Out-of-sample R2-hacking problems can arise even without multiple testing if a researcher constructs a prediction model using the intuition derived from empirical properties that appear only in the test sample. We provide a machine-learning solution for this problem in the context of robust...

We introduce the XPER (eXplainable PERformance) methodology to measure the specific contribution of the input features to the predictive or economic performance of a model. Our methodology offers several advantages. First, it is both model-agnostic and performance metric-agnostic. Second, XPER...

In this paper, we develop new latent risk measures that are designed as a prior synthesis of key forecasting information associated with financial market contagion. These measures are based on the decomposition (using high-frequency financial data) of the quadratic covariation between two assets...

As of 2022, greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions reporting and auditing are not yet compulsory for all companies, and methodologies of measurement and estimation are not unified. We propose a machine learning-based model to estimate scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions of companies not reporting them...

This paper uses machine learning approaches to explore the association between traffic volume, air pollution, and meteorological conditions. A focus is the interaction between these factors. The paper does this using hourly data for Oslo, Norway. I considered a total of ten datasets to verify...

This paper focuses on the spatial variation in the uptake of social security benefits following a large and detrimental exogenous shock. Specifically, we focus on the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We construct a two-period panel of 66 Territorial...

The question of what really drives economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been debated for many decades now. However, there is still a lack of clarity on variables crucial for driving growth as prior contributions have been executed at the backdrop of preferential selection of...

As recent studies have begun to pay increasing attention to financial distress prediction (FDP), this study compares the performance of static, dynamic and machine learning (ML) models in predicting the financial distress of firms. Balanced and imbalanced datasets of Chinese listed firms that...

We examine return predictability with machine learning in 46 international stock markets. We calculate 148 stock characteristics and use them to feed a repertoire of different models. The algorithms extract predictability mainly from simple, yet popular, factor types—such as momentum,...

In this paper, we explore what factors drive expected corporate bond returns all over the world. With a novel dataset, and utilizing machine learning models, we find there is strong predictability of corporate bond returns in international markets. However, the documented factors that drive...