The Federal Reserve Board eagle logo links to Board's home page

International Finance Discussion Papers
The International Finance Discussion Papers logo links to the International Finance Discussion Papers home page Forecasting the Price of Oil
Ron Alquist, Lutz Kilian, and Robert J. Vigfusson
2011-1022  (July 2011)

Abstract:  We address some of the key questions that arise in forecasting the price of crude oil. What do applied forecasters need to know about the choice of sample period and about the tradeoffs between alternative oil price series and model specifications? Are real or nominal oil prices predictable based on macroeconomic aggregates? Does this predictability translate into gains in out-of-sample forecast accuracy compared with conventional no-change forecasts? How useful are oil futures markets in forecasting the price of oil? How useful are survey forecasts? How does one evaluate the sensitivity of a baseline oil price forecast to alternative assumptions about future demand and supply conditions? How does one quantify risks associated with oil price forecasts? Can joint forecasts of the price of oil and of U.S. real GDP growth be improved upon by allowing for asymmetries?

Full paper (679 KB PDF) | Full paper (screen reader version)

Keywords
Asymmetries, demand and supply, forecasting, oil price, predictability

PDF files: Adobe Acrobat Reader   ZIP files: PKWARE


Home | IFDPs | List of 2011 IFDPs
Accessibility | Contact Us
Last update: July 21, 2011