We explore convenient analytic properties of distributions constructed as mixtures of scaled and shifted t-distributions. A feature that makes this family particularly desirable for econometric applications is that it possesses closed-form expressions for its anti-derivatives (e.g., the...

We analyze fast procedures for conducting Monte Carlo experiments involving bootstrap estimators, providing formal results establishing the properties of these methods under general conditions.

We develop some asymptotic theory for applications of block bootstrap resampling schemes to multivariate integrated and cointegrated time series. It is proved that a multivariate, continuous-path block bootstrap scheme applied to a full rank integrated process, succeeds in estimating...

This paper gives a computer-intensive approach to multi-step-ahead prediction of volatility in financial returns series under an ARCH/GARCH model and also under a model-free setting, namely employing the NoVaS transformation. Our model-based approach only assumes i..id innovations without...

We compare two approaches to using information about the signs of structural shocks at specific dates within a structural vector autoregression (SVAR): imposing 'narrative restrictions' (NR) on the shock signs in an otherwise setidentified SVAR; and casting the information about the shock signs...

We consider estimation and inference about the effects of a policy in the absence of a control group. We obtain unbiased estimators of individual (heterogeneous) treatment effects and a consistent and asymptotically normal estimator of the average treatment effects, based on forecasting...

We propose a method for forecasting individual outcomes and estimating random effects in linear panel data models and value-added models when the panel has a short time dimension. The method is robust, trivial to implement and requires minimal assumptions. The idea is to take a weighted average...

A well-documented empirical result is that market expectations extracted from futures contracts on the federal funds rate are among the best predictors for the future course of monetary policy. We show how this information can be exploited to produce accurate forecasts of bond excess returns and...

This chapter reviews the literature on the econometric relationship between DSGE and VAR models from the point of view of estimation and model validation. The mapping between DSGE and VAR models is broken down into three stages: 1) from DSGE to state-space model; 2) from state-space model to...

Uncertainty about the choice of identifying assumptions is common in causal studies, but is often ignored in empirical practice. This paper considers uncertainty over models that impose different identifying assumptions, which can lead to a mix of point- and set-identified models. We propose...