Forecast rationality tests in the presence of instabilities, with applications to Federal Reserve and Survey Forecasts

This paper proposes a framework to implement regression-based tests of predictive ability in unstable environments, including, in particular, forecast unbiasedness and efficiency tests, commonly referred to as tests of forecast rationality. Our framework is general: it can be applied to model-based...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Rossi, Barbara, 1971-, Sekhposyan, Tatevik
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:España
Institución:Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Repositorio:Repositorio Digital de la UPF
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/26235
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/26235
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jae.2440
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Forecasting rationality
Regression-based tests of forecasting ability
Greenbook forecasts
Survey forecasts
Real-time data
Descripción
Sumario:This paper proposes a framework to implement regression-based tests of predictive ability in unstable environments, including, in particular, forecast unbiasedness and efficiency tests, commonly referred to as tests of forecast rationality. Our framework is general: it can be applied to model-based forecasts obtained either with recursive or rolling window estimation schemes, as well as to forecasts that are model free. The proposed tests provide more evidence against forecast rationality than previously found in the Federal Reserve's Greenbook forecasts as well as survey-based private forecasts. It confirms, however, that the Federal Reserve has additional information about current and future states of the economy relative to market participants.