Geoadditive Models for Regional Count Data: An Application to Industrial Location
Davide Castellani
ERSA conference papers,
2012
Abstract
We propose a geoadditive negative binomial model (Geo-NB-GAM) for regional count data which allows us to simultaneously address some important methodological issues, such as spatial clustering, nonlinearities and overdispersion. We apply this model to study location determinants of inward greenfield investments occurred over the 2003-2007 period in 249 European regions. The inclusion of a geoadditive component (a smooth spatial trend surface) permits us to control for spatial unobserved heterogeneity which induces spatial clustering. Allowing for nonlinearities reveals, in line with theoretical predictions, that the positive effect of agglomeration economies fades as the density of economic activities reaches some limit value. However, no matter how dense the economic activity becomes, our results suggest that congestion costs would never overcome positive agglomeration externalities.
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Islamic Finance in Europe
Pierluigi Caristi, Stéphane Couderc, Angela di Maria, Filippo di Mauro, Beljeet Kaur Grewal, Lauren Ho, Sergio Masciantonio, Steven Ongena, Sajjad Zaher
ECB Occasional Paper,
No. 146,
2013
Abstract
Islamic finance is based on ethical principles in line with Islamic religious law. Despite its low share of the global financial market, Islamic finance has been one of this sector's fastest growing components over the last decades and has gained further momentum in the wake of the financial crisis. The paper examines the development of and possible prospects for Islamic finance, with a special focus on Europe. It compares Islamic and conventional finance, particularly as concerns risks associated with the operations of respective institutions, as well as corporate governance. The paper also analyses empirical evidence comparing Islamic and conventional financial institutions with regard to their: (i) efficiency and profitability; and (ii) stability and resilience. Finally, the paper considers the conduct of monetary policy in an Islamic banking context. This is not uncomplicated given the fact that interest rates - normally a cornerstone of monetary policy - are prohibited under Islamic finance. Liquidity management issues are thus discussed here, with particular reference to the euro area.
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Has the Euro Increased International Price Elasticities?
Oliver Holtemöller, Götz Zeddies
Empirica,
No. 1,
2013
Abstract
The introduction of the Euro has been accompanied by the hope that international competition between EMU member states would increase due to higher price transparency. This paper contributes to the literature by analyzing price elasticities in international trade flows between Germany and France and between Germany and the United Kingdom before and after the introduction of the Euro. Using disaggregated Eurostat trade statistics, we adopt a heterogeneous dynamic panel framework for the estimation of price elasticities. We suggest a Kalman-filter approach to control for unobservable quality changes which otherwise would bias estimates of price elasticities. We divide the complete sample, which ranges from 1995 to 2008, into two sub-samples and show that price elasticities in trade between EMU members did not change substantially after the introduction of the Euro. Hence, we do not find evidence for an increase in international price competition resulting from EMU.
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Testing for Structural Breaks at Unknown Time: A Steeplechase
Makram El-Shagi, Sebastian Giesen
Computational Economics,
No. 1,
2013
Abstract
This paper analyzes the role of common data problems when identifying structural breaks in small samples. Most notably, we survey small sample properties of the most commonly applied endogenous break tests developed by Brown et al. (J R Stat Soc B 37:149–163, 1975) and Zeileis (Stat Pap 45(1):123–131, 2004), Nyblom (J Am Stat Assoc 84(405):223–230, 1989) and Hansen (J Policy Model 14(4):517–533, 1992), and Andrews et al. (J Econ 70(1):9–38, 1996). Power and size properties are derived using Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the Nyblom test is on par with the commonly used F type tests in a small sample in terms of power. While the Nyblom test’s power decreases if the structural break occurs close to the margin of the sample, it proves far more robust to nonnormal distributions of the error term that are found to matter strongly in small samples although being irrelevant asymptotically for all tests that are analyzed in this paper.
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Macroeconomic Imbalances as Indicators for Debt Crises in Europe
Tobias Knedlik, Gregor von Schweinitz
Journal of Common Market Studies,
No. 5,
2012
Abstract
European authorities and scholars published proposals on which indicators of macroeconomic imbalances might be used to uncover risks for the sustainability of public debt in the European Union. We test the ability of four proposed sets of indicators to send early-warnings of debt crises using a signals approach for the study of indicators and the construction of composite indicators. We find that a broad composite indicator has the highest predictive power. This fact still holds true if equal weights are used for the construction of the composite indicator in order to reflect the uncertainty about the origin of future crises.
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Extreme Dependence with Asymmetric Thresholds: Evidence for the European Monetary Union
Stefan Eichler, R. Herrera
Journal of Banking and Finance,
No. 11,
2011
Abstract
Existing papers on extreme dependence use symmetrical thresholds to define simultaneous stock market booms or crashes such as the joint occurrence of the upper or lower one percent return quantile in both stock markets. We show that the probability of the joint occurrence of extreme stock returns may be higher for asymmetric thresholds than for symmetric thresholds. We propose a non-parametric measure of extreme dependence which allows capturing extreme events for different thresholds and can be used to compute different types of extreme dependence. We find that extreme dependence among the stock markets of ten initial EMU member countries, the United Kingdom, and the United States is largely asymmetrical in the pre-EMU period (1989–1998) and largely symmetrical in the EMU period (1999–2010). Our findings suggest that ignoring the possibility of asymmetric extreme dependence may lead to an underestimation of the probability of co-booms and co-crashes.
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Macroeconomic Imbalances as Indicators for Debt Crises in Europe
Tobias Knedlik, Gregor von Schweinitz
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 10,
2011
Abstract
Die Schulden- und Vertrauenskrise in Europa hat eine intensive Diskussion über die makroökonomische Koordinierung ausgelöst. Die bestehenden Institutionen, darunter auch der Stabilitäts- und Wachstumspakt, haben sich als Krisenpräventions- und Krisenmanagementinstrumente nicht bewährt. Ein Vorschlag in der gegenwärtigen Debatte lautet, anhand geeigneter Frühindikatoren eine regelmäßige und systematische makroökonomische
Überwachung vorzunehmen, um sich anbahnende Krisen früh erkennen und darauf reagieren zu können. Dieser Beitrag stellt die Prognosegüte von vier vorgeschlagenen Indikatorensets vergleichend dar, wobei sowohl die Güte
von Einzelindikatoren als auch die Güte aggregierter Gesamtindikatoren betrachtet werden. Die verschiedenen Einzelindikatoren weisen eine sehr unterschiedliche Prognosequalität auf, wobei sich neben dem Staatsdefizit
besonders die Arbeitsmarktindikatoren, die private Verschuldung und der Leistungsbilanzsaldo durch eine hohe Prognosegüte auszeichnen. Unter den Gesamtindikatoren schneiden besonders jene gut ab, die sowohl viele unterschiedliche als auch besonders gute Einzelindikatoren beinhalten. Deshalb wird für den Einsatz eines breit basierten Gesamtindikators bei der makroökonomischen Überwachung plädiert. Dieser sollte zudem aus gleichgewichteten Einzelindikatoren zusammengesetzt sein, um der Tatsache Rechnung zu tragen, dass die Ursachen künftiger Krisen vorab nicht bekannt sind.
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Komparative Vorteile im Handel Deutschlands mit Osteuropa gering
Martina Kämpfe, Götz Zeddies
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 9,
2011
Abstract
Die mittel- und osteuropäischen EU-Mitgliedstaaten haben in den vergangenen Jahren im deutschen Außenhandel stetig an Bedeutung gewonnen. Während die kräftig expandierende Nachfrage in dieser Region der deutschen Exportindustrie deutliche Wachstumsimpulse lieferte, wurde in zunehmenden Importen aus diesen relativ arbeitsreichen Ländern häufig eine Gefahr für die inländische Beschäftigung gesehen. Aus Sicht der Außenhandelstheorien ist ein solcher Effekt insbesondere dann zu erwarten, wenn intersektoraler Handel vorliegt, der strukturellen Anpassungsdruck auslösen und die relative Entlohnung oder die Beschäftigung der Produktionsfaktoren in den Handelspartnerländern beeinflussen kann. Vor diesem Hintergrund analysiert dieser Beitrag zunächst die Produktions- und Beschäftigungsstrukturen ausgewählter osteuropäischer Länder. Darauf aufbauend folgt eine Untersuchung der Außenhandelsstruktur zwischen Ost- und Westdeutschland auf der einen und den osteuropäischen EU-Mitgliedstaaten, insbesondere Polen, der Tschechischen Republik, Ungarn und der Slowakei, auf der anderen Seite. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass der Außenhandel zwischen Deutschland und Osteuropa größtenteils intra-industriell geprägt ist und weder
Alte noch Neue Bundesländer über ausgeprägte komparative Vorteile bei kapital- und humankapitalintensiven Gütern gegenüber Osteuropa verfügen.
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International Fragmentation of Production and the Labour Input into Germany’s Exports – An Input-Output-analysis
Hans-Ulrich Brautzsch, Udo Ludwig
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 14,
2011
Abstract
The import penetration of exports has become a topic of public debate, particularly in the context of Germany’s position as one of the world’s leading exporters. The growth in the volume of intermediate products purchased from abroad for subsequent processing into export goods in Germany seems to be undermining the importance of exports as a driver of domestic production and employment. The gains that arise from an increase in exports seem to have been offset by the losses caused by the crowding out of local production by imports. Empirical evidence on the impact of this international integration of the goods market on the German labour market is ambiguous. Short-term negative effects on employment are claimed to be offset by the long-term benefit that the jobs lost in the short run will eventually be replaced by higher-skilled jobs with better
perspectives. Against this background, the following hypothesis is tested empirically: Germany is poor in natural resources, but rich in skilled labour. In line with the Heckscher- Ohlin theory, Germany should therefore specialize in the production of export goods and services that are relatively intensive in these factors and should import those goods and services that are relatively intensive in unskilled labour. The empirical part of the paper deals with the extent of the German export penetration by imports. At first, it analyses by what ways imports are affecting the exports directly and indirectly and shows the consequences of import penetration of exports for the national output and employment. Secondly, consequences for employment are split in different skill types of labour. These issues are discussed with the standard open static inputoutput- model. The data base is a time series of official input-output tables. The employment effects for Germany divided by skill types of labour are investigated using skill matrices generated by the authors.
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