Much Ado About Nothing: Sovereign Ratings and Government Bond Yields in the OECD
Makram El-Shagi
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 22,
2016
Abstract
In this paper, we propose a new method to assess the impact of sovereign ratings on sovereign bond yields. We estimate the impulse response of the interest rate, following a change in the rating. Since ratings are ordinal and moreover extremely persistent, it proves difficult to estimate those impulse response functions using a VAR modeling ratings, yields and other macroeconomic indicators. However, given the highly stochastic nature of the precise timing of ratings, we can treat most rating adjustments as shocks. We thus no longer rely on a VAR for shock identification, making the estimation of the corresponding IRFs well suited for so called local projections – that is estimating impulse response functions through a series of separate direct forecasts over different horizons. Yet, the rare occurrence of ratings makes impulse response functions estimated through that procedure highly sensitive to individual observations, resulting in implausibly volatile impulse responses. We propose an augmentation to restrict jointly estimated local projections in a way that produces economically plausible impulse response functions.
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16.12.2015 • 45/2015
German Economy: Strong domestic demand compensates for weak exports
The upturn of the German economy is expected to gain further momentum as a consequence of strong domestic demand. Real gross domestic product is expected to increase by 1.6% in 2016. Consumer prices are expected to rise by 0.9%. Unemployment is expected to rise slightly because it will take time to integrate refugees into the labour market.
Oliver Holtemöller
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East Germany: Number of subsidized employment has declined significantly
Hans-Ulrich Brautzsch
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 11,
2012
Abstract
The share of subsidized employment on total employment has declined significantly. But it is still well above the West German level. The decline in subsidized employment is compensated by a sharp increase in non-supported employment. The decline in unemployment has flattened out.
Due to the lower economic growth in the forecasting horizon the number of employees will increase only slightly. Subsidized employment will further decline, also because of more efficient use of labour policy instruments this year. The unemployment rate will amount to 10.4% in 2012 and to 10.2% in 2013.
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East Germany: Number of Employees Subject to Social Insurance Will Continue to Increase
Hans-Ulrich Brautzsch
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 11,
2011
Abstract
In 2011 the employment situation in East Germany has again improved. Approximately half of the employment growth is attributable to the industry (incl. construction). Registered unemployment declined considerably. Labor supply decreased like in recent years. In forecasting horizon the number of employees subject to social insurance will still increase despite of lower economic growth. The unemployment rate will amount to 11.0% in 2011 and to 10.9% in 2012.
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Stock Market Firm-Level Information and Real Economic Activity
Filippo di Mauro, Fabio Fornari, Dario Mannucci
ECB Working Paper,
No. 1366,
2011
Abstract
We provide evidence that changes in the equity price and volatility of individual firms (measures that approximate the definition of 'granular shock' given in Gabaix, 2010) are key to improve the predictability of aggregate business cycle fluctuations in a number of countries. Specifically, adding the return and the volatility of firm-level equity prices to aggregate financial information leads to a significant improvement in forecasting business cycle developments in four economic areas, at various horizons. Importantly, not only domestic firms but also foreign firms improve business cycle predictability for a given economic area. This is not immediately visible when one takes an unconditional standpoint (i.e. an average across the sample). However, conditioning on the business cycle position of the domestic economy, the relative importance of the two sets of firms - foreign and domestic - exhibits noticeable swings across time. Analogously, the sectoral classification of the firms that in a given month retain the highest predictive power for future IP changes also varies significantly over time as a function of the business cycle position of the domestic economy. Limited to the United States, predictive ability is found to be related to selected balance sheet items, suggesting that structural features differentiate the firms that can anticipate aggregate fluctuations from those that do not help to this aim. Beyond the purely forecasting application, this finding may enhance our understanding of the underlying origins of aggregate fluctuations. We also propose to use the cross sectional stock market information to macro-prudential aims through an economic Value at Risk.
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Exchange Rate Expectations and the Pricing of Chinese Cross-listed Stocks
Stefan Eichler
Journal of Banking and Finance,
No. 2,
2011
Abstract
I show that the price discounts of Chinese cross-listed stocks (American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and H-shares) to their underlying A-shares indicate the expected yuan/US dollar exchange rate. The forecasting models reveal that ADR and H-share discounts predict exchange rate changes more accurately than the random walk and forward exchange rates, particularly at long forecast horizons. Using panel estimations, I find that ADR and H-share investors form their exchange rate expectations according to standard exchange rate theories such as the Harrod–Balassa–Samuelson effect, the risk of competitive devaluations, relative purchasing power parity, uncovered interest rate parity, and the risk of currency crisis.
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Should We Trust in Leading Indicators? Evidence from the Recent Recession
Katja Drechsel, Rolf Scheufele
Abstract
The paper analyzes leading indicators for GDP and industrial production in Germany. We focus on the performance of single and pooled leading indicators during the pre-crisis and crisis period using various weighting schemes. Pairwise and joint significant tests are used to evaluate single indicator as well as forecast combination methods. In addition, we use an end-of-sample instability test to investigate the stability of forecasting models during the recent financial crisis. We find in general that only a small number of single indicator models were performing well before the crisis. Pooling can substantially increase the reliability of leading indicator forecasts. During the crisis the relative performance of many leading indicator models increased. At short horizons, survey indicators perform best, while at longer horizons financial indicators, such as term spreads and risk spreads, improve relative to the benchmark.
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Current economic situation: A silver lining on the horizon
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 12,
2003
Abstract
The Federal Statistical Office has recently released the figures for second quarter GDP and its components. At the same time, the data for the past four years has been revised. This made it necessary to update the existing IWH-forecasts for 2003 and 2004. Stimulated by an improving world economy GDP will not decline this year but merely stagnate. In 2004 the external stimulus will further increase and accounting for the additional working days economic activity will rise by 1.8%. The turnaround at the labour market will not take place before the second half of 2004. Fiscal policy is currently aiming to balance the budget, but so far the government tried to achieve this goal by increasing levies and taxes. In order to maintain the growth potential, a sustainable consolidation, though, should work by means of cutting expenditure. Overall the deficit will be 4.1% and 3.9% of nominal GDP in this and next year, respectively.
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