Co-Breaking

A consistent terminology is established, theoretical results are collected, and new results in the field on the importance of co-breaking for policy analysis are presented, particularly on impulse-response functions.

Abstract

This article has two aims. First, we provide a synopsis of the literature on co-breaking that has developed in several, seemingly disconnected, strands. We establish a consistent terminology, collect theoretical results, delimit co-breaking to cointegration and common features, and review recent contributions to co-breaking regressions and the budding analysis of co-breaking rank. Second, we present new results in the field, particularly, on the importance of co-breaking for policy analysis, with special emphasis on impulse-response functions. Moreover, a new procedure for co-breaking rank testing is presented, evaluated by Monte Carlo experiments, and illustrated using U.K. macroeconomic data.