Forecasting the yield curve for Poland with the PCA and machine learning

The article examines the application of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and machine learning method, the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), in the prediction of the yield curve for Poland. The PCA was applied to decompose the yield curve, forecast its components using the LSTM, and obtain the yield curve predictions upon recomposition. The results from the PCA-LSTM model were compared to predictions generated directly by the LSTM model, simple autoregression and random walk, which serves as a benchmark. Overall, LSTM predictions are the most accurate with PCA-LSTM being a close second, nonetheless PCA-LSTM is more accurate in short-term forecasting of interest rates at long maturities. Both methods outperform the benchmark, while autoregression usually underperforms. For these reasons, the PCA-LSTM as well as the LSTM can be useful in interest rate management or building trading strategies. The PCA-LSTM has the advantage that it can focus on particular components of the yield curve, such as variability of the yield curve’s level or steepness.