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Modeling Exchange Rate Behavior with a Genetic Algorithm

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  • C. Lawrenz
  • F. Westerhoff

Abstract

Motivated by empirical evidence, we construct a model whereheterogeneous, boundedly-rational market participants rely on a mix of technical and fundamental trading rules. The rules are applied according to a weighting scheme. Traders evaluate and update their mix of rules by genetic algorithm learning. Even for fundamental shocks with a low probability, the interaction between the traders produces a complex behavior of exchange rates. Our model simultaneously produces several stylized facts like high volatility, unit roots in the exchange rates, a fuzzy relationship between news and exchange-rate movements, cointegration between the exchange rate and its fundamental value, fat tails for returns, a declining kurtosis under time aggregation, weak evidence of mean reversion, and strong evidence of clustering in both volatility and trading volume. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2003

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  • C. Lawrenz & F. Westerhoff, 2003. "Modeling Exchange Rate Behavior with a Genetic Algorithm," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 21(3), pages 209-229, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:compec:v:21:y:2003:i:3:p:209-229
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1023943726237
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    1. Frank H. Westerhoff, 2009. "Exchange Rate Dynamics: A Nonlinear Survey," Chapters, in: J. Barkley Rosser Jr. (ed.), Handbook of Research on Complexity, chapter 11, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Troy Tassier, 2013. "Handbook of Research on Complexity, by J. Barkley Rosser, Jr. and Edward Elgar," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 39(1), pages 132-133.
    3. Navarro-Barrientos, Jesús Emeterio & Cantero-Álvarez, Rubén & Matias Rodrigues, João F. & Schweitzer, Frank, 2008. "Investments in random environments," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 387(8), pages 2035-2046.
    4. Oscar Claveria & Enric Monte & Salvador Torra, 2017. "Let the data do the talking: Empirical modelling of survey-based expectations by means of genetic programming," IREA Working Papers 201711, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised May 2017.
    5. Oscar Claveria & Enric Monte & Salvador Torra, 2019. "Empirical modelling of survey-based expectations for the design of economic indicators in five European regions," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 46(2), pages 205-227, May.
    6. Sorić, Petar & Lolić, Ivana & Claveria, Oscar & Monte, Enric & Torra, Salvador, 2019. "Unemployment expectations: A socio-demographic analysis of the effect of news," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 64-74.
    7. Oscar Claveria & Enric Monte & Salvador Torra, 2017. "A new approach for the quantification of qualitative measures of economic expectations," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(6), pages 2685-2706, November.
    8. Floortje Alkemade & Han Poutré & Hans Amman, 2009. "Robust Evolutionary Algorithm Design for Socio-Economic Simulation: A Correction," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 33(1), pages 99-101, February.
    9. Antonio Doria, Francisco, 2011. "J.B. Rosser Jr. , Handbook of Research on Complexity, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK--Northampton, MA, USA (2009) 436 + viii pp., index, ISBN 978 1 84542 089 5 (cased)," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 78(1-2), pages 196-204, April.
    10. Leandro Maciel & Rosangela Ballini, 2021. "Functional Fuzzy Rule-Based Modeling for Interval-Valued Data: An Empirical Application for Exchange Rates Forecasting," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 57(2), pages 743-771, February.

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