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No-Arbitrage Priors, Drifting Volatilities, and the Term Structure of Interest Rates

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  • Andrea Carriero
  • Todd E. Clark
  • Massimiliano Marcellino

Abstract

We derive a Bayesian prior from a no-arbitrage affine term structure model and use it to estimate the coefficients of a vector autoregression of a panel of government bond yields, specifying a common time-varying volatility for the disturbances. Results based on US data show that this method improves the precision of both point and density forecasts of the term structure of government bond yields, compared to a fully fledged term structure model with time-varying volatility and to a no-change random walk forecast. Further analysis reveals that the approach might work better than an exact term structure model because it relaxes the requirements that yields obey a strict factor structure and that the factors follow a Markov process. Instead, the cross-equation no-arbitrage restrictions on the factor loadings play a marginal role in producing forecasting gains.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Carriero & Todd E. Clark & Massimiliano Marcellino, 2020. "No-Arbitrage Priors, Drifting Volatilities, and the Term Structure of Interest Rates," Working Papers 20-27, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
  • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedcwq:88748
    DOI: 10.26509/frbc-wp-202027
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    Cited by:

    1. Shin, Minchul & Zhong, Molin, 2017. "Does realized volatility help bond yield density prediction?," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 373-389.
    2. Florian Huber & Tamás Krisztin & Philipp Piribauer, 2017. "Forecasting Global Equity Indices Using Large Bayesian Vars," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(3), pages 288-308, July.
    3. Andrea Renzetti, 2023. "Theory coherent shrinkage of Time-Varying Parameters in VARs," Papers 2311.11858, arXiv.org.
    4. Gregor Bäurle & Daniel Kaufmann, 2018. "Measuring Exchange Rate, Price, and Output Dynamics at the Effective Lower Bound," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 80(6), pages 1243-1266, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Term structure; volatility; density forecasting; no arbitrage;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods
    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • E47 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates

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