In this paper, we propose Phillips-Perron type, semiparametric testing procedures to distinguish a unit root process from a mean-reverting exponential smooth transition autoregressive one. The limiting nonstandard distributions are derived under very general conditions and simulation evidence...

We analyse the problem of parameter inconsistency in panel data econometrics due to the correlation of exogenous variables with the error term. A common solution in this setting is to use Instrumental-Variable (IV) estimation in the spirit of Hausman-Taylor (1981). However, some potential...

A Monte Carlo (MC) experiment is conducted to study the forecasting performance of a variety of volatility models under alternative data generating processes (DGPs). The models included in the MC study are the (Fractionally Integrated) Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity...

This paper contributes to the literature on competition and corruption, by drawing on records from Calciopoli, a judicial inquiry carried out in 2006 on corruption in the Italian soccer league. Unlike previous studies, we can estimate the determinants of match rigging and use this information in...

This thesis is composed of two parts. The first parts deals with a technique for pricing American-style contingent options. The second part details a statistical arbitrage model using statistical process control approaches.We propose a novel simulation approach for pricing American-style...

This paper examines a version of the tests of Robinson (1994) that enables one to test models of the form (1-Lk)dxt = ut, where k is an integer value, d may be any real number, and ut is I(0). The most common cases are those with k = 1 (unit or fractional roots) and k = 4 and 12 (seasonal unit...

A new approach is proposed to select a predetermined number of ?reasonable" (the best in a certain sense) alternatives from the considerable (maybe a vast) set of initial alternatives according to an arbitrary number of optimization criteria and accounting for uncertainty factors. The approach...

This paper shows through a Monte Carlo analysis the effect of neglecting seasonal deterministics on the seasonal KPSS test. We found that the test is most of the time heavily oversized and not convergent in this case. In addition, Bartlett-type non-parametric correction of error variances did...

In a recent article Bai (Fixed-Effects Dynamic Panel Models, A Factor Analytical Method. Econometrica 81, 285-314, 2013a) proposes a new factor analytical method (FAM) for the estimation of fixed-effects dynamic panel data models, which has the unique and very useful property that it is...

Poverty mapping that displays spatial distribution of various poverty indices is most useful to policymakers and researchers when they are disaggregated into small geographic units, such as cities, municipalities or other administrative partitions of a country. Typically, national household...