An Empirical Investigation of the Option-Adjusted Realized Return

The issue of meaningful evaluation of professionally managed portfolios remains to be resolved satisfactorily within the investment community. The fact that many of the current procedures for evaluating portfolio performance are deeply rooted in conventional mean-variance (M-V) analysis raises serious concerns from a theoretical perspective. The primary objective of this paper is an empirical investigation (as differentiated from a thorough empirical test) of an ordinal portfolio performance measure, called the Option-adjusted Realized (average rate of) Return or ORR, developed recently by Smith and Kokoska (1998). The ORR is a leverage- and risk-adjusted average realized rate of return that can be used directly in evaluating portfolio performance.Using returns data for June 1992 to May 1998, we estimate ORRs for two portfolios—the CREF Stock Fund and a hypothetical market index portfolio whose composition is identical to that of the S&P 500 Index. Also, we estimate Sharpe and Treynor ratio values for each portfolio and compare rankings provided by these methods for the two portfolios with rankings provided by the ORR method. For the interval of time from June 1995 to May 1998, the rankings provided by the three methods are not consistent. The ORR rankings for this time period indicate the CREF Fund underperformed the S&P Index on a risk-adjusted basis. Additional partitioning of the data creates other multiple intervals or holding periods for which the evaluation results (ex post) support at least moderate likelihood of unambiguous inconsistency ex ante. We argue that, given our set of assumptions, the ORR rankings, founded in option-pricing theory, are more reliable than the others that are M-V based.     

Detecting income-smoothing behaviors of Turkish listed companies through empirical tests using discretionary accounting changes

Flexibility when selecting accounting methods sometimes motivates managers to choose accounting methods or to change employed ones in order to increase, decrease or smooth income figures. In this study, income-smoothing behaviors of Turkish listed companies are detected through empirical tests using discretionary accounting changes (DACs). Parallel to the study conducted by Moses [Moses OD. Income smoothing and incentives: empirical tests using accounting changes. The Accounting Review 1987;11(2):358–77], income smoothing is accepted as one motivation of DACs and the sample firms are classified as smoothers and non-smoothers by using Moses’ smoothing behavior index. Results show that possible motivations of DACs are income smoothing, economical characteristics of the periods in which the DACs are made, and the desire of Turkish firms to have net incomes close to zero.     

Disappearing Dividends: Implications for the Dividend–Price Ratio and Return Predictability

The conventional dividend–price ratio is highly persistent, and the literature reports mixed evidence on its role in predicting stock returns. We argue that the decreasing number of firms with a traditional dividend‐payout policy is responsible for these results, and develop a model in which the long‐run relationship between the dividends and stock price is time varying. An adjusted dividend–price ratio that accounts for the time‐varying long‐run relationship is considerably less persistent. Furthermore, the predictive regression model that employs the adjusted dividend–price ratio as a regressor outperforms the random‐walk model. These results are robust with respect to the firm size.     

Interdependence and Volatility Spillovers Under Market Liberalization: The Case of Istanbul Stock Exchange

This paper analyzes stock returns and volatility relations between the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) and the global market as represented by stock markets in the US, the UK, Japan and Germany. Results from monthly data and multivariate cointegration tests suggest that the ISE became significantly integrated in the global market only in the period following market liberalization in late 1989. We also find evidence based on GARCH estimations that capital liberalization actually mitigated, rather than intensified, volatility in the ISE. Our results further suggest that the Asian crisis in mid‐1997 and the consequent Russian economic meltdown in mid‐1998 are partly responsible for the recent excessive volatility in the Turkish market. The results also identify the US and the UK markets as dominate sources of volatility spillovers for the ISE, even in the period following the Asian‐Russian crises. Consequently, it appears that the two matured markets of the US and the UK shoulder significant responsibility for the stability and financial health of smaller emerging markets like the ISE.     

Predictability of stock markets with disequilibrium trading. A commentary paper

The paper focuses on the problem of predictability of stock market returns with disequilibrium trading. It is shown that the predictability of returns may be the consequence of quantity constraints appearing in the markets due to the imposition of administrative restrictions on trade. A relevant test of predictability for the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) based on information referring to disequilibrium states occurrence is proposed. The empirical results of its application to the WSE on a sample containing session-to-session observations from the period January 1995 to December 1999 strongly support the hypothesis of predictability.     

Assessing the Economic Significance of Return Predictability: A Research Note

The predictability of stock returns is often assessed using classical statistical significance from predictive regressions. Statistical inference, however, can belie the economic importance with which investors regard various predictors. This paper examines the influence that predictors have on an investor's optimal portfolio allocations. The results show that return predictability is sufficient to induce horizon effects in optimal allocations. After incorporating estimation risk, however, little evidence of predictability remains. We also assess the relative importance of three predictor variables. While dividend yield is the most important predictor, optimal allocations are also sensitive to the term spread and the relative bill rate.     

Return spread and liquidity: Evidence from Hong Kong ADRs

Fifteen Chinese H-shares listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong are cross listed as ADRs on the NYSE. We empirically determine the role of security specific liquidity associated with those ADRs and their underlying H-shares on return spreads, differences between the returns on ADRs and their corresponding H-shares after controlling for ADRs and H-shares excess market returns and their respective price inverses denoting conditional betas. We use three proxies for liquidity, trading volume, turnover, and illiquidity (Amihud, 2002) and find that only trading volume and turnover are consistent determinants of return spread for the majority of Chinese ADRs with primary listing in Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK). We use a switching regression model and find that the model parameter estimates are not stationary and change, often drastically between pre and post 2000 and 2003. Further tests using Bai Perron indicate return spreads data as non-stationary with multiple regime changes during the sample period. Further the causes of non-stationarity seem to be largely security specific and not driven by broad market swings in either market.     

An Empirical Re-Examination of the Cross-Section of Expected Returns: UK Evidence

This paper is a study of the Fama and French (1992) analysis in the UK context. Consistent with their findings, our results do not support a positive relationship between beta and average monthly returns. We find that book-to-market equity and market leverage are consistently significant in explaining UK average returns. Contrary to the Fama-French evidence, size has an insignificant effect on average returns. A puzzling negative beta-returns relationship is found in some monthly regressions,and results based on annual data reveal a reversal of betas for the smallest-size portfolios. Some possible explanations are offered for these findings.     

Non‐linear Predictability of Value and Growth Stocks and Economic Activity

Recent empirical evidence suggests that stock market index returns are predictable from a variety of financial and macroeconomic variables. We extend this research by examining value and growth portfolios constructed by book-to-market ratio, and consider whether such predictability is evident here. Further, we assess whether such predictability is better characterised by a non-linear form and whether such non-linear predictability can be exploited to provide superior forecasts to those obtained from a linear model. General non-linearities are examined using non-parametric techniques, which suggest possible threshold behaviour. This leads to estimation of a smooth-transition threshold model, with the results indicating an improved in-sample performance and marginally superior out-of-sample forecast results.     

中国汇率与股票价格联动的实证研究

汇率与股票价格之间存在着联系。汇率—股票价格之间的传统机制、组合机制、短期套利机制、利率粘性机制和产出机制在中国受到不同程度的影响,但是中国汇率和股票价格之间并不是完全隔绝的。中国的汇率与股票价格联动机制以及其发生作用的方式和程度与成熟市场经济体之间有较大的差异,投机机制已经率先发挥一定的作用。     

汇率与股票价格的关系：理论前沿与实证研究综述

汇率与股价关系的理论研究主要从两个方向进行,一是将汇率、股价与其它宏观变量一起纳入到一般均衡的分析框架,二是从外汇市场微观结构的角度,通过考察国际间证券投资与套利行为从而在汇率与股价之间建立联系.对于两者之间关系的实证研究,则主要分为相关性检验与因果关系检验.从目前的研究成果看,无论是理论上还是实证上,对于股价和汇率关系的研究,都远未达成共识.     

Cost and Profit Efficiency of the Turkish Banking Industry: An Empirical Investigation

By employing a stochastic frontier approach, we examine the effect of bank size, corporate control, and governance, as well as ownership, on the cost (input) and alternative profit (input-output) efficiencies of Turkish banks. We find that the average profit efficiency is 84% for Turkish banks. The oligopolistic nature of the Turkish banking industry has contributed to less than optimal competition in the loan market and deposit markets. Our results indicate that the degree of linkage between cost and profit efficiency is significantly low. This suggests that high profit efficiency does not require greater cost efficiency in Turkey, and that cost in efficient banks can continue to survive in this imperfect market, where profit opportunities are abundant for all types and sizes of banks. Accordingly, our results indicate that the different sizes of banks have capitalized these opportunities equivalently.     

The Gilt-Equity Yield Ratio and the Predictability of UK and US Equity Returns

A number of financial variables have been shown to be effective in explaining the time-series of aggregate equity returns in both the UK and the US. These include, inter alia , the equity dividend yield, the spread between the yields on long and short government bonds, and the lagged equity return. Recently, however, the ratio between the long government bond yield and the equity dividend yield – the gilt-equity yield ratio – has emerged as a variable that has considerable explanatory power for UK equity returns. This paper compares the predictive ability of the gilt-equity yield ratio with these other variables for UK and US equity returns, providing evidence on both in-sample and out-of-sample performance. For UK monthly returns, it is shown that while the dividend yield has substantial in-sample explanatory power, this is not matched by out-of sample forecast accuracy. The gilt-equity yield ratio, in contrast, performs well both in-sample and out-of-sample. Although the predictability of US monthly equity returns is much lower than for the UK, a similar result emerges, with the gilt-equity yield ratio dominating the other variables in terms of both in-sample explanatory power and out-of-sample forecast performance. The gilt-equity yield ratio is also shown to have substantial predictive ability for long horizon returns.     

Empirical analysis of real and financial volatilities on stock excess returns: evidence from Taiwan industrial data

This paper tests the relation between stock excess returns and risk factors measured by volatility. The sources of the volatility are based on the volatility of macroeconomic factors and time-series volatility. To model the macroeconomic fundamentals, we divide the risk into real and financial volatilities pertinent to Taiwan's economic environment. By examining the data of indusry excess returns and market excess returns, we find evidence to reject the hypothesis that the stock excess returns are independent of the real and financial volatilities.     

我国外汇储备货币组合的实证分析

截至2006年2月我国外汇储备达8536亿美元,超过日本成为世界外汇储备持有量第一大国,其后我国外汇储备也呈不断增长的态势,到2007年3月已达12020.31亿美元.外汇储备的持续增加意味着面临的风险也在持续增加.因此,如何确定合理的外汇储备币种组合成为目前需要迫切研究的课题.本文根据国内外已有研究确定了外汇储备货币结构的影响因素,结合因子分析法,得出了我国外汇储备币种组合的新选择,提出了我国外汇储备货币组合的对策建议.     

股票收益率与通胀关系的实证研究

本文基于费雪理论,使用1991-2010年的月度数据对中国股市的收益率与通货膨胀率之间的关系进行实证分析,并进一步检验各行业股票对通胀风险的防御效果。研究结果表明,总体上股票收益率与通胀率显著负相关,即股票不是持续高通胀时期的有效保值工具,但是在材料、医药和消费等行业仍具有较好的通胀防御效果。     

Information diffusion and the predictability of New Zealand stock market returns

This paper examines the impact of international predictors from liquid markets on the predictability of excess returns in the New Zealand stock market using data from May 1992 to February 2011. We find that US stock market return and VIX contribute significantly to the out‐of‐sample forecasts at short horizons even after controlling for the effect of local predictors, while the contribution by Australian stock market return is not significant. We further demonstrate that the predictability of New Zealand stock market returns using US market predictors could be explained by the information diffusion between these two countries.     

An Evaluation of Testing Procedures for Long Horizon Event Studies

We conduct a comprehensive simulation study to evaluate testing procedures for long horizon event studies. The simulation results raise the following concerns about some popular practices: (1) using the four-factor model that includes the Fama-French three factors and a momentum-related factor causes serious over rejection of the null hypothesis; (2) using reference portfolios as benchmark tends to overestimate event firms' long-term returns; and (3) the computation-intensive bootstrap test has low power for long event horizons. Moreover, unless the number of event firms in a study is very large, all testing procedures suffer substantial loss of power quickly as event horizon increases, especially for samples of small firms. Of particular interest, the combination of the nonparametric sign test with a single firm benchmark shows the best performance consistently in our simulations.     

汇率沟通、实际干预与人民币汇率变动——基于结构向量自回归模型的实证分析

近年来,汇率沟通已成为货币当局一个重要的货币政策工具。本文评估了汇率沟通在人民币汇率变动中的效力,并就其效力与实际干预的效力进行了比较。经验结果表明:汇率沟通时滞短,能使汇率朝着货币当局合意的方向变化,且汇率沟通冲击对人民币汇率变动的解释力较强;然而实际干预时滞较长,其效力明显弱于汇率沟通,对汇率变动的解释力弱。这两种政策工具的差别表明,汇率沟通在汇率市场是个有效的货币政策工具。