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Comparing predictive accuracy in small samples using fixed‐smoothing asymptotics

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  • Laura Coroneo
  • Fabrizio Iacone

Abstract

We consider fixed‐smoothing asymptotics for the Diebold and Mariano (Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, 1995, 13(3), 253–263) test of predictive accuracy. We show that this approach delivers predictive accuracy tests that are correctly sized even when only a small number of out‐of‐sample observations is available. We apply the fixed‐smoothing asymptotics to the Diebold and Mariano test to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF) and of the European Central Bank Survey of Professional Forecasters (ECB SPF) against a simple random walk. Our results show that the predictive abilities of the SPF and of the ECB SPF were partially spurious.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Coroneo & Fabrizio Iacone, 2020. "Comparing predictive accuracy in small samples using fixed‐smoothing asymptotics," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(4), pages 391-409, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:japmet:v:35:y:2020:i:4:p:391-409
    DOI: 10.1002/jae.2756
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    4. Christis Katsouris, 2023. "High Dimensional Time Series Regression Models: Applications to Statistical Learning Methods," Papers 2308.16192, arXiv.org.
    5. Bastianin, Andrea & Mirto, Elisabetta & Qin, Yan & Rossini, Luca, 2024. "What drives the European carbon market? Macroeconomic factors and forecasts," FEEM Working Papers 339740, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    6. Yu Bai & Andrea Carriero & Todd E. Clark & Massimiliano Marcellino, 2022. "Macroeconomic forecasting in a multi‐country context," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(6), pages 1230-1255, September.
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    13. Tobias Fissler & Yannick Hoga, 2021. "Backtesting Systemic Risk Forecasts using Multi-Objective Elicitability," Papers 2104.10673, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2022.
    14. Jasiński, Tomasz, 2020. "Use of new variables based on air temperature for forecasting day-ahead spot electricity prices using deep neural networks: A new approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    15. Norman R. Swanson & Weiqi Xiong & Xiye Yang, 2020. "Predicting interest rates using shrinkage methods, real‐time diffusion indexes, and model combinations," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(5), pages 587-613, August.
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    17. Wegmüller, Philipp & Glocker, Christian & Guggia, Valentino, 2023. "Weekly economic activity: Measurement and informational content," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 228-243.

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