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Main Authors: Akgun, Oguzhan, Pirotte, Alain, Urga, Giovanni, Yang, Zhenlin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.14621
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author Akgun, Oguzhan
Pirotte, Alain
Urga, Giovanni
Yang, Zhenlin
author_facet Akgun, Oguzhan
Pirotte, Alain
Urga, Giovanni
Yang, Zhenlin
contents This paper proposes a selective inference procedure for testing equal predictive ability in panel data settings with unknown heterogeneity. The framework allows predictive performance to vary across unobserved clusters and accounts for the data-driven selection of these clusters using the Panel Kmeans Algorithm. A post-selection Wald-type statistic is constructed, and valid $p$-values are derived under general forms of autocorrelation and cross-sectional dependence in forecast loss differentials. The method accommodates conditioning on covariates or common factors and permits both strong and weak dependence across units. Simulations demonstrate the finite-sample validity of the procedure and show that it has very high power. An empirical application to exchange rate forecasting using machine learning methods illustrates the practical relevance of accounting for unknown clusters in forecast evaluation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_14621
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Testing Clustered Equal Predictive Ability with Unknown Clusters
Akgun, Oguzhan
Pirotte, Alain
Urga, Giovanni
Yang, Zhenlin
Econometrics
This paper proposes a selective inference procedure for testing equal predictive ability in panel data settings with unknown heterogeneity. The framework allows predictive performance to vary across unobserved clusters and accounts for the data-driven selection of these clusters using the Panel Kmeans Algorithm. A post-selection Wald-type statistic is constructed, and valid $p$-values are derived under general forms of autocorrelation and cross-sectional dependence in forecast loss differentials. The method accommodates conditioning on covariates or common factors and permits both strong and weak dependence across units. Simulations demonstrate the finite-sample validity of the procedure and show that it has very high power. An empirical application to exchange rate forecasting using machine learning methods illustrates the practical relevance of accounting for unknown clusters in forecast evaluation.
title Testing Clustered Equal Predictive Ability with Unknown Clusters
topic Econometrics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.14621