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Filtering economic time series: On the cyclical properties of Hamilton’s regression filter and the Hodrick-Prescott filter

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  • Yves Schueler

    (Deutsche Bundesbank)

Abstract

The Hamilton (H) filter is proposed as an alternative to the Hodrick-Prescott (HP) filter. It is designed to meet all of the objectives desired by users of the HP filter while avoiding its drawbacks (spurious dynamics, ad hoc filter settings, end-of-sample bias). I document a trade-off that has been overlooked: Addressing the HP filter's drawbacks means that the H filter cannot fulfill all of the desired objectives. It modifies different frequencies captured in an estimated cyclical component by inducing phase shifts and by likely altering variances. Typically, these modifications vary across time series. Through both simulation and real data exercises, I illustrate each filter's cyclical properties. (Copyright: Elsevier)

Suggested Citation

  • Yves Schueler, 2024. "Filtering economic time series: On the cyclical properties of Hamilton’s regression filter and the Hodrick-Prescott filter," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 54, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:issued:23-94
    DOI: 10.1016/j.red.2024.101237
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Business cycles; Detrending; Band pass filter; Forecast errors; Spurious cycles;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C10 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - General
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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