Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/260820 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 9690
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
We develop novel forecasting methods for panel data with heterogeneous parameters and examine them together with existing approaches. We conduct a systematic comparison of their predictive accuracy in settings with different cross-sectional (N) and time (T) dimensions and varying degrees of parameter heterogeneity. We investigate conditions under which panel forecasting methods can perform better than forecasts based on individual estimates and demonstrate how gains in predictive accuracy depend on the degree of parameter heterogeneity, whether heterogeneity is correlated with the regressors, the goodness of fit of the model, and, particularly, the time dimension of the data set. We propose optimal combination weights for forecasts based on pooled and individual estimates and develop a novel forecast poolability test that can be used as a pretesting tool. Through a set of Monte Carlo simulations and three empirical applications to house prices, CPI inflation, and stock returns, we show that no single forecasting approach dominates uniformly. However, forecast combination and shrinkage methods provide better overall forecasting performance and offer more attractive risk profiles compared to individual, pooled, and random effects methods.
Subjects: 
forecasting
panel data
heterogeneity
forecast evaluation
forecast combination
shrinkage
pooling
JEL: 
C33
C53
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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