Some Theoretical Results on Forecast Combinations

This paper proposes a framework for the analysis of the theoretical properties of forecast combination, with the forecast performance being measured in terms of mean squared forecast errors (MSFE). Such a framework is useful for deriving all existing results with ease. In addition, it also provides...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chan, Felix, Pauwels, L.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier 2018
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/72424
_version_ 1848762746441564160
author Chan, Felix
Pauwels, L.
author_facet Chan, Felix
Pauwels, L.
author_sort Chan, Felix
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description This paper proposes a framework for the analysis of the theoretical properties of forecast combination, with the forecast performance being measured in terms of mean squared forecast errors (MSFE). Such a framework is useful for deriving all existing results with ease. In addition, it also provides insights into two forecast combination puzzles. Specifically, it investigates why a simple average of forecasts often outperforms forecasts from single models in terms of MSFEs, and why a more complicated weighting scheme does not always perform better than a simple average. In addition, this paper presents two new findings that are particularly relevant in practice. First, the MSFE of a forecast combination decreases as the number of models increases. Second, the conventional approach to the selection of optimal models, based on a simple comparison of MSFEs without further statistical testing, leads to a biased selection.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T10:52:28Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-72424
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T10:52:28Z
publishDate 2018
publisher Elsevier
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-724242019-02-08T05:31:17Z Some Theoretical Results on Forecast Combinations Chan, Felix Pauwels, L. This paper proposes a framework for the analysis of the theoretical properties of forecast combination, with the forecast performance being measured in terms of mean squared forecast errors (MSFE). Such a framework is useful for deriving all existing results with ease. In addition, it also provides insights into two forecast combination puzzles. Specifically, it investigates why a simple average of forecasts often outperforms forecasts from single models in terms of MSFEs, and why a more complicated weighting scheme does not always perform better than a simple average. In addition, this paper presents two new findings that are particularly relevant in practice. First, the MSFE of a forecast combination decreases as the number of models increases. Second, the conventional approach to the selection of optimal models, based on a simple comparison of MSFEs without further statistical testing, leads to a biased selection. 2018 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/72424 10.1016/J.IJFORECAST.2017.08.005 Elsevier restricted
spellingShingle Chan, Felix
Pauwels, L.
Some Theoretical Results on Forecast Combinations
title Some Theoretical Results on Forecast Combinations
title_full Some Theoretical Results on Forecast Combinations
title_fullStr Some Theoretical Results on Forecast Combinations
title_full_unstemmed Some Theoretical Results on Forecast Combinations
title_short Some Theoretical Results on Forecast Combinations
title_sort some theoretical results on forecast combinations
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/72424