This paper considers maximum likelihood estimation for the moving average parameter θ in an MA(1) model when θ is equal to or close to 1. A derivation of the limit distribution of the estimate θLM, defined as the largest of the local maximizers of the likelihood, is given here for the first time. The theory presented covers, in a unified way, cases where the true parameter is strictly inside the unit circle as well as the noninvertible case where it is on the unit circle. The asymptotic distribution of the maximum likelihood estimator subMLE is also described and shown to differ, but only slightly, from that of θLM. Of practical significance is the fact that the asymptotic distribution for either estimate is surprisingly accurate even for small sample sizes and for values of the moving average parameter considerably far from the unit circle.

We examine the higher order asymptotic properties of semiparametric regression estimators that were obtained by the general MINPIN method described in Andrews (1989, Semiparametric Econometric Models: I. Estimation, Discussion paper 908, Cowles Foundation). We derive an order n−1 stochastic expansion and give a theorem justifying order n−1 distributional approximation of the Edgeworth type.

Tests for Granger-causality have been performed in numerous empirical studies. These tests are usually based on finite order vector autoregressive (VAR) processes, and the assumption is made that the model fitted to the available data corresponds to the true data generating mechanism. In the present study, the more general assumption is made that a finite order VAR model is fitted to a potentially infinite order process. The order is assumed to increase with the sample size. Asymptotic properties of tests for Granger-causality as well as other types of causality concepts are derived. Some limited small sample results are obtained using simulation methods.

Locally asymptotically optimal tests are derived for the null hypothesis of traditional AR dependence, with unspecified AR coefficients and unspecified innovation densities, against an alternative of periodically correlated AR dependence. Parametric and nonparametric rank-based versions are proposed. Local powers and asymptotic relative efficiencies (with respect, e.g., to the corresponding Gaussian Lagrange multiplier tests proposed in Ghysels and Hall [1992, “Lagrange Multiplier Tests for Periodic Structures,” unpublished manuscript, CRDE, Montreal] and Liitkepohl [1991, Introduction to Multiple Time Series Analysis, Berlin: Springer-Verlag; 1991, pp. 243–264, in W.E. Griffiths, H. Liitkepohl, & M.E. Block (eds.), Readings in Econometric Theory and Practice, Amsterdam: North-Holland] are computed explicitly; a rank-based test of the van der Waerden type is proposed, for which this ARE is uniformly larger than 1. The main technical tool is Le Cam's local asymptotic normality property.

It is well-known that conditional heteroskedasticity thickens the tails of the unconditional distribution of an error term relative to its conditional distribution. To what extent do imperfect forecasts of the conditional variance undo this tail thickening? This note considers the effect of changing the quality of the information embodied in a forecast of a conditional variance. Adding noise of a certain form thickens the tails of the normalized errors, but decreasing the amount of information used in the forecast may or may not thicken the tails. We also explore the relation between tail thickness and various notions of “optimal” volatility forecasts. The relationship is surprisingly complicated.

In this paper we derive the asymptotic distribution of the least absolute deviations (LAD) estimator of the autoregressive parameter under the unit root hypothesis, when the errors are assumed to have finite variances, and present LAD-based unit root tests, which, under heavy-tailed errors, are expected to be more powerful than tests based on least squares. The limiting distribution of the LAD estimator is that of a functional of a bivariate Brownian motion, similar to those encountered in cointegrating regressions. By appropriately correcting for serial correlation and other distributional parameters, the test statistics introduced here are found to have either conditional or unconditional normal limiting distributions. The results of the paper complement similar ones obtained by Knight (1991, Canadian Journal of Statistics 17, 261-278) for infinite variance errors. A simulation study is conducted to investigate the finite sample properties of our tests.

Recently, Arcones and Giné (1992, pp. 13–47, in R. LePage & L. Billard [eds.], Exploring the Limits of Bootstrap, New York: Wiley) established that the bootstrap distribution of the M-estimator converges weakly to the limit distribution of the estimator in probability. In contrast, Brown and Newey (1992, Bootstrapping for GMM, Seminar note) discovered that the bootstrap distribution of the GMM overidentification test statistic does not converge weakly to the x2 distribution. In this paper, it is shown that the bootstrap distribution of the GMM estimator converges weakly to the limit distribution of the estimator in probability. Asymptotic coverage probabilities of the confidence intervals based on the bootstrap percentile method are thus equal to their nominal coverage probability.