arXiv subjects

Lorenzo Tonni

Publications and source records attributed to Lorenzo Tonni.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Large datasets for the Euro Area and its member countries and the dynamic effects of the common monetary policy

We introduce EA-MD-QD, a new publicly available dataset comprising 1136 macroeconomic time series for the euro area (EA) and its ten largest member countries observed at monthly or quarterly frequency. Since January 2024, EA-MD-QD has been updated monthly and continuously revised, providing a valuable resource for policy analysis in the EA. Using EA-MD-QD, we study country-specific impulse responses to an EA-wide monetary policy shock. Results reveal moderate yet significant cross-country heterogeneity, with differences between so-called core countries, such as France and Germany, and peripheral countries, such as Italy and Spain, in their price and interest rate responses, together with meaningful differences in real activity, while stock price responses are relatively homogeneous. Evidence points to homeownership and saving behavior as potential drivers of the observed cross-country differences.

econ.EM↗

arXiv2026

Income Inequality and Economic Growth: A Meta-Analytic Approach

The empirical literature on the relationship between income inequality and economic growth has produced highly heterogeneous and often conflicting results. This paper investigates the sources of this heterogeneity using a meta-analytic approach that systematically combines and analyzes evidence from relevant studies published between 1994 and 2025. We find an economically small but statistically significant negative average effect of income inequality on subsequent economic growth, together with strong evidence of substantial heterogeneity and selective publication based on statistical significance, but no evidence of systematic directional bias. To explain the observed heterogeneity, we estimate a meta-regression. The results indicate that both real-world characteristics and research design choices shape reported effect sizes. In particular, inequality measured net of taxes and transfers is associated with more negative growth effects, and the adverse impact of inequality is weaker - or even reversed - in high-income economies relative to developing countries. Methodological choices also matter: cross-sectional studies tend to report more negative estimates, while fixed-effects, instrumental-variable, and GMM estimators are associated with more positive estimates in panel settings.

econ.EM↗

arXiv2025

A Real-Time Framework for Forecasting Metal Prices

This paper develops a real-time forecasting framework for the monthly real prices of four key industrial metals -- aluminum, copper, nickel, and zinc -- whose demand is rising due to their widespread use in manufacturing and low-carbon technologies. To replicate the information set available to forecasters in real time, we construct a new dataset combining daily financial variables with first-release macroeconomic indicators and use nowcasting techniques to address publication lags. Within this real-time environment, we evaluate the predictive accuracy of a broad set of univariate, multivariate, and factor-augmented models, comparing their performance with two industry benchmarks: survey expectations and futures-spot spread models. Results show that although short-run metal price movements remain difficult to predict, medium-term horizons display substantial forecastability. Indicators of manufacturing activity tied to primary metals -- such as new orders and capacity utilization -- significantly improve forecasting accuracy for aluminum and copper, with more moderate gains for zinc and limited improvements for nickel. Futures and survey forecasts generally underperform the real-time econometric models. These findings highlight the value of incorporating timely macroeconomic information into forecasting frameworks for industrial metal markets.

econ.EM↗