Hi everyone,

I am analysing a time series (stock returns) and I am trying to check whether variance in the second half of my sample is different from the first half. I assigned a period to the observations. Here is an example (not the real data, but this is what it looks like):
PHP Code:
Period     X            Date
      1    .02784243     1
/8/2010
      1    .01478848     1
/15/2010
      1    
-.04267111    1/22/2010
      2    
-.011348      1/29/2010
      2    
-.09616897    2/5/2010 

PHP Code:
robvar Polenby(Periode)

Summary of X
Periode         Mean            Std
Dev.        Freq.
        
1               .0000922          .0367802        261
2               .00006544        .02613092        261
        
Total           .00007882        .03187241        522

W0  
10.8059198   df(1520)     Pr F    =    0.00108013

W50 
=  9.6731110   df(1520)     Pr F    =    0.0019724

W10 
=  9.8870904   df(1520)     Pr F    =    0.00175953 

I am wondering whether this is a valid method for time series? Anyone around here who can help me answer this question? If it isn't, is there another method (that is not too hard for a beginner?) Thanks in advance!!