Three Essays On Econometrics

Three Essays on the Econometrics of Production, Productivity, and Capacity Utilization

Three Essays on Econometrics

In the first chapter titled, "A Factor Model for Functional Time Series", I construct a factor model for functional time series. Functions are infinite dimensional, and therefore, they have infinite dimensional features. I define functional factors as features affecting functional time series regularly and frequently. Other components are defined to be idiosyncratic since they only appear intermittently and sporadically. For determining the number of functional factors, asymptotic behaviors of the eigenvalues of the sample variance operator of the underlying functional time series are derived. I examine the time series of densities for the cross-sectional distributions of NYSE stock returns, and credit spread curves between US corporate bonds and Treasury bonds. In both examples, I find two functional factors characterize two main common features of the underlying functional time series. In the second chapter titled "A Factor Model for Functional Time Series with Unit Roots", I extend a factor model developed in the first chapter by allowing nonstationarity in the functional time series. I show functional factors and loadings can be consistently estimated after identifying potential unit roots subspace through functional principal component analysis. I apply the model to the U.S. yield curves and find the stationary fluctuations of the U.S. yield curves are mostly driven by curvature type of features. Also, I find one curvature feature appears regularly and is qualified being a functional factor.In the third chapter titled "A Factor Model for Functional Panels", I develop a factor model for functional panels with potentially large set of cross sections and time series. This model assumes that there are a finite number of common functional time series which keep generating response functions over time and its effects are non-trivial. I examine term structures of government bond yields for the US, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, South Korea, Germany, Canada and Australia. I find one global factor does exist and is important explaining fractions of variation in some country yield curves.

Three Essays in International Finance and Econometrics