Selecting a Model for Forecasting

Jennifer Castle, Jurgen Doornik and David Hendry

Econometrics, 2021, vol. 9, issue 3, 1-35

Abstract: We investigate forecasting in models that condition on variables for which future values are unknown. We consider the role of the significance level because it guides the binary decisions whether to include or exclude variables. The analysis is extended by allowing for a structural break, either in the first forecast period or just before. Theoretical results are derived for a three-variable static model, but generalized to include dynamics and many more variables in the simulation experiment. The results show that the trade-off for selecting variables in forecasting models in a stationary world, namely that variables should be retained if their noncentralities exceed unity, still applies in settings with structural breaks. This provides support for model selection at looser than conventional settings, albeit with many additional features explaining the forecast performance, and with the caveat that retaining irrelevant variables that are subject to location shifts can worsen forecast performance.

Keywords: model selection; forecasting; location shifts; significance level; Autometrics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B23 C C00 C01 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C8 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Selecting a Model for Forecasting (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jecnmx:v:9:y:2021:i:3:p:26-:d:582011

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