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Modeling Time-Varying Uncertainty of Multiple-Horizon Forecast Errors

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  • Todd E Clark
  • Michael W McCracken
  • Elmar Mertens

Abstract

We develop uncertainty measures for point forecasts from surveys such as the Survey of Professional Forecasters, Blue Chip, or the Federal Open Market Committee's Summary of Economic Projections. At a given point of time, these surveys provide forecasts for macroeconomic variables at multiple horizons. To track time-varying uncertainty in the associated forecast errors, we derive a multiple-horizon speci cation of stochastic volatility. Compared to constant-variance approaches, our stochastic-volatility model improves the accuracy of uncertainty measures for survey forecasts.

Suggested Citation

  • Todd E Clark & Michael W McCracken & Elmar Mertens, 2017. "Modeling Time-Varying Uncertainty of Multiple-Horizon Forecast Errors," BIS Working Papers 667, Bank for International Settlements.
    • Handle: RePEc:bis:biswps:667
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    stochastic volatility; survey forecasts; fan charts;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods

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