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Tensor-BEKK: Conditional Covariance Modeling and Inference for Tensor-Valued Time Series

Huan Gong, Feiyu Jiang

arXiv 16 Sep 2026 · Econometrics

arXiv:2609.18157 · PDF · Extracted main text

Abstract

Modern economic and financial data are increasingly organized as multiway arrays, with observations indexed simultaneously by geographic regions, industrial sectors, asset categories, and other economic characteristics. Representing such data as tensor-valued time series preserves their intrinsic multiway structure. Although substantial effort has been devoted to modeling the conditional mean of tensor-valued time series, comparatively less attention has been paid to their conditional covariance dynamics. The latter remains challenging because unrestricted multivariate covariance models involve many parameters and substantial computational cost. To address these challenges, we propose the Tensor-BEKK (T-BEKK) model, a tensor-structured BEKK specification that retains the positive definite covariance recursion for the vectorized process while imposing Kronecker structures on the intercept and the ARCH and GARCH coefficient matrices. The model reduces the parameter dimension and provides mode-specific interpretations of the covariance intercept, ARCH effects, and GARCH persistence. We establish stationarity, identification, and the asymptotic properties of the Gaussian quasi-maximum likelihood estimator. We further develop mode-specific restricted score tests tailored to the tensor structure, inference procedures for nonzero spillover intensities within each mode, and a portmanteau diagnostic test based on quadratic form residuals. For higher-dimensional settings, we also introduce the Tensor-Factor-BEKK (TF-BEKK) model. Under a first-step negligibility condition, its feasible second-step QMLE is asymptotically equivalent to the oracle QMLE based on the latent factors. Simulations and two empirical applications, covering currency futures and Chinese equity tensor portfolio allocation, illustrate the finite-sample behavior and empirical usefulness of the proposed methods.

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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
1Cheng Yu and Dong Li and Feiyu Jiang and Ke Zhu (2025) Matrix GARCH Model: Inference and Application self1.00053100%
2Christian Francq and Jean-Michel Zakoian (2019) GARCH Models: Structure, Statistical Inference and Financial Applications0.92843100%
3Pedersen, Rasmus S and Rahbek, Anders (2014) Multivariate variance targeting in the BEKK–GARCH model0.84333100%
4Rong Chen and Dan Yang and Cun-Hui Zhang (2022) Factor Models for High-Dimensional Tensor Time Series0.81142100%
5Robert F. Engle and Kenneth F. Kroner (1995) Multivariate Simultaneous Generalized ARCH0.73732100%
6Robert F. Engle and Olivier Ledoit and Michael Wolf (2019) Large Dynamic Covariance Matrices0.73732100%
7Yuefeng Han and Dan Yang and Cun-Hui Zhang and Rong Chen (2024) CP Factor Model for Dynamic Tensors0.73732100%
8Cheng Yu and Zhoufan Zhu and Ke Zhu (2025) Tensor Dynamic Conditional Correlation Model: A New Way to Pursuit “Holy Grail of Investing”0.73732100%
9Matteo Barigozzi and Haeran Cho and Hyeyoung Maeng (2026) Tail-Robust Factor Modelling of Vector and Tensor Time Series in High Dimensions0.64422100%
10Farid Boussama and Florian Fuchs and Robert Stelzer (2011) Stationarity and Geometric Ergodicity of BEKK Multivariate GARCH Models0.64422100%

Showing the top 10 of 56 scored citations.