function results = rvar(y,nlag,w,freq,sig,tau,theta,x); % PURPOSE: Estimates a Bayesian vector autoregressive model % using the random-walk averaging prior %--------------------------------------------------- % USAGE: result = rvar(y,nlag,w,freq,sig,tau,theta,x) % where: y = an (nobs x neqs) matrix of y-vectors (in levels) % nlag = the lag length % w = an (neqs x neqs) matrix containing prior means % (rows should sum to unity, see below) % freq = 1 for annual, 4 for quarterly, 12 for monthly % sig = prior variance hyperparameter (see below) % tau = prior variance hyperparameter (see below) % theta = prior variance hyperparameter (see below) % x = an (nobs x nx) matrix of deterministic variables % (in any form, they are not altered during estimation) % (constant term automatically included) % priors for important variables: N(w(i,j),sig) for 1st own lag % N( 0 ,tau*sig/k) for lag k=2,...,nlag % priors for unimportant variables: N(w(i,j) ,theta*sig/k) for lag 1 % N( 0 ,theta*sig/k) for lag k=2,...,nlag % e.g., if y1, y3, y4 are important variables in eq#1, y2 unimportant % w(1,1) = 1/3, w(1,3) = 1/3, w(1,4) = 1/3, w(1,2) = 0 % typical values would be: sig = .1-.3, tau = 4-8, theta = .5-1 %--------------------------------------------------- % NOTES: - estimation is carried out in annualized growth terms % because the prior means rely on common (growth-rate) scaling of variables % hence the need for a freq argument input. % - constant term included automatically %--------------------------------------------------- % RETURNS: a structure % results.meth = 'rvar' % results.nobs = nobs, # of observations % results.neqs = neqs, # of equations % results.nlag = nlag, # of lags % results.nvar = nlag*neqs+nx+1, # of variables per equation % --- the following are referenced by equation # --- % results(eq).beta = bhat for equation eq % results(eq).tstat = t-statistics % results(eq).tprob = t-probabilities % results(eq).resid = residuals (for growth rates regression) % results(eq).yhat = predicted values (levels) (nlag+freq+1:nobs,1) % results(eq).dyhat = predicted values (growth rates) (nlag+freq+1:nobs,1) % results(eq).y = actual y-level values (nobs x 1) % results(eq).dy = actual y-growth rate values (nlag+freq+1:nobs,1) % results(eq).sige = e'e/(n-k) (for growth rates regression) % results(eq).rsqr = r-squared (for growth rates regression) % results(eq).rbar = r-squared adjusted (for growth rates regression) % --------------------------------------------------- % SEE ALSO: rvarf, var, bvar, ecm, becm, recm, prt_var % --------------------------------------------------- % References: LeSage and Krivelyova (1998) % ``A Spatial Prior for Bayesian Vector Autoregressive Models'', % forthcoming Journal of Regional Science, (on http://www.econ.utoledo.edu) % and % LeSage and Krivelova (1997) (on http://www.econ.utoledo.edu) % ``A Random Walk Averaging Prior for Bayesian Vector Autoregressive Models'' % written by: % James P. LeSage, Dept of Economics % University of Toledo % 2801 W. Bancroft St, % Toledo, OH 43606 % jpl@jpl.econ.utoledo.edu [nobs neqs] = size(y); results.meth = 'rvar'; results.sig = sig; results.tau = tau; results.theta = theta; results.nobs = nobs; results.neqs = neqs; results.nlag = nlag; results.weight = w; nx = 0; if nargin == 8 % user is specifying deterministic variables [nobs2 nx] = size(x); elseif nargin == 7 % no deterministic variables nx = 0; else error('Wrong # of arguments to rvar'); end; % transform y-levels to annualized growth rates dy = growthr(y,freq); dy = trimr(dy,freq,0); % adjust nobs to account for seasonal differences and lags nobse = nobs-freq-nlag; % nvar k = neqs*nlag+nx+1; nvar = k; results.nvar = nvar; y1 = mlag(dy,1); y1 = trimr(y1,nlag,0); % 1st own lags of the y-variables xlag = nclag(dy,2,nlag); % lags 2 to nlag of the y-variables xlag = trimr(xlag,nlag,0); if nx > 0 x = trimr(x,nlag+freq,0); % truncate x variables for lags and diffs end; iota = ones(nobs,1); iota = trimr(iota,nlag+freq,0); dy = trimr(dy,nlag,0); % truncate to feed lags % form x-matrix of var plus deterministic variables if nx ~= 0 xmat = [xlag x iota]; else xmat = [xlag iota]; end; % form prior vector of means and matrix of variances % for autoregressive parameters % r = R beta + vmat R = zeros(k,k); % only fill in 1's for lags, leave determininistic % and constant term elements set to zero for i=1:neqs*nlag R(i,i) = 1.0; end; for j=1:neqs; % ========> Equations loop r = zeros(k,1); % prior means vmat = eye(k)*100; % diffuse prior variance constant and deterministic % set prior means for first lags % using weight matrix for icnt = 1:neqs; r(icnt,1) = w(j,icnt); end; % use prior mean of zero for lags 2 to nlag % plus deterministic variables and constant % already set by using r=zeros to start with for ii=1:neqs; % prior std deviations for 1st lags if w(j,ii) ~= 0 vmat(ii,ii) = sig; else vmat(ii,ii) = theta*sig; end; end; cnt = neqs+1; for ii=1:neqs; % prior std deviations for lags 2 to nlag if w(j,ii) ~= 0 for kk=2:nlag; vmat(cnt,cnt) = tau*sig/kk; cnt = cnt + 1; end; else for kk=2:nlag; vmat(cnt,cnt) = theta*sig/kk; cnt = cnt + 1; end; end; end; yvec = dy(:,j); vmat = vmat.*vmat; res = theil(yvec,[y1 xmat],r,R,vmat); % rearrange bhat parameters, t-statistics, tprobs in var order bmat = zeros(k,1); tmat = zeros(k,1); % =====> rearrange bhat parameters in var order cnt = 1; for i=1:nlag:k; % fills in lag 1 parameters bmat(i,1) = res.beta(cnt,1); tmat(i,1) = res.tstat(cnt,1); cnt = cnt + 1; end; cnt = 2; lcnt = 2; for i=1:k-nx-1-neqs; % fills in lag 2 to nlag parameters bmat(cnt,1) = res.beta(neqs+i,1); tmat(cnt,1) = res.tstat(neqs+i,1); cnt = cnt+1; lcnt = lcnt +1; if lcnt == nlag+1; cnt = cnt + 1; lcnt = 2; end; end; for i=k-nx-1:k; bmat(i,1) = res.beta(i,1); tmat(i,1) = res.tstat(i,1); end; % find predicted values in levels form ylag = lag(y(:,j),freq); ylag = trimr(ylag,freq+nlag,0); yhat = (iota + res.yhat).*ylag; % applied growth rate prediction to level % from last year % put results in structure variables results(j).beta = bmat; results(j).tstat = tmat; results(j).resid = res.resid; results(j).dyhat = res.yhat; results(j).yhat = yhat; results(j).y = y(:,j); results(j).dy = dy(:,j); results(j).sige = res.sige; results(j).rsqr = res.rsqr; results(j).rbar = res.rbar; end; % end of for j loop