What is the ‘best’ method of forecasting?

Forecasting methods are reviewed. They may be classified into univariate, multivariate and judgemental methods, and also by whether an automatic or non-automatic approach is adopted. The choice of ‘best’ method depends on a wide variety of considerations. The use of forecasting competitions to compare the accuracy of univariate methods is discussed. The strengths and weaknesses of different univariate methods are compared, both in automatic and non-automatic mode. Some general recommendations are made as well as some suggestions for future research.