Modeling frailty-correlated defaults using many macroeconomic covariates
Abstract
We propose a novel time series panel data framework for estimating and forecasting time-varying corporate default rates subject to observed and unobserved risk factors. In an empirical application for a U.S. dataset, we find a large and significant role for a dynamic frailty component even after controlling for more than 80% of the variation in more than 100 macro-financial covariates and other standard risk factors. We emphasize the need for a latent component to prevent a downward bias in estimated default rate volatility and in estimated probabilities of extreme default losses on portfolios of U.S. debt. The latent factor does not substitute for a single omitted macroeconomic variable. We argue that it captures different omitted effects at different times. We also provide empirical evidence that default and business cycle conditions partly depend on different processes. In an out-of-sample forecasting study for point-in-time default probabilities, we obtain mean absolute error reductions of more than forty percent when compared to models with observed risk factors only. The forecasts are relatively more accurate when default conditions diverge from aggregate macroeconomic conditions.Download Info
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Bibliographic Info
Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Journal of Econometrics.
Volume (Year): 162 (2011)
Issue (Month): 2 (June)
Pages: 312-325
Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jeconom
Related research
Keywords: Systematic default risk Frailty-correlated defaults State space methods Credit risk management;References
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Nikolaus Hautsch & Julia Schaumburg & Melanie Schienle, 2013. "Forecasting systemic impact in financial networks," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2013-008, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
- Nikolaus Hautsch & Julia Schaumburg & Melanie Schienle, 2012.
"Financial Network Systemic Risk Contributions,"
SFB 649 Discussion Papers
SFB649DP2012-053, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
- Nikolaus Hautsch & Julia Schaumburg & Melanie Schienle, 2011. "Financial Network Systemic Risk Contributions," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2011-072, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
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