We introduce a novel weighted least squares approach to estimate daily realized covariation and microstructure noise variance using high-frequency data. We provide an asymptotic theory and conduct a comprehensive Monte Carlo simulation to demonstrate the desirable statistical properties of the...

The expected value of sums of squared intraday returns (realized variance) gives rise to a least squares regression which adapts itself to the assumptions of the noise process and allows for joint inference on integrated volatility (IV), noise moments and price-noise relations. In the iid noise...