In this paper, we review the most common specifications of discrete-time stochastic volatility (SV) models and illustrate the major principles of corresponding Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) based statistical inference. We provide a hands-on approach which is easily implemented in empirical...

This paper provides a method for testing for regime differences when regimes are long-lasting. Standard testing procedures are generally inappropriate because regime persistence causes a spurious regression problem - a problem that has led to incorrect inference in a broad range of studies...

Kim, Shephard and Chib (1998) provided a Bayesian analysis of stochastic volatility models based on a fast and reliable Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm. Their method ruled out the leverage effect, which is known to be important in applications. Despite this, their basic method has been...

I introduce the time-varying GARCH-in-mean (TVGARCH-in-mean) model and propose an estimation strategy for the stochastic time-varying risk premium parameter. A Monte Carlo study shows that the proposed algorithm has good finite sample properties. Using monthly excess returns on the CRSP index, I...

Existing empirical research investigating the size of the equity premium has largely consisted of a series of innovations around a common theme: producing a better estimate of the equity premium by using better data or a better estimation technique. The equity premium estimate that emerges from...

By assuming that short-run returns are independent and identically distributed, it is straightforward to extrapolate short-run risks to longer horizons. However, by generalizing the variance-ratio test to include higher co-moments, we establish a significant and sizable intertemporal dependency...

This paper examines the hypothesis that both stock returns and volatility are asymmetric functions of past information derived from domestic and U.S. stock-market news. The results show the presence of negative autocorrelation, which is consistent with the dominance of positive-feedback trading...

A model of building and using synthetic straddles has been developed; it enables an investor to significantly reduce its individual equity risk related to its own basic assets, i.e. shares. The Black-Scholes model, which is regarded as a classical model, cannot be used for this purpose for the...

The paper proposes a new robust estimator for GARCH-type models: the nonlinear iterative least squares (NL-ILS). This estimator is especially useful on specifications where errors have some degree of dependence over time (weak-GARCH) or when the conditional variance is misspecified. I illustrate...

The equity premium of interest in theoretical models is the extra return investors anticipate when purchasing risky stock instead of risk-free debt. Unfortunately, we do not observe this ex ante premium in the data; we only observe the returns that investors actually receive ex post, after they...