Determining the Number of Factors in Approximate Factor Models
针对大维度因子模型，提出一种面板Cp准则来一致估计因子数量，适用于大截面和大时间维度的面板数据，模拟显示该准则估计精确。
In this paper we develop some statistical theory for factor models of large dimensions. The focus is the determination of the number of factors, which is an unresolved issue in the rapidly growing literature on multifactor models. We propose a panel Cp criterion and show that the number of factors can be consistently estimated using the criterion. The theory is developed under the framework of large cross-sections (N) and large time dimensions (T). No restriction is imposed on the relation between N and T. Simulations show that the proposed criterion yields almost precise estimates of the number of factors for configurations of the panel data encountered in practice. The idea that variations in a large number of economic variables can be modelled bya small number of reference variables is appealing and is used in manyeconomic analysis. In the finance literature, the arbitrage pricing theory(APT) of Ross (1976) assumes that a small number of factors can be used to explain a large number of asset returns.