Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T17:11:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO OSCAR SCUSSEL.pdf: 4301786 bytes, checksum: 8a64e99e73bc5e4478b9e5077d78baed (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-04 / Impulse Response Functions (IRFs) are important in many engineering applications, mainly in structural dynamics and modal analysis involving experimental modal tests. These IRFs can be identified through several methods. Among these, the classical covariance method is one of the most used and it is based on the sum of convolution from the correlation functions between input and output signals known. However, this method is limited because it employs a large number of samples and has drawbacks related to over parametrization. In this sense, this work presentes and review the covariance method expanded in the ortonormal basis Kautz functions, because this alternative way allows to avoid these drawbacks. In order to ilustrate the procedure an algorithm with multiple objective functions to obtain the optimal poles of the Kautz filter is shown. The results are provided through three degree-of-freedom mechanical system simulated and experimental data in a beam to show the advantages, drawbacks, simplicity and efficiency of the proposed approach. / As funções de resposta ao impulso (IRFs) exercem papel de destaque na identificação de sistemas reais quando têm-se o conhecimento dos dados de entrada/saída do sistema. Essas IRFs são relevantes em muitas aplicações de Engenharia, especialmente em análise modal experimental de estruturas. Dentre os métodos para obtenção dessas IRFs, destaca-se o clássico método das covariâncias baseado na soma de convolução das funções de correlação entre os sinais de entrada e saída conhecidos. No entanto, esse método é limitado quando são coletadas muitas amostras e possui algumas desvantagens como efeitos de sobreparametrização. Neste sentido, este trabalho apresenta e revisa o método das covariâncias expandido na base ortonormal de Kautz para aplicações em identificação de sistemas mecânicos, pois essa forma alternativa permite evitar esses efeitos de sobreparametrização. Para obter os pólos ótimos dos filtros de Kautz, emprega-se um algoritmo multi-objetivo. Os resultados são verificados através de um sistema mecânico com três graus de liberdade e em dados experimentais a partir de uma viga na condição livre-livre no qual verificam-se as vantagens, desvantagens, simplicidade e eficiência do método proposto.

Valutamarknaden är världens största marknad och en nödvändig del av dagens globala samhälle, som gör det möjligt för företag att göra affärer i olika valutor och mellan olika gränser. Marknaden utgör en stor handelsplattform för både små och stora aktörer, för vilka det är viktigt att prognostisera valutakurser med gott resultat. Att modellera finansiella instrument i form av tidsserier är en av de vanligaste investeringsstrategierna och dess användningsområde sträcker sig från valutamarknaden till bland annat aktiemarknaden och råvarumarknaden. I denna uppsats undersöks fyra olika statistiska metoder för att modellera valutakursen Euro-US Dollar givet historisk data, och prognoser görs med de framtagna modellerna. Dessa metoder är slumpvandring, ARIMA, ARIMA-GARCH och VAR. Vidare undersöks för den dynamiska VAR-modellen hur valutamarkanden påverkar, och blir påverkad av, långa och korta räntan. Resultaten visar att ARIMA(3,1,2) förklarar valutakursen bäst medan VAR(2) med valutakursen och skillnaden mellan långa räntor som ingående variabler ger de bästa prediktionerna. / The foreign exchange market is the world’s largest market and is an essential part of the global society of today. The FX market enables companies to trade with different currencies across country borders. It is also a large trade-platform for both big and small financial actors, who greatly benefit from the advantages of good predictions. Modeling of financial instruments is one of the most commonly used investment strategies and its area of application ranges from the FX market to markets suchas the stock market and the commodity market. In this paper, four different statistical models are used to model the currency pair Euro-US Dollar. These methods are random walk, ARIMA, ARIMA-GARCH and VAR. Besides investigating which method that gives the best forecasts, the method that best describes the training datais also found. Furthermore, for the dynamic VAR model, it is explored how the FX market affects, and is affected by, the long term and short term interest. The results show that ARIMA(3,1,2) is the best at describing the exchange rate while VAR(2) with the exchange rate and the difference between long term interests as variables gives the best predictions.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Globalization provoked in financial markets by means stock exchanges an interchange among the markets over the world. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of the ten major main economic index of the world represented in New York (DJIA, S&P500 e Nasdaq), Tokyo (NIKKEI 225), London (FSTE 100), São Paulo (IBOV), Shanghai (SSE180), Paris (CAC-40), Frankfurt (DAX-30) and Buenos Aires (Merval) and looking for its co-integration, to demonstrate the behavior of these indexes and the long run equilibrium, from January of 2010 to March of 2011. To investigate the equilibrium and the long rum behavior the error correction model was used jointly with co-integration test and impulse response based on Cholesky decomposition. The results of this study show that the index of stock markets has long term equilibrium, and American markets, Argentina and English showed a strong influence over other markets. With this research we can infer that a relationship exists between the stock markets under study, confirming that the economy in a country can influence the others. In this sense, the contribution of this study, given this range of discussions involving the interconnection of economies with respect to trades made on the stock exchanges, was to show the relationships and influences in the world. / A internacionalização somada à abertura dos mercados financeiros transformou as economias antes fechadas em economias abertas, provocou um intercâmbio entre as economias mundiais por meio das bolsas de valores. O objetivo deste estudo é examinar a relação entre os dez principais índices econômicos do mundo, sendo eles: Nova York (DJIA, S&P500 e Nasdaq), Tóquio (Nikkei 225), Londres (FSTE 100), São Paulo (IBOV), Shangai (SSE180), Paris (CAC), Frankfurt (DAX-30) e Bueno Aires (Merval), por meio da análise de co-integrações para demonstrar o comportamento desses índices e seus equilíbrios no período de janeiro de 2010 a março de 2011. Para investigar e verificar o comportamento em longo prazo, foi utilizado o modelo de correção de erros e teste de impulso-resposta baseado na decomposição de Cholesky. Os resultados deste estudo mostram que existe equilíbrio em longo prazo entre os índices do mercado de ações. Os mercados americano, argentino e inglês mostraram forte influência sobre os demais mercados. Com esta pesquisa, verifica-se que existe uma relação entre os mercados de ações estudados, confirmando que a economia de um país influencia as demais. A contribuição deste estudo é verificar a assertiva das discussões atuais sobre a dependência das economias mundiais com as negociações por meio da bolsa de valores.

Abstract of thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Commerce and Management Dynamics of macroeconomic variables in Fiji : a cointegrated VAR analysis By Shiu Raj Singh The objective of this study is to examine how macroeconomic variables of Fiji inter-relate with aggregate demand and co-determine one another using a vector autoregression (VAR) approach. This study did not use a prior theoretical framework but instead used economic justification for selection of variables. It was found that fiscal policy, which is generally used as a stabilisation tool, did not have a positive effect on real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the short term. Effects on GDP growth were positive over the long term but not statistically significant. Furthermore, expansionary fiscal policy caused inflationary pressures. Fiji has a fixed exchange rate regime, therefore, it was expected that the focus of monetary policy would be the maintenance of foreign reserves. It was, however, found that monetary expansion in the short term resulted in positive effects on real GDP growth and resulted in inflation. The long term effects of monetary policy on real GDP growth were negative, which are explained by the fixed exchange rate regime, endogenous determination of money supply by the central bank, an unsophisticated financial market and, perhaps, an incomplete transmission of the policy. Both merchandise trade and visitor arrivals growth were found to positively contribute to short term and long term economic growth. Political instability was found not to have significant direct effects on real GDP growth but caused a significant decline in visitor arrivals which then negatively affected economic growth in the short term.

E’ stato estesamente appurato che i mercati dell'elettricità mostrano mean-reversion e elevata volatilità dei prezzi. Questo lavoro utilizza un modello VAR-MGARCH al fine di cogliere queste caratteristiche presenti sul mercato dell'energia elettrica italiana (IPEX) e analizzare le interrelazioni esistenti tra le diverse regioni in cui il mercato è suddiviso. L’analisi è condotta sui prezzi giornalieri dal 1 ° gennaio 2006 al 31 dicembre 2008. I coefficienti stimati dalle equazioni condizionali indicano che i mercati regionali sono abbastanza integrati e i prezzi regionali dell'energia elettrica possono essere adeguatamente previsti impiegando i prezzi passati di ciascun mercato zonale. La volatilità e la cross-volatility sono significative per tutti i mercati, indicando la presenza di forti componenti ARCH e GARCH e la sostanziale inefficienza dei mercati. E’ inoltre evidente un’elevata persistenza della volatilità e della cross-volatility in tutti i mercati. I risultati indicano inoltre che gli shock rilevati, sia nella volatilità, sia nei vari mercati, persistono nel tempo e che in ogni mercato la persistenza è più marcata quando è causata da innovazioni stimate sulle stesso mercato rispetto a shock stimati su altre aree. Questa persistenza descrive la tendenza delle variazioni dei prezzi a raggrupparsi nel tempo. / It is commonly known that spot electricity markets show mean-reversion and high price volatility. This work employs a VAR-MGARCH model to capture these features in the Italian electricity market (IPEX) and analyze the interrelation existing among the different regions in which the market is divided. Daily spot prices from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2008 are employed. The estimated coefficients from the conditional mean equations indicate that the regional markets are quite integrated and regional electricity prices could be usefully forecasted using lagged prices from either the same market or from the other areal markets. Volatility and cross-volatility spill-overs are significant for all markets, indicating the presence of strong ARCH and GARCH effects and market inefficiency. Strong persistence of volatility and cross-volatility are also evident in all local markets. The results also indicate that volatility innovations or shocks in all markets persist over time and that in every market this persistence is more marked for own-innovations or shocks than cross-innovations or shocks. This persistence captures the propensity of price changes of similar magnitude to cluster in time.

The contribution of this thesis is to build a small macro-econometric model of the Namibian economy, which demonstrates that there is significant statistical support for the hypothesis that there is a contemporaneous relationship between real wage, productivity, unemployment and interest rates in Namibia. This phenomenon has not yet been exploited using macro-econometric modelling, and thus, represents a significant contribution to modelling literature in Namibia. The determination of the sources of unemployment also receives special attention given that high unemployment is a chronic problem in Namibia. All models specified and estimated in the study use the SVAR methodology for the period 1980 to 2013. The study develops a small macro-econometric model using three modular experiments, which include, a basic model, models that separately append demand and exchange rate channels variables to the basic model, and the specification of a small macro-econometric model. The ultimate aim is to find out if monetary policy plays a role in influencing labour market and nominal variables. The hypothesis that the basic real wage, productivity, unemployment rate and interest rate system can be estimated simultaneously is validated. Further, demand and exchange rate channels variables are found to have important additional information, which explains the monetary transmission process, and that shocks to labour market variables affect monetary policy in Namibia. The results also show that the demand channel (import prices and bank credit to the private sector) and the exchange rate channel (nominal exchange rate) variables have important additional information, which affects monetary transmission process in Namibia, which justifies their inclusion in the small macro-econometric model. In addition, shocks to the import price and exchange rate in the macro-econometric model significantly affect labour market variables. However, shocks to bank credit only partially perform as expected, implying that its results need to be considered cautiously. The study further finds that tight monetary policy shocks significantly affect real and nominal variables in Namibia. The results also show that shocks to all variables in the unemployment model significantly affect unemployment, suggesting that the hysteresis assumption is corroborated. This implies that long run aggregate demand is non-neutral in Namibia. / Economics / D. Litt. et Phil. (Economics)

Thesis focus on derivation of macro-finance model for analysis of yield curve and its dynamics using macroeconomic factors. Underlying model is based on basic Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium DSGE approach that stems from Real Business Cycle theory and New Keynesian Macroeconomics. The model includes four main building blocks: households, firms, government and central bank. Log-linearized solution of the model serves as an input for derivation of yield curve and its main determinants -- pricing kernel, price of risk and affine term structure of interest rates -- based on no-arbitrage assumption. The Thesis shows a possible way of consistent derivation of structural macro-finance model, with reasonable computational burden that allows for time varying term premia. A simple VAR model, widely used in macro-finance literature, serves as a benchmark. The paper also presents a brief comparison and shows an ability of both models to fit an average yield curve observed from the data. Lastly, the importance of term structure analysis is demonstrated using case of Central Bank deciding about policy rate and Government conducting debt management.