We show that average excess returns during the last two years of the presidential cycle are significantly higher than during the first two years: 9.8 percent over the period 1948 2008. This pattern in returns cannot be explained by business-cycle variables capturing time-varying risk premia,...

Econometric estimation using simulation techniques, such as the efficient method of moments, may betime consuming. The use of ordinary matrix programming languages such as Gauss, Matlab, Ox or S-plus will very often cause extra delay. For the Efficient Method of Moments implemented to...

Tests for structural stability with unknown breakpoint are derived for and applied tothe efficient method of moments. Three types of tests are discerned: Wald type tests,Predictive tests and Hansen type tests. The Hansen type test for structural stabilitywith unknown breakpoint is a novelty for...

This paper tests the policitcal dimensions of the presidential cycle effect in U.S. financial markets. The presidential cycle effect states that average stock market returns are significantly higher in the last two years compared to the first two years of a presidential term. We confirm the...

In this paper a post-sample prediction test is derived forestimators based on the Efficient Method of Moments. The mainadvantage of this particular test over other stability tests isthat no time-consuming estimation of the structural parameters forthe post-sample is needed. The asymptotic...