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Nowcasting Finnish Turnover Indexes Using Firm-Level Data

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  • Fornaro, Paolo
  • Luomaranta, Henri
  • Saarinen, Lauri

Abstract

We adopt a series of shrinkage and factor analytic methodologies to compute nowcasts of the main Finnish turnover indexes, using continuously accumulating firm-level data. We show that the estimates based on large dimensional models provide an accurate and timelier alternative to the ones produced currently by Statistics Finland, even after taking into account data revisions. In particular, we find that the turnovers for the service sector can be estimated with high accuracy five days after the reference month has ended, giving more accurate and faster predictions compared to the first official internal release. For other sectors, the large dimensional models provide a good nowcasting performance, even though there is a timeliness-accuracy trade off. Finally, we propose a factor-based methodology to improve the accuracy of the current flash estimates by imputing part of the data sources, and find that we are able to provide better predictions in a more expedited fashion for all sectors of interest.

Suggested Citation

  • Fornaro, Paolo & Luomaranta, Henri & Saarinen, Lauri, 2017. "Nowcasting Finnish Turnover Indexes Using Firm-Level Data," ETLA Working Papers 46, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    • Handle: RePEc:rif:wpaper:46
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Domenico Giannone & Lucrezia Reichlin & David Small, 2008. "Nowcasting: the real time informational content of macroeconomic data releases," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/6409, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    8. Fornaro, Paolo, 2016. "Predicting Finnish economic activity using firm-level data," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 10-19.
    9. Stock, James H & Watson, Mark W, 2002. "Macroeconomic Forecasting Using Diffusion Indexes," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 20(2), pages 147-162, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fornaro, Paolo, 2017. "Know the Present to Understand the Future: Nowcasting and Forecasting the Finnish Economy," ETLA Brief 59, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dynamic factor models; Firm-level data; Nowcasting; Shrinkage;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods
    • C55 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Large Data Sets: Modeling and Analysis

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