Abstract:We introduce a multistep-ahead forecasting methodology that combines empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and support vector regression (SVR). This methodology is based on the idea that the forecasting task is simplified by using as input for SVR the time series decomposed with EMD. The outcomes of this methodology are compared with benchmark models commonly used in the literature. The results demonstrate that the combination of EMD and SVR can outperform benchmark models significantly, predicting the Standard & Poor's 500 Index from 30 s to 25 min ahead. The high-frequency components better forecast short-term horizons, whereas the low-frequency components better forecast long-term horizons.

The Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) provides a tool to characterize time series in terms of its implicit components oscillating at different time-scales. We apply this decomposition to intraday time series of the following three financial indices: the S&P 500 (USA), the IPC (Mexico) and the VIX (volatility index USA), obtaining time-varying multidimensional cross-correlations at different time-scales. The correlations computed over a rolling window are compared across the three indices, across the components at different time-scales, at different lags and over time. We uncover a rich heterogeneity of interactions which depends on the time-scale and has important led-lag relations which can have practical use for portfolio management, risk estimation and investments.