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Which Model for the Italian Interest Rates?

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Author Info
Monica Gentile
Roberto Renò
Abstract

In the recent years, di usion models for interest rates became very pop- ular. In this paper, we try to do a selection of a suitable di usion model for the Italian interest rates. Our data set is given by the yields on three-month BOT, from 1981 to 2001, for a total of 470 observations. We investigate among stochastic volatility models, paying more attention to a ne models. Estimating di usion models via maximum likelihood,which would lead to e ciency, is usually unfeasible since the transition density is not available. Recently it has been proposed a method of mo- ments which gains full e ciency, hence its name of E cient Method of Moments (EMM); it selects the moments as the scores of an auxiliary model, to be computed via simulation,thus EMM is suitable to di usions whose transition density is un- known, but which are convenient to simulate. The auxiliary model is selected among a family of densities which spans the density space. As a by-product, EMM provides diagnostics which are easy to compute and to interpret. We nd evidence that one- factor models are rejected, while a logarithmic speci cation of the volatility provides the best t to the data, in agreement with the ndings on U.S. data. Moreover, we provide evidence that this model allows a more exible representation of the yield curve.

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Paper provided by Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy in its series LEM Papers Series with number 2002/02.

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Date of creation: 06 Dec 2002
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Handle: RePEc:ssa:lemwps:2002/02

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Keywords: Estimation by simulation; method of moments; stochastic differential equations; diffusions; interest rate term structure; yield curve.;

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  6. repec:bep:sndecm:2:1997:2:35-51 is not listed on IDEAS
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  7. Chernov, Mikhail & Gallant, A. Ronald & Ghysels, Eric & Tauchen, George, 2002. "Alternative Models for Stock Price Dynamic," Working Papers 02-03, Duke University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  10. Pierluigi Balduzzi & Edwin J. Elton & T. Clifton Green, 1997. "Economic News and the Yield Curve: Evidence from the U.S. Treasury Market," New York University, Leonard N. Stern School Finance Department Working Paper Seires 98-005, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business-.
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  11. David A. Chapman & Neil D. Pearson, 2000. "Is the Short Rate Drift Actually Nonlinear?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(1), pages 355-388, 02. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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