RATS Version 7.2

RATS Version 7.2 offers the following improvements.

Windows Version Runs Much Faster

Thanks to compiler improvements, we've nearly doubled the speed at which the Windows version does most computations. You'll find that many complex estimation and simulation tasks will now take roughly half as long as before.

The major improvements are:

64-bit Version Available for Windows (Pro Version)

The Professional version of WinRATS now ships with a 64-bit version of the program, allowing you to handle much larger data sets on systems running 64-bit XP or Vista. The 32-bit version is also still included.

X12-ARIMA Now Available (Pro Version)

Almost all features of the Census X12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment methodology have now been incorporated into the Pro version of RATS, through improvements to the X11 and BOXJENK instructions. This includes log-additive and pseudo-additive adjustments, improved handling of outliers and calendar effects, and more.

FRED Database Access (Pro Version)

Users with the Professional version 7.2 can now access the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank's FRED database directly from within RATS (requires active internet connection).

BOXJENK Improvements

New options for RegARIMA modelling, where the emphasis is on the regression model rather than the time series model for errors. BOXJENK has been optimized to run faster, particularly with seasonal components.

DSGE Improvements

This instruction (for Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium models) has improved computational and error-checking capabilities, and a new option for exogenous shocks models.

New Wizards

New menu-driven wizards for running unit root tests, density estimation, and non-parameteric regressions.

See the March, 2009 RATSletter for more information on 7.2.