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GEA tracker: A daily indicator of global economic activity

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  • Diaz, Elena Maria
  • Perez-Quiros, Gabriel

Abstract

This paper develops a novel indicator of global economic activity, the GEA Tracker, which is based on commodity prices selected recursively through a genetic algorithm. The GEA Tracker allows for daily real-time knowledge of international business conditions using a minimum amount of information. We find that the GEA Tracker outperforms its competitors in forecasting stock returns, especially in emerging markets, and in predicting standard indicators of international business conditions. We show that an investor would have inexorably profited from using the forecasts provided by the GEA Tracker to weight a portfolio. Finally, the GEA Tracker allows us to present the daily evolution of global economic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Diaz, Elena Maria & Perez-Quiros, Gabriel, 2021. "GEA tracker: A daily indicator of global economic activity," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:115:y:2021:i:c:s0261560621000498
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2021.102400
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    Cited by:

    1. Stolbov, Mikhail & Shchepeleva, Maria, 2022. "Modeling global real economic activity: Evidence from variable selection across quantiles," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    2. Mantas Lukauskas & Vaida Pilinkienė & Jurgita Bruneckienė & Alina Stundžienė & Andrius Grybauskas & Tomas Ruzgas, 2022. "Economic Activity Forecasting Based on the Sentiment Analysis of News," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(19), pages 1-22, September.
    3. Juan Pablo Cote-Barón & Karen L. Pulido-Mahecha & Nicol Valeria Rodríguez-Rodríguez & Carlos D. Rojas-Martínez, 2023. "El ISAE: Un Indicador para Monitorear la Actividad Económica Colombiana en Alta Frecuencia," Borradores de Economia 1225, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Global economic activity; Commodity prices; Factor models; Variable selection; Genetic algorithm; Leading indicators;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F44 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Business Cycles
    • G17 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Financial Forecasting and Simulation
    • Q02 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Commodity Market

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