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Can macroeconomists forecast risk? Event-based evidence from the euro area SPF

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  • Kenny, Geoff
  • Kostka, Thomas
  • Masera, Federico

Abstract

We propose methods to evaluate the risk assessments collected as part of the ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF). Our approach focuses on direction-of-change predictions as well as the prediction of relatively more extreme macroeconomic outcomes located in the upper and lower regions of the predictive densities. For inflation and GDP growth, we find such surveyed densities are informative about future direction of change. Regarding more extreme high and low outcome events, the surveys are really only informative about GDP growth outcomes and at short-horizons. The upper and lower regions of the predictive densities for inflation are much less informative. JEL Classification: C22, C53

Suggested Citation

  • Kenny, Geoff & Kostka, Thomas & Masera, Federico, 2013. "Can macroeconomists forecast risk? Event-based evidence from the euro area SPF," Working Paper Series 1540, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20131540
    Note: 339061
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Constantin Rudolf Salomo Bürgi, 2023. "How to deal with missing observations in surveys of professional forecasters," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 2185975-218, December.
    2. Ganics, Gergely & Odendahl, Florens, 2021. "Bayesian VAR forecasts, survey information, and structural change in the euro area," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 971-999.
    3. Raffaella Calabrese & Johan A. Elkink & Paolo S. Giudici, 2017. "Measuring bank contagion in Europe using binary spatial regression models," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(12), pages 1503-1511, December.
    4. Galvão, Ana Beatriz & Garratt, Anthony & Mitchell, James, 2021. "Does judgment improve macroeconomic density forecasts?," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 1247-1260.
    5. Geoff Kenny & Thomas Kostka & Federico Masera, 2015. "Density characteristics and density forecast performance: a panel analysis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 1203-1231, May.
    6. Paola Cerchiello & Paolo Giudici, 2014. "Conditional graphical models for systemic risk measurement," DEM Working Papers Series 087, University of Pavia, Department of Economics and Management.
    7. Bańbura, Marta & Brenna, Federica & Paredes, Joan & Ravazzolo, Francesco, 2021. "Combining Bayesian VARs with survey density forecasts: does it pay off?," Working Paper Series 2543, European Central Bank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    calibration error; forecast evaluation; probability forecasts; Survey of Professional Forecasters;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods

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