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Characterizing very high uncertainty episodes

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  • Bijsterbosch, Martin
  • Guérin, Pierre

Abstract

This paper uses a two-step approach to characterize the evolution of US macroeconomic and financial variables during episodes of very high uncertainty. First, we identify episodes of very high uncertainty using a regime-switching model. Second, we assess the behavior of macroeconomic and financial variables during these episodes of very high uncertainty. This methodology is analogous to the approach followed by Baele et al. (2012), who study episodes of flights to safety in financial markets. We find that very high uncertainty episodes are associated with a weaker growth performance and sharp declines in stock prices.

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  • Bijsterbosch, Martin & Guérin, Pierre, 2013. "Characterizing very high uncertainty episodes," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 121(2), pages 239-243.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:121:y:2013:i:2:p:239-243
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2013.08.005
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    3. Rehman, Mobeen Ur & Sensoy, Ahmet & Eraslan, Veysel & Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2021. "Sensitivity of US equity returns to economic policy uncertainty and investor sentiments," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    4. Choi Sangyup & Yoon Chansik, 2022. "Uncertainty, Financial Markets, and Monetary Policy over the Last Century," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 22(2), pages 397-434, June.
    5. Ginn, William, 2023. "The impact of economic policy uncertainty on stock prices," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    6. Silvia Delrio, 2016. "Estimating the effects of global uncertainty in open economies," Working Papers 2016:19, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    7. Klößner, Stefan & Sekkel, Rodrigo, 2014. "International spillovers of policy uncertainty," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 124(3), pages 508-512.
    8. Alhussaini, Abdullah & Parhi, Mamata, 2022. "How do economies adjust speed at uncertain times?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    9. Gieseck Arne & Largent Yannis, 2016. "The Impact of Macroeconomic Uncertainty on Activity in the Euro Area," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 67(1), pages 25-52, May.
    10. Mei-Chih Wang & Pao-Lan Kuo & Chan-Sheng Chen & Chien-Liang Chiu & Tsangyao Chang, 2020. "Yield Spread and Economic Policy Uncertainty: Evidence from Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-14, May.
    11. Magnus Reif, 2020. "Macroeconomics, Nonlinearities, and the Business Cycle," ifo Beiträge zur Wirtschaftsforschung, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 87.
    12. Amritkant MISHRA, 2024. "Do Economic Policy Uncertainty Have Ramifications On Inflation And Stock Market Performance? Evidence From Global Framework," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 19(3), pages 172-190, December.
    13. Ko, Jun-Hyung & Lee, Chang-Min, 2015. "International economic policy uncertainty and stock prices: Wavelet approach," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 118-122.
    14. Helseth, Marius Aleksander Emblem & Krakstad, Svein Olav & Molnár, Peter & Norlin, Karl-Martin, 2020. "Can policy and financial risk predict stock markets?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 701-719.
    15. Mohammad Enamul Hoque & Mohd Azlan Shah Zaidi & M. Kabir Hassan, 2021. "Geopolitical Uncertainties and Malaysian Stock Market Returns: Do Market Conditions Matter?," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(19), pages 1-16, September.
    16. Grimme, Christian & Henzel, Steffen R., 2024. "Uncertainty and credit conditions: Non-linear evidence from firm-level data," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 1307-1323.
    17. Cristiane Gea & Marcelo Cabus Klotzle & Luciano Vereda & Antonio Carlos Figueiredo Pinto, 2023. "Pricing uncertainty in the Brazilian stock market: do size and sustainability matter?," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-37, January.
    18. Christian Grimme & Steffen Henzel, 2020. "Increasing Business Uncertainty and Credit Conditions in Times of Low and High Uncertainty: Evidence from Firm-Level Survey Data," CESifo Working Paper Series 8791, CESifo.
    19. Reif Magnus, 2021. "Macroeconomic uncertainty and forecasting macroeconomic aggregates," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 25(2), pages 1-20, April.
    20. Faruk Balli & Hatice O. Balli & Mudassar Hasan & Russell Gregory-Allen, 2020. "Economic policy uncertainty spillover effects on sectoral equity returns of New Zealand," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 44(4), pages 670-686, October.
    21. Grimme, Christian & Henzel, Steffen, 2023. "Uncertainty Shocks in Times of Low and High Uncertainty," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277629, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Uncertainty; Markov-switching; Survey data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C24 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Truncated and Censored Models; Switching Regression Models; Threshold Regression Models
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E66 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General Outlook and Conditions

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