Realized stochastic volatility with general asymmetry and long memory

The paper develops a novel realized stochastic volatility model of asset returns and realized volatility that incorporates general asymmetry and long memory (hereafter the RSV-GALM model). The contribution of the paper ties in with Robert Basmann's seminal work in terms of the estimation of highly non-linear model specifications (Basmann, 1988), especially for specifying causal effects from returns to future volatility. This paper discusses asymptotic results of a Whittle likelihood estimator for the RSV-GALM model and a test for general asymmetry, and analyzes the finite sample properties. The paper also develops an approach to obtain volatility estimates and out-of-sample forecasts. Using high frequency data for three US financial assets, the new model is estimated and evaluated. The paper compares the forecasting performance of the new model with a realized conditional volatility model.