“…Changes in the order of integration have been documented in a number of macroeconomic and financial variables, such as output (De Long and Summers, ), the budget deficit (Hakkio and Rush, ), inflation (Halunga et al , ; Kumar and Okimoto, ; Hassler and Meller, ). Financial studies include the analysis of financial market bubbles (Sollis, ; Frömmel and Kruse, ), international and sectoral bank equity index returns (Hassler et al , ), yield spreads of EMU government bonds (Sibbertsen et al , ). Interest in the characterization of the degree of persistence and in its potential instability is particularly strong in the evaluation of macroeconomic policies such as inflation targeting because ceteris paribus a reduction of the order indicates a tighter control of the variable of interest (provided that the process is mean reverting, at least after the change).…”