This dissertation consists of four papers in structural empirics that can be broadly categorized into two areas. The first three papers revolve around the structural estimation of demand for differentiated products and several applications thereof (Berry (1994), Berry, Levinsohn and Pakes (1995), Nevo (2000)), while the fourth paper examines the U.S. Treasury yield curve by estimating yields as linear functions of observable state variables (Ang and Piazzesi (2003), Ang et al. (2006)). The central focus of each paper are the underlying economics. Nevertheless, all papers share a common empirical approach. Be it prices of beers in Sweden or yields of U.S. Treasury bonds, it is assumed throughout that the economic variables of interest can be modeled by imposing specific parametric functional forms. The underlying structural parameters are then consistently estimated based on the variation in available data. Consistent estimation naturally hinges on the assumption that the assumed functional forms are correct. Another way of viewing this is that the imposed functions are flexible enough not to impose restrictive patterns on the data that ultimately lead to biased estimates of the structural parameters and thereby produce misleading conclusions regarding the underlying economics. In principle, the danger of misspecification could therefore be avoided by adopting sufficiently flexible functional forms. This, however, typically requires the estimation of a growing number of structural parameters that determine the underlying economic relationships. As an example, we can think of the estimation of differentiated product demand. The key object of interest here is the substitution patterns between the products. That is, we are interested in what happens to the demand of good X and all its rival products, as the price of good X increases. With N products in total, we could collect the product-specific changes in demand in a vector with N entries. It is also possible, however, that the price of any other good Y changes and thereby alters the demands for the remaining varieties. Thus, in total, we are interested in N2 price effects on product-specific demand. With few products, these effects could be estimated directly and the risk of functional misspecification could be excluded (Goolsbee and Petrin (2004)). With 100 products, however, we are required to estimate 10,000 parameters, which rarely, if ever, is feasible. This is the curse of dimensionality. Each estimation method employed in the four papers breaks this curse by imposing functions that depend on relatively few parameters and thereby tries to strike a balance between the necessity to rely on parsimonious structural frameworks and the risk of misspecification. This is a fundamental feature of empirical research in economics that makes it both interesting and challenging. / <p>Diss. Stockholm :  Stockholm School of Economics, 2012. Introduction together with 4 papers</p>

In this study, exchange rate pass-through into the export prices and import prices is analyzed separately at the disaggregate level. The study also attempts to differentiate exchange rate pass-through in the short-run and long-run. To analyze pass-through in the short-run, dynamic modeling is used. To analyze pass-through in the long-run, cointegration analysis is conducted. Estimation results show that exchange rate pass-through into the import prices is complete even at the disaggregate level. However, there is variation in the pass-through into the export prices across sectors both in the short-run and long-run. Not all exporting sectors, even in a small open economy like Turkey, are price takers in the foreign markets.

This study investigates the degree of exchange rate pass-through to prices in different sectors for Turkish economy using Johansen Cointegration procedure. The study is based on quarterly data from 1994:1 to 2003:4. In this study it is concluded that the long-run exchange rate pass-through to overall wholesale prices for Turkey is very high and nearly complete. High pass-through degrees are also valid for different sub-sectors wholesale prices like private, public, manufacturing industry and energy. Moreover, it is detected that the prices set by public sector have higher exchange rate pass-through but longer adjustment period as compared to private sector prices.

This dissertation consists of three research studies on capital flows to South Asian countries, estimation of interest rate pass through in Pakistan and the relative city price convergence in Pakistan. The study has used panel data techniques for empirical estimations. The first study attempts to estimate capital mobility in South Asia using saving investment relationship technique and real interest rate differentials methods as suggested by Frankel (1992). The study finds that real interest rate differentials of South Asian countries are stationary and mean reverting with North American, European and Asian countries. Although the RIDS are stationary showing strong evidence of capital mobility, the savings investment correlation is significant. The correlation of savings and investment decreased after 1990s, the post liberalization period implying increased capital mobility afterwards. The RIDs technique provided stronger evidence of than savings and investment correlation technique. The second study is on the estimation of interest rate pass through in Pakistan using two types of data sets i.e. aggregate bank type and retail bank data. The study finds that both lending, deposit and Treasury Bill (TB) rates are non stationary using aggregate data. The lending and TB rate are found to be cointegrated but deposit rate is not found to be cointegrated. The IRPT of four types of banks is found to be less than 1 but three banks showed the IRPT to be higher than 0.5. The highest IRPT is 0.72 in the case of nationalized banks followed by o.70 by privatized banks. The foreign banks IRPT are 0.60. The lowest IRPT is estimated at 0.3. The error correction model estimates overall IRPT to be 0.6 and the convergence parameter is 0.05. It is low and implies that convergence takes time. The study does not find change in 2005 after January 2005 but the speed of adjustment increased when the lending rate is below equilibrium. The retail data provides evidence that lending and deposit rates both are non stationary and cointegrated with TB rate. I found evidence of complete lending rate pass through with Spatial GLS but Phillips Loretain (1991) model shows incomplete pass through. The deposit rate is found to be incomplete and sticky with both the techniques. The third essay provides evidence on relative city price convergence in 35 Pakistani cities with 2 numeraire cities of Lahore and Karachi. The study estimates the autocorrelation coefficient with 2 techniques i.e. OLS and Spatial GLS. Furthermore city wise half life of price shock is also estimated. The empirical evidence supports the hypothesis of convergence in Pakistani cities with both the numeraire cities. The overall half life is estimated to be less than 6 months but there is found heterogeneity in the city wise half life estimates. The half life estimates from Spatial GLS are found to be lower than OLS. The convergence has been found even in the case of distant bordering cities. The overall results support that domestic Purchasing Power Parity holds in Pakistan.

Submitted by Veridiana de Andrade Nogueira (veridiana.nogueira@safra.com.br) on 2012-03-05T18:06:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Veridiana_Nogueira_dissertacao_MPE.pdf: 355072 bytes, checksum: 6d7ce3ba52bc1eceff0a03b598f9feb5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Gisele Isaura Hannickel (gisele.hannickel@fgv.br) on 2012-03-05T19:13:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Veridiana_Nogueira_dissertacao_MPE.pdf: 355072 bytes, checksum: 6d7ce3ba52bc1eceff0a03b598f9feb5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-03-05T19:14:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Veridiana_Nogueira_dissertacao_MPE.pdf: 355072 bytes, checksum: 6d7ce3ba52bc1eceff0a03b598f9feb5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-03 / This paper estimates the transmission of exchange rate changes to price indices in Brazil using the methodology of structural autoregressive vectors (SVAR) with vector error correction (VEC). The study period begins on the introduction of the inflation targeting (June 1999) and ends in September 2011. The results support the evaluation that monetary policy has matured in recent years, with a concomitant improvement in the macroeconomic environment. Comparing our results with previous studies, we found a significant reduction in the pass-through of the exchange rate for inflation. / Este trabalho estima a transmissão da variação cambial aos índices de preços brasileiros, utilizando a metodologia de vetores autorregressivos estruturais (SVAR) com vetores de correção de erros (VEC). O período estudado tem início na introdução do regime de metas para a inflação (junho de 1999) e se encerra em setembro de 2011. Os resultados reforçam a avaliação de que houve amadurecimento da política monetária nos últimos anos, concomitantemente a uma melhora do ambiente macroeconômico. Na comparação dos nossos resultados com estudos anteriores, encontramos significativa redução do pass-through da taxa de câmbio para os índices de inflação.

Esta dissertação teve como objetivo analisar teórica e empiricamente o repasse das oscilações cambiais para os níveis de preços no Brasil, através da estimação do pass-through. O período analisado foi de 1994 a 2014, com foco no período de taxa de câmbio flexível. O pass-throughfoi estimado em duas abordagens distintas, através de um OLS em janelas fixas (rollingwindows) onde os parâmetros são fixos no tempo e através de um modelo com parâmetros variáveis no tempo, pelo Filtro de Kalman. Os resultados apresentaram evidências de uma queda do repasse com a adoção do regime de câmbio flutuante, um repasse cambial menor após apreciações do que após depreciações eque reações do IGP-DI do IPA são mais rápidas e intensas a choques da taxa de câmbio que o IPCA. / This dissertation analyzed theoretically and empirically the pass-through from exchange ratetoinflationin Brazil. The analyzed period extends from 1994 to 2014, focusing on the floating exchange rate regime. Two methodologies were employed: i) an OLS through rolling windowsin which the parameters are fixed in time and ii) aKalman filter, with varying-parameters. The results suggested a lower pass-through since the adoption of a floating exchange rate regime andalso a lower pass-through after an appreciation then after depreciations. In addition, responses of the IGP-DI and IPAfrom exchange rate shocks are faster and more intense thanthose of IPCA.

Recentemente, importantes questionamentos emergiram na literatura sobre repasse cambial. Mais especificamente, foi dada crescente atenção à hipótese de Taylor (2000) de que o pass-through se reduziu em diversos países como conseqüência do ambiente de inflação mais baixa. Esta dissertação investiga o tema através da aplicação de painéis dinâmicos para um conjunto de economias desenvolvidas. Deste modo, são estimados modelos de efeito fixo e Arellano-Bond em janelas fixas (rolling windows), que apontam para uma redução substancial na transmissão do câmbio para a inflação. A análise de potenciais determinantes macroeconômicos dessa queda indica que o ambiente inflacionário foi o principal elemento por trás do fato, sobretudo nos anos oitenta e noventa, em que o processo de desinflação foi mais intenso. Por outro lado, os anos dois mil apresentam um coeficiente de pass-through bastante baixo e estável, visto que o cenário de inflação baixa já estava consolidado para o conjunto de economias analisadas. / Recently, economists have become more interested in studying exchange rate pass-through. More specifically, increasing attention has been given to Taylors (2000) hypothesis that the passthrough has declined in several countries as a result of a lower inflation environment. This dissertation examines this issue through the application of dynamic panels for a number of developed economies. Panel data models are estimated here using fixed effects and Arellano- Bond estimators in rolling windows. The results point to a substantial reduction in the transmission of exchange rate to inflation. The analysis of potential macroeconomic determinants of this decline indicates that the inflationary environment was the main factor behind this fact, mainly in the eighties and nineties when the disinflation process was more intense worldwide. On the other hand, in the first decade of this century the pass-through coefficient was fairly low and stable, perhaps because the scenario of low inflation was already a longstanding reality to the economies analyzed in the present study.

A presente dissertação discute o repasse cambial para o IPCA na economia brasileira durante o período compreendido entre janeiro de 1999 e dezembro de 2007. A ampla maioria dos trabalhos que versam sobre este tema aborda a redução do repasse após a adoção do regime de metas de inflação e/ou tem como único foco o impacto das desvalorizações cambiais no aumento dos índices de preços. Este trabalho, por outro lado, aborda de maneira explícita o papel da valorização do Real sobre a variação do IPCA no período recente, configurando o que denominamos de repasse cambial reverso. Para tanto, estimamos o repasse cambial por meio de um modelo de vetores auto-regressivos tanto para o referido período (1999-2007), quanto para outros dois recortes temporais: entre janeiro de 1999 e junho 2003 (amostra 1), período no qual se verifica uma tendência de desvalorização cambial e aumento de preços; e de julho de 2003 a dezembro de 2007 (amostra 2), período caracterizado pelo processo inverso, de valorização da taxa de câmbio e de cumprimento das metas de inflação na maioria dos anos. Os principais resultados foram: (i) no longo prazo os coeficientes de repasse cambial para o IPCA para as duas amostras foram superiores àqueles verificados para o período completo; e (ii) o repasse estimado para a amostra 2 foi bem elevado, ainda que inferior àquele obtido para a amostra 1. Estes resultados reforçam o argumento de que a taxa de câmbio desempenhou um papel proeminente no controle da inflação no período 2003-2007. / The present dissertation discusses the exchange rate pass-through to the headline inflation index, i.e. extensive national consumer price index (IPCA) in the Brazilian economy between January 1999 and December 2007. The vast majority of works dealing with this issue addresses the reduction of the pass-through after the adoption of the inflation targeting regime and / or focuses on the impact of exchange rate devaluation over the price index. This work, alternatively, discusses the role of the Brazilian currency appreciation in the recent period, resulting in what was labeled as reverse exchange rate pass-through. Thus, we have used a model of auto-regressive vectors to estimate the exchange rate pass-through for the full period (1999-2007), and for two other periods: between January 1999 and June 2003 (sample 1), during which there was a tendency for devaluation and increase in domestic prices, and from July 2003 to December 2007 (sample 2), that was a period characterized by the reverse process, that is exchange rate appreciation and in the most cases the achieving of the inflation targets. The main results were: (i) in the long run the exchange rate pass-through coefficients to IPCA of the two samples were higher than those observed for the full period, and (ii) the pass-through estimated for the sample 2 was very high, despite the fact that it was lower than that obtained for the sample 1. Those results reinforce the argument that the exchange rate played a prominent role in controlling inflation in the period 2003-2007.

Esta dissertação teve como objetivo analisar teórica e empiricamente o repasse das oscilações cambiais para os níveis de preços no Brasil, através da estimação do pass-through. O período analisado foi de 1994 a 2014, com foco no período de taxa de câmbio flexível. O pass-throughfoi estimado em duas abordagens distintas, através de um OLS em janelas fixas (rollingwindows) onde os parâmetros são fixos no tempo e através de um modelo com parâmetros variáveis no tempo, pelo Filtro de Kalman. Os resultados apresentaram evidências de uma queda do repasse com a adoção do regime de câmbio flutuante, um repasse cambial menor após apreciações do que após depreciações eque reações do IGP-DI do IPA são mais rápidas e intensas a choques da taxa de câmbio que o IPCA. / This dissertation analyzed theoretically and empirically the pass-through from exchange ratetoinflationin Brazil. The analyzed period extends from 1994 to 2014, focusing on the floating exchange rate regime. Two methodologies were employed: i) an OLS through rolling windowsin which the parameters are fixed in time and ii) aKalman filter, with varying-parameters. The results suggested a lower pass-through since the adoption of a floating exchange rate regime andalso a lower pass-through after an appreciation then after depreciations. In addition, responses of the IGP-DI and IPAfrom exchange rate shocks are faster and more intense thanthose of IPCA.

Esta dissertação teve como objetivo analisar teórica e empiricamente o repasse das oscilações cambiais para os níveis de preços no Brasil, através da estimação do pass-through. O período analisado foi de 1994 a 2014, com foco no período de taxa de câmbio flexível. O pass-throughfoi estimado em duas abordagens distintas, através de um OLS em janelas fixas (rollingwindows) onde os parâmetros são fixos no tempo e através de um modelo com parâmetros variáveis no tempo, pelo Filtro de Kalman. Os resultados apresentaram evidências de uma queda do repasse com a adoção do regime de câmbio flutuante, um repasse cambial menor após apreciações do que após depreciações eque reações do IGP-DI do IPA são mais rápidas e intensas a choques da taxa de câmbio que o IPCA. / This dissertation analyzed theoretically and empirically the pass-through from exchange ratetoinflationin Brazil. The analyzed period extends from 1994 to 2014, focusing on the floating exchange rate regime. Two methodologies were employed: i) an OLS through rolling windowsin which the parameters are fixed in time and ii) aKalman filter, with varying-parameters. The results suggested a lower pass-through since the adoption of a floating exchange rate regime andalso a lower pass-through after an appreciation then after depreciations. In addition, responses of the IGP-DI and IPAfrom exchange rate shocks are faster and more intense thanthose of IPCA.