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Testing for Smooth Structural Change in Cointegrated Systems

Haofeng Liao, Xing Wang

arXiv 4 Aug 2026 · Econometrics

arXiv:2608.03773 · PDF · Extracted main text

Abstract

This paper develops an econometric framework for analysing smooth structural change in cointegrated systems following a known intervention time. We consider a vector error-correction model in which the cointegration rank and the pre-intervention cointegrating structure are identified from a stable pre-intervention subsample. After the intervention, both the adjustment coefficients and the cointegrating vectors are allowed to evolve smoothly as functions of rescaled time, which are estimated using kernel-weighted local reduced-rank methods. The analysis is formulated directly in a cointegrated VAR/VECM system, which preserves the treatment of long-run relations and short-run error-correction dynamics. By working with the decomposition $Π(δ)=α(δ)β(δ)'$, the method separates changes in the equilibrium relation from those in the speed of adjustment. We also provide two tests for the parameter consistency and the post-intervention parameter smoothness respectively. An empirical application to energy market, foreign-exchange, and gold-market index around the 24 February 2022 Russia's invasion of Ukraine illustrates how the proposed approach distinguishes between a discrete regime shift and smooth post-intervention evolution. The results suggest that cointegrating relation among the price of Brent crude oil, the spot exchange rate (USD/EUR), and the Credit Suisse NASDAQ Gold Price Index has smoothly changed after the outbreak of war, instead of a constant long-run conintegration system in the pre-intervention period.

Citation extraction

38
references
59
in-text mentions
38
distinct cited
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self-citations
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main-text words

appendix boundary found by appendix_titled_section at “Appendix A” · 79% of the source is main text. Read the extracted text to check this.

Most heavily cited references

The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.

ReferenceIntensityMentionsSectionsMain text
1Phillips, Peter CB and Li, Degui and Gao, Jiti (2017) Estimating smooth structural change in cointegration models1.00074100%
2Seo, Byeongseon (1998) Tests for structural change in cointegrated systems1.00063100%
3Bierens, Herman J and Martins, Luis F (2010) Time-varying cointegration0.84333100%
4Gregory, Allan W and Hansen, Bruce E (1996) Residual-based tests for cointegration in models with regime shifts0.73732100%
5Park, Joon Y and Hahn, Sang B (1999) Cointegrating regressions with time varying coefficients0.73732100%
6Johansen, Søren (1988) Statistical analysis of cointegration vectors0.58531100%
7Baur, Dirk G and McDermott, Thomas K (2010) Is gold a safe haven? International evidence0.51121100%
8Li, Degui and Phillips, Peter C. B. and Gao, Jiti (2020) Kernel-based inference in time-varying coefficient cointegrating regression0.51121100%
9Andrews, Donald WK (1993) Tests for parameter instability and structural change with unknown change point0.40511100%
10Andrews, Donald WK (1994) Asymptotics for semiparametric econometric models via stochastic equicontinuity0.40511100%

Showing the top 10 of 38 scored citations.