In this paper, we have recognized that the relatively constant inequality in the distribution of U.S. family income masks dramatic changes in the structure of the income distribution and the composition of personal incomes. Using relatively new procedures for decomposing the Gini measure of...

Replaced with revised version of paper 11/17/06. Former title: Forecasting Food Price Inflation, Challenges for Central Banks in Developing Countries using an Inflation Targeting Framework: the Case of Colombia

Replaced with revised version of paper 11/17/06. Former title: Forecasting Food Price Inflation, Challenges for Central Banks in Developing Countries using an Inflation Targeting Framework: the Case of Colombia

This paper analyzes serial correlation in stock returns, and informational role of volume and volatility in Polish and Slovakian stock markets. Results indicate that prices tend to overshoot to new information in the Slovakian market, while new information gets impounded into prices with a...

This study focuses on the possible role of microfinance institutions to mobilize savings among the low-income entrepreneurs who already use these organizations as sources of credit. The evidence is drawn from a pilot project carried out in 1997 and 1998 in Kenya and Uganda. Possible constraints...

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) have risen to the forefront as invaluable institutions in the development process. Nevertheless, capital constraints have hindered the expansion of microfinance programs such that the demand for financial services still far exceeds the currently available supply....

sector employment, uncovered sector employment, and unemployment. The impact of these labor market adjustments on absolute poverty will depend on how the pattern of employment composition changes within households and on how income is shared within households. An earlier paper (Fields and...

A real option analysis of dry-grind corn ethanol plants compared to a standard net present value analysis (NPV) shows that the option values increase entry prices and lower exit prices of investment and disinvestment considerably. For a large plant, the gross margin of ethanol price over the...

This paper empirically estimates cost functions for two milking technologies, stanchion and parlor, using farm level data from New York dairy farms for the years 1993 through 2002. A translog cost function was estimated along with input cost share equations for each milking technology by...

We study the impact of analyst forecasts on prices to determine whether investors learn about analyst accuracy. Our test market is the crude oil futures market. Prices rise when analysts forecast a decrease (increase) in crude supplies. In the 15 minutes following supply realizations, prices...