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This article proposes a new approach to the analysis of the reference cycle turning points, defined on the basis of the specific turning points of a broad set of coincident economic indicators. Each individual pair of specific peaks and troughs from these indicators is viewed as a realization of a mixture of an unspecified number of separate bivariate Gaussian distributions whose different means are the reference turning points. These dates break the sample into separate reference cycle phases, whose shifts are modeled by a hiddenMarkov chain. The transition probabilitymatrix is constrained so that the specification is equivalent to a multiple change-point model. Bayesian estimation of finite Markov mixture modeling techniques is suggested to estimate the model. Several Monte Carlo experiments are used to show the accuracy of the model to date reference cycles that suffer from short phases, uncertain turning points, small samples, and asymmetric cycles. In the empirical section, we show the high performance of our approach to identifying the US reference cycle, with little difference from the timing of the turning point dates established by the NBER. In a pseudo real-time analysis, we also show the good performance of this methodology in terms of accuracy and speed of detection of turning point dates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the estimation bias of autoregressive models for bounded near‐integrated stochastic processes and the performance of the standard procedures in the literature that aim to correct the estimation bias. In some cases, the bounded nature of the stochastic processes worsens the estimation bias effect. The paper extends two popular autoregressive estimation bias correction procedures to cover bounded stochastic processes. Monte Carlo simulations reveal that accounting for the bounded nature of the stochastic processes leads to improvements in the estimation of autoregressive models. Finally, an illustration is given using the unemployment rate of the G7 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to focus deeply on the short term to explain the relative long-term evolution of the Argentinian economy in the long and the short term. Design/methodology/approach - The study of the long-term evolution of the Argentine economy and identifying the moment in which it began to lose ground compared to other developed economies, such as Australia and Canada, constitutes the central axis of the historiography of this country. However, an additional problem presented by the Argentine economy is its high volatility. For this reason, the long term should be influenced by the short term, an issue that requires a more detailed study of the cyclical behavior and a deep analysis of the relationship between the long and the short term. Findings - The results obtained point to a cyclical development that influences the long-term evolution and, therefore, explains Argentina's convergence process with Australia and Canada. Frequent deep busts and short booms characterize the Argentine cycle, offsetting its long-term growth potential. Originality/value - Although the long term has been profusely studied in Argentina, the short term has not been analyzed to the same extent, which is surprising given the extreme volatility of this economy (Prebisch, 1950). The studies performed on economic cycles have always been partial, disconnected from the long termand carried out without much technical rigor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyse the volatility of US GDP growth using quarterly series starting in 1875. We find structural breaks in volatility at the end of World War II and at the beginning of the Great Moderation period. We show that the Great Moderation volatility reduction is only linked to changes in expansions, whereas that after World War II is due to changes in both expansions and recessions. We also propose several methodologies to date the US business cycle in this long period. We find that taking volatility into account improves the characterization of the business cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study reconsiders the common unit root/co-integration approach to test for the Fisher effect for the economies of the G7 countries. We first show that nominal interest and inflation rates are better represented as I(0) variables. Later, we use the Bai-Perron procedure to show the existence of structural changes in the Fisher equation. After considering these breaks, we find very limited evidence of a total Fisher effect as the transmission coefficient of the expected inflation rates to nominal interest rates is very different than one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have decomposed the peseta/dollar real exchange rate (1870–1998) into its trend and cyclical components and used the former to proxy its time-varying equilibrium. Then, we have compared changes in the equilibrium with changes in the Spanish and the USA productivity differentials to identify years that do not fit with the Harrod–Balassa–Samuelson (HBS) hypothesis. The greatest maladjustment is found in the 1940s and 1950s, decades of strong exchange rate intervention in Spain. Conversely, the link between equilibrium and differentials adjusts to the hypothesis when using the non-intervened peseta/dollar exchange rate on the Tangier black market. These contrasting results back up the idea that exchange rate intervention, so common in developing countries, might explain their scanter evidence in favour of the HBS effect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper addresses the unit root testing when the range of the time series is limited and considering the presence of multiple structural breaks. The structural breaks can affect the level and/or the boundaries of the time series. The paper proposes five unit root test statistics, whose limiting distribution is shown to depend on the number and position of the structural breaks. The performance of the statistics is investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper underlines the relevance of considering breaks in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) tests, by studying the floating peseta over the period 1870–1935. In some cases, only the stationarity of the real exchange rate in the presence of structural breaks could be accepted. Moreover, breaks clearly improve the significance of the proportionality condition for the peseta/pound, peseta/franc and peseta/dollar exchange rates. So, since breaks are endogenously detected and seem to make economic sense, the PPP hypothesis is considered as a valid equilibrium rule for the peseta exchange rate against the currencies of Spain's main traders between 1870 and 1935. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]