Prefetching is a simple and general method for single-chain parallelisation of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm based on the idea of evaluating the posterior in parallel and ahead of time. Improved Metropolis-Hastings prefetching algorithms are presented and evaluated. It is shown how to use...

We implement a long-horizon static and dynamic portfolio allocation involving a risk-free and a risky asset. This model is calibrated at a quarterly frequency for ten European countries. We also use maximum-likelihood estimates and Bayesian estimates to account for parameter uncertainty. We find...

In this paper we explore the use of Genetic Algorithms (GA) to calibrate seasonal BVAR models. In this way, the mechanistic use of seasonal adjustment procedures is avoided, since seasonality becomes a structural, basic and explicit part of the BVAR model. At the same time, the use of GA allows...

Business and distribution strategy planning are usually carried out in a sequence. A company first devises a business plan and then a distribution strategy able to accommodate it. The separation in planning can lead to a sub-optimal decision. We propose a method of how to concurrently plan both...

In this paper, we consider the stochastic ray production function that has been revived recently by Henningsen et al. (2017). We use a profit-maximizing framework to resolve endogeneity problems that are likely to arise, as in all distance functions, and we derive the system of equations after...

In this paper, we argue that some of the prior parameter distributions used in the literature for the construction of Bayesian optimal designs are internally inconsistent. We rectify this error and provide practical advice on how to properly specify the prior parameter distribution. Also, we...

This note adapts results by Huang and Hidiroglou (2003) on Generalized Least Squares estimation and Empirical Bayes prediction for linear mixed models with sampling weights. The objective is to incorporate these results into the poverty mapping approach put forward by Elbers et al. (2003). The...