Testing for (in)finite moments

Trapani, Lorenzo (2016) Testing for (in)finite moments. Journal of Econometrics, 191 (1). pp. 57-68. ISSN 0304-4076

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Abstract

This paper proposes a test to verify whether the th moment of a random variable is finite. We use the fact that, under general assumptions, sample moments either converge to a finite number or diverge to infinity according as the corresponding population moment is finite or not. Building on this, we propose a test for the null that the th moment does not exist. Since, by construction, our test statistic diverges under the null and converges under the alternative, we propose a randomised testing procedure to discern between the two cases. We study the application of the test to raw data, and to regression residuals. Monte Carlo evidence shows that the test has the correct size and good power; the results are further illustrated through an application to financial data.

Item Type: Article
RIS ID: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/978166
Keywords: Finite moments; Randomised tests; Chover-type Law of the Iterated Logarithm; Strong Law of Large Numbers
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Economics
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconom.2015.08.006
Depositing User: Eprints, Support
Date Deposited: 03 Oct 2017 13:17
Last Modified: 04 May 2020 20:03
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/46950

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