate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations and other external factors on hours worked and employment in Canada's manufacturing industries. The analysis is based on a dynamic model of labour demand and the econometric strategy employs a dynamic OLS approach for cointegrating...

We estimate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations and other external factors on hours worked and employment in Canada's manufacturing industries. The analysis is based on a dynamic model of labour demand and the econometric strategy employs a dynamic OLS approach for cointegrating...

This paper assesses the contribution of confidence - or sentiment - data in predicting Canadian economic slowdowns. A probit framework is specified and applied to an indicator on the status of the Canadian business cycle produced by the OECD. Explanatory variables include all available Canadian...

This paper assesses the impact that a widely-based Securities Transaction Tax (STT) could have on the likelihood of systemic financial crises. We apply the methodology developed by Demirgüç-Kunt and Detragiache (1998) [IMF Staff Papers 45 (1)] to a panel dataset of 34 OECD countries for the...

This paper proposes a new formulation of the Maximum Diversification indexation strategy based on Rao's Quadratic Entropy (RQE). It clarifies the investment problem underlying the Most Diversified Portfolio (MDP) formed with this strategy, identifies the source of the MDP's out-of-sample...

We show that a model where investors learn about the persistence of oil-price movements accounts well for the fluctuations in oil-price futures since the late 1990s. Using a DSGE model, we then show that this learning process alters the impact of oil shocks, making it time-dependent and...

Recent empirical evidence suggests that the state of banks' balance sheets plays an important role in the transmission of monetary policy and other shocks. This paper presents an international DSGE framework with credit market frictions and an active bank capital channel to assess issues...

Using expectations embodied in oil futures prices, we examine how expectations are formed and how they affect the macroeconomic transmission of shocks. We show that an empirical framework in which investors form expectations by learning about the persistence of oil-price movements successfully...