Resolving the Spanning Puzzle in Macro-Finance Term Structure Models

B-Tier
Journal: Review of Finance
Year: 2017
Volume: 21
Issue: 2
Pages: 511-553

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Most existing macro-finance term structure models (MTSMs) appear incompatible with regression evidence of unspanned macro risk. This “spanning puzzle” appears to invalidate those models in favor of new unspanned MTSMs. However, our empirical analysis supports the previous spanned models. Using simulations to investigate the spanning implications of MTSMs, we show that a canonical spanned model is consistent with the regression evidence; thus, we resolve the spanning puzzle. In addition, direct likelihood-ratio tests find that the knife-edge restrictions of unspanned models are rejected with high statistical significance, though these restrictions have only small effects on cross-sectional fit and estimated term premia.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:revfin:v:21:y:2017:i:2:p:511-553.
Journal Field
Finance
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-24