A Statistical Inquiry into the Plausibility of Recursive Utility
Posted: 1 Jun 2009
Date Written: Fall 2007
Abstract
We use purely statistical methods to determine if the pricing kernel is the intertemporal marginal rate of substitution under recursive utility. We introduce a nonparametric Bayesian method that treats the pricing kernel as a latent variable and extracts it and its transition density from payoffs on 24 Fama-French portfolios, on bonds, and on payoffs that use conditioning information available when portfolios are formed. Our priors are formed from an examination of a Bansal-Yaron economy. Using both monthly data and annual data, we find that the data support recursive utility.
Keywords: recursive utility, asset pricing, statistical methods
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation