This paper studies how the HP-Filter should be adjusted, when changing the frequency of observations. The usual choices in the literature are to adjust the smoothing parameter by multiplying it with either the square of the observation frequency ratios or simply with the observation frequency. In contrast, the paper recommends to adjust the filter parameter by multiplying it with the fourth power of the observation frequency ratios. Based on this suggestion, some well-known comparisons of business cycles moments across countries and time periods are recomputed. In particular, we overturn a finding by Backus and Kehoe (1992) on the historical changes in output volatility and return instead to older conventional wisdom (Baily, 1978, Lucas, 1977): based on the new HP-Filter adjustment rule, output volatility turns out to have decreased after the Second World War.
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Paper provided by Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research in its series Discussion Paper with number
50.
Find related papers by JEL classification: C10 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: General - - - General C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods and Programming - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Country and Industry Studies of Trade
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
Lawrence J. Christiano & Terry J. Fitzgerald, 1999.
"The Band Pass Filter,"
NBER Working Papers
7257, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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Other versions:
Lawrence J. Christiano & Terry J. Fitzgerald, 1999.
"The Band pass filter,"
Working Paper
9906, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
[Downloadable!]
Lawrence J. Christiano & Terry J. Fitzgerald, 2003.
"The Band Pass Filter,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 44(2), pages 435-465, 05.
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