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Reading between the Lines: Using Media to Improve German Inflation Forecasts

Author Info

Listed author(s):
  • Benjamin Beckers
  • Konstantin A. Kholodilin
  • Dirk Ulbricht

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the predictive ability of automatic and expert-rated media sentiment indicators for German inflation. We find that sentiment indicators are competitive in providing inflation forecasts against a large set of common macroeconomic and financial predictors. Sophisticated linguistic sentiment algorithms and business cycle news rated by experts perform best and are superior to simple word-count indicators and autoregressive forecasts.

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File URL: http://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.557171.de/dp1665.pdf
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Paper provided by DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research in its series Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin with number 1665.

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Length: 19 p.
Date of creation: 2017
Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp1665
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Keywords: Inflation prediction; media sentiment indicators; news reports; real-time forecasting;

Find related papers by JEL classification:

  • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods
  • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
  • E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications

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  1. Jan Grossarth-Maticek & Johannes Mayr, 2008. "Medienberichte als Konjunkturindikator," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 61(07), pages 17-29, 04.
  2. Kholodilin, Konstantin A. & Thomas, Tobias & Ulbricht, Dirk, 2014. "Do media data help to predict German industrial production?," DICE Discussion Papers 149, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
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  15. Rossi, Barbara & Sekhposyan, Tatevik, 2010. "Have economic models' forecasting performance for US output growth and inflation changed over time, and when?," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 808-835, October.
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  17. Paul C. Tetlock, 2007. "Giving Content to Investor Sentiment: The Role of Media in the Stock Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(3), pages 1139-1168, 06.
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  19. Matthew Gentzkow & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2010. "What Drives Media Slant? Evidence From U.S. Daily Newspapers," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 78(1), pages 35-71, 01.
  20. Sims, Christopher A., 2003. "Implications of rational inattention," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 665-690, April.
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