Stock Returns and Volatility

Stock Returns and Volatility
Author: Mbodja Mougoue
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 1997
Genre:
ISBN:

This paper examines the relationship between stock returns and volatility in the German and French equity markets. Under the assumption of a conditional student t density function, the results indicate that stock returns in both countries may be described by the GARCH (1,1) model. The results also provide evidence that the 1987 stock market crash affected the mean-variance relationship in both countries, and the model's fit is significantly improved by explicitly taking the crash into account. Interestingly, the index of relative risk aversion is positive in both countries but is only significant in Germany when the stock market crash is incorporated into the analysis. The results also reveal that settlement delays significantly affect return in both countries and volatility in France. Furthermore accounting for structural shifts is important in ascertaining the relationship between stock returns and volatility.

Have European Stocks Become More Volatile? An Empirical Investigation of Idiosyncratic and Market Risk in the Euro Area

Have European Stocks Become More Volatile? An Empirical Investigation of Idiosyncratic and Market Risk in the Euro Area
Author: Colm Kearney
Publisher:
Total Pages: 46
Release: 2006
Genre:
ISBN:

We examine the dynamics of idiosyncratic risk, market risk and return correlations in European equity markets using weekly observations from 3515 stocks listed in the 12 Euro area stock markets over the period 1974-2004. Similarly to Campbell, Lettau, Malkiel and Xu (2001), we find a rise in idiosyncratic volatility, implying that it now takes more stocks to diversify away idiosyncratic risk. Contrary to the United States, however, market risk is trended upwards in Europe and correlations are not trended downwards. Both the volatility and correlation measures are pro-cyclical, and they rise during times of low market returns. Market and average idiosyncratic volatility jointly predict market wide returns, and the latter impact upon both market and idiosyncratic volatility. This has asset pricing and risk management implications.

Switching Volatility in Emerging Stock Markets

Switching Volatility in Emerging Stock Markets
Author: Georgios P. Kouretas
Publisher:
Total Pages: 31
Release: 2008
Genre:
ISBN:

In this paper, we use weekly stock market data to examine whether the volatility of stock returns of ten emerging capital markets of the new EU member countries has changed as a result of their accession in the EU. In particular we are interested in understanding whether there are high and low periods of stock returns volatility and the degree of correlation across these markets. We estimate a Markov-Switching ARCH (SWARCH) model proposed by Hamilton and Susmel (1994) and we allow for the possibility that three volatility regimes may exist for stock returns volatility. The main finding of the present study is that the high volatility of stock returns of all new EU emerging stock markets is associated mainly with the 1997-1998 Asian and Russian financial crisis while there is a transition to the low volatility regime as they approach the accession to EU in 2004.

Empirical Asset Pricing

Empirical Asset Pricing
Author: Wayne Ferson
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 497
Release: 2019-03-12
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0262039370

An introduction to the theory and methods of empirical asset pricing, integrating classical foundations with recent developments. This book offers a comprehensive advanced introduction to asset pricing, the study of models for the prices and returns of various securities. The focus is empirical, emphasizing how the models relate to the data. The book offers a uniquely integrated treatment, combining classical foundations with more recent developments in the literature and relating some of the material to applications in investment management. It covers the theory of empirical asset pricing, the main empirical methods, and a range of applied topics. The book introduces the theory of empirical asset pricing through three main paradigms: mean variance analysis, stochastic discount factors, and beta pricing models. It describes empirical methods, beginning with the generalized method of moments (GMM) and viewing other methods as special cases of GMM; offers a comprehensive review of fund performance evaluation; and presents selected applied topics, including a substantial chapter on predictability in asset markets that covers predicting the level of returns, volatility and higher moments, and predicting cross-sectional differences in returns. Other chapters cover production-based asset pricing, long-run risk models, the Campbell-Shiller approximation, the debate on covariance versus characteristics, and the relation of volatility to the cross-section of stock returns. An extensive reference section captures the current state of the field. The book is intended for use by graduate students in finance and economics; it can also serve as a reference for professionals.