Summary

Vector autoregressions (VARs) are linear multivariate time-series models able to capture the joint dynamics of multiple time series. Bayesian inference treats the VAR parameters as random variables, and it provides a framework to estimate “posterior” probability distribution of the location of the model parameters by combining information provided by a sample of observed data and prior information derived from a variety of sources, such as other macro or micro datasets, theoretical models, other macroeconomic phenomena, or introspection.

In empirical work in economics and finance, informative prior probability distributions are often adopted. These are intended to summarize stylized representations of the data generating process. For example, “Minnesota” priors, one of the most commonly adopted macroeconomic priors for the VAR coefficients, express the belief that an independent random-walk model for each variable in the system is a reasonable “center” for the beliefs about their time-series behavior. Other commonly adopted priors, the “single-unit-root” and the “sum-of-coefficients” priors are used to enforce beliefs about relations among the VAR coefficients, such as for example the existence of co-integrating relationships among variables, or of independent unit-roots.

Priors for macroeconomic variables are often adopted as “conjugate prior distributions”—that is, distributions that yields a posterior distribution in the same family as the prior p.d.f.—in the form of Normal-Inverse-Wishart distributions that are conjugate prior for the likelihood of a VAR with normally distributed disturbances. Conjugate priors allow direct sampling from the posterior distribution and fast estimation. When this is not possible, numerical techniques such as Gibbs and Metropolis-Hastings sampling algorithms are adopted.

Bayesian techniques allow for the estimation of an ever-expanding class of sophisticated autoregressive models that includes conventional fixed-parameters VAR models; Large VARs incorporating hundreds of variables; Panel VARs, that permit analyzing the joint dynamics of multiple time series of heterogeneous and interacting units. And VAR models that relax the assumption of fixed coefficients, such as time-varying parameters, threshold, and Markov-switching VARs.