NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH
NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH

Regression-Based Tests of Predictive Ability

Kenneth D. West, Michael W. McCracken

NBER Technical Working Paper No. 226*
Issued in March 1998

We develop regression-based tests of hypotheses about out of sample prediction errors. Representative tests include ones for zero mean and zero correlation between a prediction error and a vector of predictors. The relevant environments are ones in which predictions depend on estimated parameters. We show that standard regression statistics generally fail to account for error introduced by estimation of these parameters. We propose computationally convenient test statistics that properly account for such error. Simulations indicate that the procedures can work well in samples of size typically available, although there sometimes are substantial size distortions.

*Published: International Economic Review, Vol. 39 (1998): 817-840.

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