Volatility Forecasting: The Role of Internet Search Activity and Implied Volatility

Basistha, Arabinda and Kurov, Alexander and Wolfe, Marketa Halova (2019): Volatility Forecasting: The Role of Internet Search Activity and Implied Volatility. Published in: Journal of Risk Model Validation , Vol. 14, (2019): pp. 43-53.

Abstract

Recent empirical literature shows that Internet search activity is closely associated with volatility prediction in financial and commodity markets. In this study, we search for a benchmark model with available market-based predictors to evaluate the net contribution of the Internet search activity data in forecasting volatility. We conduct in-sample analysis and window-size robust out-of-sample forecasting analysis in multiple markets for robust model validation. The predictive power of the Internet search activity data disappears in the financial markets and substantially diminishes in the commodity markets once the model includes implied volatility. A further common component analysis shows that most of the predictive information contained in the Internet search activity is also present in implied volatility while implied volatility has additional predictive information that is not contained in the Internet search activity data.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Volatility forecasting, realized volatility, implied volatility, Internet search activity, Google Trends search volume index, information
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C3 - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models ; Multiple Variables; C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C3 - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models ; Multiple Variables > C32 - Time-Series Models ; Dynamic Quantile Regressions ; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models ; Diffusion Processes ; State Space Models; C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C5 - Econometric Modeling > C52 - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection; G - Financial Economics > G1 - General Financial Markets > G12 - Asset Pricing ; Trading Volume ; Bond Interest Rates; G - Financial Economics > G1 - General Financial Markets > G14 - Information and Market Efficiency ; Event Studies ; Insider Trading; G - Financial Economics > G1 - General Financial Markets > G17 - Financial Forecasting and Simulation

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