Examining the Evidence of Purchasing Power Parity by Recursive Mean Adjustment

This paper revisits the empirical evidence of purchasing power parity under the current float by the recursive mean adjustment (RMA) method (So and Shin, 1999). We first demonstrate superior finite sample performance of the RMA-based unit root test over the augmented Dickey-Fuller test via Monte Carlo experiments for 18 linear and nonlinear autoregressive data generating processes. The RMA-based unit root test rejects the null hypothesis of unit root for 16 out of 20 current float real exchange rates relative to the US dollar.We also find that the computationally simple RMA-based asymptotic confidence interval can provide useful information regarding the half-life of the real exchange rate.Recursive Mean Adjustment; Finite Sample Performance; Purchasing Power Parity; Half-Life

Official Interventions and Occasional Violations of Uncovered Interest Party in the Dollar-DM Market

This paper presents a model of exchange rate determination in which the forward premium anomaly emerges as the result of unanticipated central bank interventions in the foreign exchange market. Deviations from uncovered interest parity (UIP) therefore represent neither unexploited profit opportunities nor compensation for bearing risk. In simulations, the model generates a forward premium anomaly and matches several other notable features of US-German data. Additional empirical support is obtained from an analysis of Fed and Bundesbank interventions in the dollar--DM market where it is found that the forward premium anomaly intensifies during those times when a central bank intervenes.

On the Importance of Span of the Data in Univariate Estimation of the Persistence in Real Exchange Rates

This paper revisits the empirical evidence on real exchange rates' convergence to their purchasing power parity (PPP) levels. In their recent empirical study, Murray and Papell (2002) claim that the univariate approach provides no useful information on the size of the half-lives of real exchange rate deviations from PPP. However, we obtain finite confidence intervals for the half-life for a maximum of 8 out of 16 countries by applying the nonparametric grid bootstrap technique of Hansen (1999) to over a century of real exchange rates data for 16 developed countries relative to the US dollar. Our finding sharply contrasts to that of Murray and Papell (2002) with the post Bretton Woods real exchange rates. Our finding suggests that span of the data, not the estimation methods, matters more for obtaining useful information on long-run propositions such as PPP.Median Unbiased Estimator

A Century of Purchasing Power Parity Confirmed: The Role of Nonlinearity

Taylor (2002) claims that Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) has held over the 20th century based on strong evidence of stationarity for century-long real exchange rates for 20 countries. Lopez et al. (2005), however, found much weaker evidence of PPP with alternative lag selection methods. We reevaluate Taylor’s claim by implementing a recently developed nonlinear unit root test by Park and Shintani (2005). We find strong evidence of nonlinear mean-reversion in real exchange rates that confirms Taylor’s claim. We also find a possible misspecification problem in using the ESTAR model that may not be detected with Taylor-approximation based tests.Purchasing Power Parity; Transition Autoregressive Process; inf-t Unit Root Test

Official Interventions and Occasional Violations of Uncovered Interest Parity in the Dollar-DM Market

This paper presents a model of exchange rate determination in which the forward premium anomaly emerges as the result of unanticipated central bank interventions in the foreign exchange market. Deviations from uncovered interest parity (UIP) therefore represent neither unexploited profit opportunities nor compensation for bearing risk. In simulations, the model generates a forward premium anomaly and matches several other notable features of US-German data. Additional empirical support is obtained from an analysis of Fed and Bundesbank interventions in the dollar—DM market where it is found that the forward premium anomaly intensifies during those times when a central bank intervenesForward premium anomaly, foreign exchange intervention

Examining the Evidence of Purchasing Power Parity by Recursive Mean Adjustment

This paper revisits the empirical evidence of purchasing power parity under the current float by the recursive mean adjustment (RMA) method (So and Shin, 1999). We first demonstrate superior finite sample performance of the RMA-based unit root test over the augmented Dickey-Fuller test via Monte Carlo experiments for 18 linear and nonlinear autoregressive data generating processes. The RMA-based unit root test rejects the null hypothesis of unit root for 16 out of 20 current float real exchange rates relative to the US dollar.We also find that the computationally simple RMA-based asymptotic confidence interval can provide useful information regarding the half-life of the real exchange rate

A Century of Purchasing Power Parity Confirmed: The Role of Nonlinearity

Taylor (2002) claims that Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) has held over the 20th century based on strong evidence of stationarity for century-long real exchange rates for 20 countries. Lopez et al. (2005), however, found much weaker evidence of PPP with alternative lag selection methods. We reevaluate Taylor’s claim by implementing a recently developed nonlinear unit root test by Park and Shintani (2005). We find strong evidence of nonlinear mean-reversion in real exchange rates that confirms Taylor’s claim. We also find a possible misspecification problem in using the ESTAR model that may not be detected with Taylor-approximation based tests

Continuous-time model of uncovered interest parity with regulated jump-diffusion interest differential

This study investigates to what extent can an exchange rate model built on uncovered interest parity (UIP) match the empirical features of the exchange rate and the interest differential data. This article presents a continuous-time model of UIP in which the interest differential evolves following regulated jump-diffusion. Simulation experiments show that the model is capable of matching several important features of the data. Inclusion of jumps improves the model to capture persistent dynamics of interest differential and fat-tails in exchange rate returns compared to simple diffusion processes.

A century of purchasing power parity confirmed: The role of nonlinearity

Taylor (2002) claims that Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) has held over the 20th century based on strong evidence of stationary for century-long real exchange rates for 20 countries. Lopez et al. (2005), however, found much weaker evidence of PPP with alternative lag selection methods. We reevaluate Taylor's claim by implementing a recently developed nonlinear unit root test by Park and Shintani (2005). We find strong evidence of nonlinear mean-reversion in real exchange rates that confirms Taylor's claim. We also find a possible misspecification problem in using the ESTAR model that may not be detected with Taylor-approximation based tests.Purchasing power parity Transition autoregressive process Inf-t unit root test

Measuring long-run economic effects of natural hazard

This paper studies the long-run economic effects of severe weather on regional economies. A catastrophic event, such as a hurricane, will have an effect on both the directly impacted region and adjacent regions. With dramatically increasing damage from catastrophic weather events over the past few decades, comprehensive assessment of the long-run economic impact of natural disasters across the broader region becomes more important than ever for planning for post-disaster recovery. We estimate the long-run effect of Hurricane Katrina on the unemployment rate of Houston, TX by employing time-series and fixed-effect models. Using Dallas as a control, we find that Katrina is associated with a higher long-run unemployment rate in Houston than would otherwise have been expected. This implies that the hurricane-generated adverse relative effects on Houston. Our findings suggest that areas that are geographically proximate to the directly impacted region can sustain lasting negative economic consequences. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V