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Nowcasting French GDP in Real-Time from Survey Opinions : Information or Forecast Combinations ?

Author

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  • Frédérique Bec

    (University de Cergy and CREST)

  • Matteo Mogliani

    (Banque de France)

Abstract
This paper investigates the predictive accuracy of two alternative forecasting strategies, namely the forecast and information combinations. Theoretically, there should be no role for forecast combinations in a world where information sets can be instantaneously and costlessly combined. However, following some recent works which claim that this result holds in population but not necessarily in small samples, our paper questions this postulate empirically in a real-time and mixed-frequency framework. An application to the quarterly growth rate of French GDP reveals that, given a set of predictive models involving coincident indicators, a simple average of individual forecasts outperforms the individual forecasts, as long as no individual model encompasses the others. Furthermore, the simple average of individual forecasts outperforms, or it is statistically equivalent to, more sophisticated forecast combination schemes. However, when a predictive encompassing model is obtained by combining information sets, this model outperforms the most accurate forecast combination strategy

Suggested Citation

  • Frédérique Bec & Matteo Mogliani, 2013. "Nowcasting French GDP in Real-Time from Survey Opinions : Information or Forecast Combinations ?," Working Papers 2013-21, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    • Handle: RePEc:crs:wpaper:2013-21
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    Cited by:

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    3. Carlos León & Fabio Ortega, 2018. "Nowcasting Economic Activity with Electronic Payments Data: A Predictive Modeling Approach," Revista de Economía del Rosario, Universidad del Rosario, vol. 21(2), pages 381-407, December.
    4. Mogliani, Matteo & Simoni, Anna, 2021. "Bayesian MIDAS penalized regressions: Estimation, selection, and prediction," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 222(1), pages 833-860.
    5. Christian Gayer & Alessandro Girardi & Andreas Reuter, 2016. "Replacing Judgment by Statistics: Constructing Consumer Confidence Indicators on the basis of Data-driven Techniques. The Case of the Euro Area," Working Papers LuissLab 16125, Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, LUISS Guido Carli.
    6. Boriss Siliverstovs, 2017. "Short-term forecasting with mixed-frequency data: a MIDASSO approach," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(13), pages 1326-1343, March.
    7. E. Monnet & C. Thubin, 2017. "Construction crises and business cycle: consequences for GDP forecasts," Rue de la Banque, Banque de France, issue 39, february..
    8. Shrub, Yuliya & Rieger, Jonas & Müller, Henrik & Jentsch, Carsten, 2022. "Text data rule - don't they? A study on the (additional) information of Handelsblatt data for nowcasting German GDP in comparison to established economic indicators," Ruhr Economic Papers 964, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    9. Hwee Kwan Chow & Yijie Fei & Daniel Han, 2023. "Forecasting GDP with many predictors in a small open economy: forecast or information pooling?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(2), pages 805-829, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Forecast Combinations; Pooling Information; Macroeconomic Nowcasting; Real-time data; Mixed-frequency data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection
    • E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications

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