Predictive Macro-Impacts of PLS-based Financial Conditions Indices: An Application to the USA

Main author: Qin, Duo
Other authors: Wang, Qing Chao
Format: Monographs and Working Papers           
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id eprints-23177
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description This investigation seeks to construct financial conditions indices (FCIs) by the partial least squares (PLS) method with the aims (i) that the FCIs should outperform interest rate, which is conventionally used in small VAR (Vector Auto-Regression) models to present the predictive macro-impacts of the financial markets, and (ii) that the FCIs are adequately invariant during regular updates to resemble non-model based aggregate indices. Both aims are shown to be attainable as long as the FCIs are tailor-made with carefully selected components and suitably targeted macro variables of forecasting interest. The positive outcome sheds light on why the widely used principal component analysis (PCA) approach is ill-suited to the tasks here whereas why the PLS route promises a fruitful way forward.
format Monographs and Working Papers
author Qin, Duo
author_facet Qin, Duo
Wang, Qing Chao
authorStr Qin, Duo
author_letter Qin, Duo
author2 Wang, Qing Chao
author2Str Wang, Qing Chao
title Predictive Macro-Impacts of PLS-based Financial Conditions Indices: An Application to the USA
publisher SOAS Department of Economics Working Paper Series; 201
publishDate 2016
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/23177/