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Advances in Nowcasting Economic Activity: Secular Trends, Large Shocks and New Data

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  • Petrella, Ivan
  • Antolin-Diaz, Juan
  • Drechsel, Thomas

Abstract

A key question for households, firms, and policy makers is: how is the economy doing now? We develop a Bayesian dynamic factor model and compute daily estimates of US GDP growth. Our framework gives prominence to features of modern business cycles absent in linear Gaussian models, including movements in long-run growth, time-varying uncertainty, and fat tails. We also incorporate newly available high-frequency data on consumer behavior. The model beats benchmark econometric models and survey expectations at predicting GDP growth over two decades, and advances our understanding of macroeconomic data during the recession of spring 2020.

Suggested Citation

  • Petrella, Ivan & Antolin-Diaz, Juan & Drechsel, Thomas, 2021. "Advances in Nowcasting Economic Activity: Secular Trends, Large Shocks and New Data," CEPR Discussion Papers 15926, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15926
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Nowcasting; Daily economic index; Dynamic factor models; Real-time data; Bayesian methods; Fat tails;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts

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