# GARCH(1,1) volatility forecast looks biased, it is consistently higher than Parkinson's HL vol

I am trying to create one-step ahead forecasts for the S&P500 using a GARCH(1,1) model. I am using the rugarch package in R.

As you can see, the forecasted points are consistently higher than the volatility suggested by Parkinson's HL volatility formula. I have also checked Realized Volatility measures using 5-min intraday data, and I found that it is very close to the Parkinson HL.

I found that if I adjust the Parkinson's HL vol by 0.0025, it fits very close to the volatility suggested by the GARCH(1,1) model.

What could be the issue that makes the GARCH model volatility forecasts higher?

library(quantmod)
library(xts)
library(forecast)
library(rugarch)
library(fGarch)
library(tseries)
library(ggplot2)
###########################################################
###########################################################
df <- getSymbols("^GSPC",auto.assign = FALSE, from = "2004-12-31", to= "2019-03-31")
price = coredata(df$$GSPC.Adjusted) df$$logret <- diff(log(df$$GSPC.Adjusted)) logreturns = df$$logret[-1,]
df2<-df[2:3585]
T <- nrow(logreturns)
T_train <- round(2/3*T)
T_test <- T - T_train
dates_out_of_sample <- tail(index(logreturns), T_test)
dates_all <- index(logreturns)
dates_in_sample <- dates_all[1:T_train]

model1=ugarchspec(
variance.model = list(model = "sGARCH", garchOrder = c(1, 1)),
mean.model = list(armaOrder = c(0, 0), include.mean = TRUE),
distribution.model = "norm")

garch1.fit <- ugarchfit(spec=model1,data=logreturns, out.sample = T_test)

garch1.forecast <- ugarchforecast(garch1.fit, n.ahead = 1, n.roll = T_test - 1 )

garch1.volforecast <- t(garch1.forecast@forecast[["sigmaFor"]])

HLVol <- (log(df$$GSPC.High[2:3585]) - log(df$$GSPC.Low[2:3585]))/(4*log(2))

• I think most of the library calls can be deleted without affecting the code. Also, what element of garch1.forecast do we see in the plot? Moreover, why do you think it is GARCH rather than Parkinson that is biased? (I am not necessarily challending this, just asking for clarification.) May 5, 2019 at 8:36
• garch1.volforecast <- t(garch1.forecast@forecast[["sigmaFor"]]) This is the code for extracting the sigma from the forecast. I am suspicious of the GARCH rather than Parkinson because I calculated Realised Volatility using intra-day data as well rather than the Parkinson, and it is very close to the Parkinson estimate. Also I know the library calls are redundant here but I copied only the relevant section of the code for clarity. May 5, 2019 at 8:54
• May it be that you are comparing $\hat\sigma_t$ from GARCH with $\hat\sigma_t^2$ from Parkinson? The reason I mentioned library calls is precisely because they are irrelevant, so it would be easier to read the code without them. May 5, 2019 at 9:19

This "bias" is simply a result of comparing open-to-close variance (realized measures of volatility) with close-to-close variance (GARCH model).

You could try to:

• Use open-to-close returns in the GARCH model
$$\hat{\sigma}^2_t = k\cdot RM_t$$ where $$RM_t$$ is the realized measure and
$$k = \frac{\sum_{t=1}^T r_t^2}{\sum_{t=1}^T RM_t}$$