Switching Between Expectation Processes in the Foreign Exchange Market: A Probabilistic Approach Using Survey Data

This paper relaxes a fundamental hypothesis commonly accepted in the expectation formation literature: expectations are, unchangingly, either rational or generated by one of the three simple extrapolative, regressive or adaptive processes. Using expectations survey data provided by Consensus Forecasts on six European exchange rates against the US Dollar, we find that the rational expectations hypothesis is rejected at the aggregate level. By implementing a switching regression methodology with stochastic choice of regime, we show that the expectation generating process is given at any time by some combination of the three simple processes. An interpretation of this framework in terms of economically rational expectations is suggested.expectation formation; switching-regime; exchange rates; survey data; cost and advantage analysis

Nonlinear Stock Price Adjustment in the G7 Countries

This paper seeks to address the stock price adjustment toward fundamentals. Using the class of Switching Transition Error Correction Models (STECMs), we show that two regimes describe the dynamics of stock price deviations from fundamentals in the G7 countries over the period 1969-2005. Deviations appear to follow a quasi random walk in the central regime when prices are near fundamentals (i.e. transaction costs being greater than expected gains, the mean reversion mechanism is inactive), while they approach a white noise in the outer regimes (i.e. transaction costs being lower than expected gains, the mean reversion works). As expected when transaction costs are heterogeneous, the STECM shows that stock price adjustments are smooth, implying that the convergence speed is time-varying according to the size of the deviation. Finally, using appropriate indicators, both the magnitudes of under- and overvaluation of stock price and the speed of the mean reversion are exhibited per date in the G7 countries, showing that the dynamics of stock price adjustment is highly dependent on the date and on the country under consideration.Price, heterogeneous transaction costs, STECMs

Nonlinear stock prices adjustment in the G7 countries

This paper aims to modeling stock prices adjustment dynamics toward their fundamentals. We used the class of Switching Transition Error Correction Models (STECM) and we showed that stock prices deviations toward fundamentals could be characterized by nonlinear adjustment process with mean reversion. First, according to Anderson (1997), De Grauwe and Grimaldi (2005) and Boswijk et al.(2006), we justify these nonlinearities by the presence of heterogeneous transaction costs, behavioural heterogeneity and the interaction between shareholders expectations. After, we present STECM specification. We apply this model to describe the G7 indexes adjustment dynamics toward their fundamentals. We showed that the G7 stock indexes adjustment is smooth and nonlinearly mean-reverting and that the convergence speeds vary according to the disequilibrium extent. Finally, using two indicators proposed by Peel and Taylor (2000), we determine phases of under- and overvaluation of stock prices and measure intensity of stock prices adjustment strengths.Stock Prices, Heterogeneous Transaction Costs, Nonlinear Adjustment

The dynamics of U.S. equity risk premia: lessons from professionals'view

Semi-annual surveys carried out by J. Livingston on a panel of experts have enabled us to compute the expected returns over the time span 1-semester and 2-semesters ahead on a portfolio made up of US industrial stocks. We calculated about 3000 individual ex-ante equity risk premia over the period 1952 to 1993 (82 semesters) defined as the difference between these expected stock returns and the risk-free forward rate given by zero coupon bonds. Unlike any other study, our contribution is to analyse premia deduced from surveys data, at the micro level, per date and over a long period. Three main conclusions may be drawn from our analysis of these ex-ante premia. First, the mean values of these premia are closer to the predictions derived from the consumption-based asset pricing theory than the ones obtained for the ex-post premia. Second, the experts' professional affiliation appears to be a significant criterion in discriminating premia. Third, in accordance with the Arbitrage Pricing Theory, individual ex-ante premia depend both on macroeconomic and idiosyncratic common factors: the former are represented by a set of macroeconomic variables observable by all agents, and the latter by experts’ personal forecasts about the future state of the economy, as defined by expected inflation and industrial production growth rate.Stock price expectations, equity risk premium, survey micro data

Modelling oil price expectations: evidence from survey data

Using Consensus Forecast survey data on WTI oil price expectations for three and twelve month horizons over the period November 1989 – December 2008, we find that the rational expectation hypothesis is rejected and that none of the traditional extrapolative, regressive and adaptive processes fits the data. We suggest a mixed expectation model defined as a linear combination of these traditional processes, which we interpret as the aggregation of individual mixing behavior and of heterogenous groups of agents using simple processes. This approach is consistent with the economically rational expectations theory. We show that the target price included in the regressive component of this model depends on macroeconomic fundamentals whose effects are subject to structural changes. The estimation results led to validate the mixed expectational model for the two horizons.Expectations formation, oil price

Economically rational expectations theory: evidence from the WTI oil price survey data

In the light of the economically rational expectation theory, this article shows how an expert chooses an optimal oil price forecast function given that information is costly. In this framework we propose an expectational process which nests all processes considered in the literature. By aggregating individual processes, it is shown that the overall expectational process may result from individual mixing effects and/or group heterogeneity effects. Using Consensus Forecast survey data, for three and twelve month horizons, we find that the rational expectation hypothesis is rejected and that none of the traditional extrapolative, regressive and adaptive processes and macroeconomic fundamentals is relevant. We show however, that a combination of the three traditional processes explains satisfactorily oil price expectations, which appear to exert a stabilizing strength in the oil market.expectation formation; oil price

Les comportements boursiers sont-ils eulériens?

En calibrant l'équation d'Euler relative au modèle d'évaluation d'actifs de Lucas (1978) basé sur la consommation, Cecchetti, Lam et Mark (CLM, 2000) ont montré que la remise en cause de l'hypothèse d'anticipations rationnelles sur laquelle repose ce modèle permet une représentation des deux premiers moments de la rentabilité des actions. Park (2006) confirme ce résultat en utilisant les anticipations boursières révélées par les enquêtes de Livingston auprès d'experts, lesquelles sont affectées par des biais analogues à ceux considérés par CLM. Ces travaux apportent ainsi une réponse à deux fameuses « énigmes », l'« equity premium puzzle » et le « volatility puzzle ». Cependant, l'équation d'Euler n'ayant pas été validée par date, ces résultats apparaissent comme insuffisants pour valider cette approche. Cet article cherche précisément à combler cette lacune. Dans ce but, les vérifications empiriques effectuées sur le NYSE montrent que, contrairement aux anticipations rationnelles, les anticipations d'experts révélées par les enquêtes de Livingston – lesquelles exhibent une représentation biaisée du futur – permettent de valider l'équation d'Euler par date, confirmant ainsi économétriquement les résultats obtenus avec l'approche par le calibrage. Sur le marché américain des actions, « tout se passe comme si » les agents se coordonnaient approximativement suivant l'équation d'Euler, mais avec des anticipations qui ne seraient pas rationnelles en raison notamment du coût d'accès et de traitement de l'information.équation d'Euler, cours boursiers, anticipations, prime de risque

Microfluidic synthesis and assembly of reactive polymer beads to form new structured polymer materials

Monodisperse and size-controlled polymer particles were produced without surfactant or wash-coat from O/W monomer emulsions and ‘‘on the fly’’ polymerization under UV irradiation in a very simple needle/tubing system. The effect of the viscosity of the continuous phase on the size of final particles was investigated. The capillary number ratio was found to be relevant to predict the size of the droplets. A relation between dimensionless numbers predicts particle diameter as a function of the needle inner diameter and both velocity and viscosity ratios of continuous and dispersed phases. A functional comonomer was incorporated in the monomer phase so as to obtain polymer microparticles bearing reactive groups on their surface. Polymer beads necklaces were thus formed by linking polymer particles together

Co-axial capillaries microfluidic device for synthesizing size- and morphology-controlled polymer core-polymer shell particles

An easy assembling-disassembling co-axial capillaries microfluidic device was built up for the production of double droplets. Uniform polymer core-polymer shell particles were synthesized by polymerizing the two immiscible monomer phases composing the double droplet. Thus poly(acrylamide) core-poly(tripropylenglycol-diacrylate) shell particles with controlled core diameter and shell thickness were simply obtained by adjusting operating parameters. An empirical law was extracted from experiments to predict core and shell sizes. Additionally uniform and predictable non-spherical polymer objects were also prepared without adding shape-formation procedures in the experimental device. An empirical equation for describing the lengths of rod-like polymer particles is also presented

Anticipations, prime de risque et structure par terme des taux d'intérêt: une analyse des comportements d'experts

Les anticipations de taux d'intérêt révélées par les enquêtes de Consensus Forecasts auprès d'experts sur le marché de l'Eurofranc ne vérifient pas l'hypothèse de rationalité. Elles résultent d'un processus mixte fondé sur une complémentarité entre les modèles anticipatifs traditionnels adaptatif, régressif et extrapolatif augmentés d'effets macroéconomiques (prix, revenu, monnaie). En utilisant une représentation espace-état dans le but de rendre compte de la part inobservable de l'actif long dans le portefeuille composé d'un actif long et d'un actif court, on montre que ces anticipations vérifient la relation de structure par terme de taux fondée sur un modèle de choix de portefeuille : (i) la prime de risque dépend de la variance du taux court et de la covariance entre ce dernier et l'inflation, (ii) les valeurs estimées du coefficient associé au spread de taux et du coefficient d'aversion sont conformes à la théorie. Toutefois, l'ajustement des taux de marché sur la relation d'équilibre de portefeuille ne s'effectue que progressivement, ce phénomène pouvant être attribué à l'existence de coûts de transaction.Structure par terme des taux d'inrérêt; anticipations; prime de risque