Small area estimators based on a penalized spline regression model approximating a non-linear but smooth relationship between a response and a given covariate are obtained. In each small area, individual curves are fitted using penalized splines with B-spline bases, exploiting the mixed model...

We analyze the performance of the Maastricht convergence criteria (inflation, long-term interest rate, annual and overall public debt) of the European Monetary Union (EMU) that led to the introduction of the Euro on Jan. 1st 1999 as book currency. Defining 3 regimes, 1992-97, 1997-1999 and...

We analyze the performance of the Maastricht convergence criteria (inflation, long-term interest rate, annual and overall public debt) of the European Monetary Union (EMU) that led to the introduction of the Euro on Jan. 1st 1999 as book currency. Defining 3 regimes, 1992-97, 1997-1999 and...

This paper compares six term structure estimation methods empirically in terms of zero and forward rate curves as well as ex ante price and yield prediction accuracy. Specifically, we use daily government bond quotations to generate true out-of-sample prediction errors based on the model's...

We analyze the performance of the Maastricht convergence criteria (inflation, long-term interest rate, annual and overall public debt to GDP) of the European Monetary Union (EMU) that led to the introduction of the Euro on Jan. 1st 1999 as book currency. For our analysis we define 3 regimes: a)...