Stock Market Mean Reversion and the Optimal Equity Allocation of a Long-Lived Investor

This paper solves numerically the intertemporalconsumption and portfolio choiceproblem of an infinitely-lived investor whofaces a time-varying equity premium.The solutions we obtain are very similarto the approximate analytical solutionsof Campbell and Viceira (1999), except atthe upper extreme of the state spacewhere both the numerical consumption andportfolio rules flatten out.We also consider a constrained version ofthe problem in which the investor facesborrowing and short-sales restrictions.These constraints bind when the equitypremium moves away from its mean in eitherdirection, and are particularly severe forrisk-tolerant investors. The constraints havesubstantial effects on optimalconsumption, but much more modest effects onoptimal portfolio choice in theregion of the state space where they are notbinding.     

Insider Trading in the Hong Kong Stock Market

Many previous studies on insider trading are based ondata in the U.S. capital market and conclude thatinsiders can earn abnormal profits. This paperexamines abnormal price performance associated withinsider trading in the Hong Kong stock market. We findthat abnormal profits associated with insider tradingare all concentrated on small firms. Trading volumedoes matter in determining the magnitude of thoseabnormal profits. Our results show that insiders ofmedium-sized and large firms do not earn abnormalprofits. Finally, it is found that outsiders who mimicthe information of insider trades associated withmedium-sized and large firms cannot earn abnormalprofits.     

Property Company Stock Price and Net Asset Value: A Mean Reversion Perspective

This study investigates the relationship between property company stock prices (P) and their net asset values (NAV) from a mean reversion perspective. In contrast to U.K. evidence, we find that there is absence of a long-term stable relationship between the two series. However, the variance ratio tests and multi-period regressions suggest that both P and NAV series have exhibited transitory components. In addition, there is some evidence of mean reversion behavior of Singapore property stock prices toward the property companies' NAVs over the past 15 years from 1985 to 1999, both at individual company level and in the sector as a whole. The results also reveal that NAV, as a traditional proxy to fundamental value, is significant in capturing the dynamics of the changes in property stock prices. Hence NAV is relevant in property company valuation. However the extent of mean reversion between the property stock prices and NAVs is slow and deviations between the two markets' valuation could therefore be prolonged.     

Further Evidence on Mean Reversion in Index Basis Changes

We provide further evidence on the stochastic behavior of the futures minus cash index basis. In addition to infrequent trading, we identify index aggregation as an additional source of mean reversion in basis changes. An aggregation of individual stocks in the index portfolio produces a moving average component that induces a negative autocorrelation in basis changes. Our empirical results show that index price and basis changes often contain a moving average component. After the effects of infrequent trading and index aggregation are purged, we find that the autocorrelation of the adjusted index basis changes is significantly reduced.     

Mean Reversion in the Short Horizon Returns of UK Portfolios

This paper will show that short horizon stock returns for UK portfolios are more predictable than suggested by sample autocorrelation co-efficients. Four capitalisation based portfolios are constructed for the period 1976–1991. It is shown that the first order autocorrelation coefficient of monthly returns can explain no more than 10% of the variation in monthly portfolio returns. Monthly autocorrelation coefficients assume that each weekly return of the previous month contains the same amount of information. However, this will not be the case if short horizon returns contain predictable components which dissipate rapidly. In this case, the return of the most recent week would say a lot more about the future monthly portfolio return than other weeks. This suggests that when predicting future monthly portfolio returns more weight should be given to the most recent weeks of the previous month, because, the most recent weekly returns provide the most information about the subsequent months' performance. We construct a model which exploits the mean reverting characteristics of monthly portfolio returns. Using this model we forecast future monthly portfolio returns. When compared to forecasts that utilise the autocorrelation statistic the model which exploits the mean reverting characteristics of monthlyportfolio returns can forecast future returns better than the autocorrelation statistic, both in and out of sample.     

中国股市趋向弱势有效之实证研究

本在对中国股票市场有效性的研究结果进行考察的基础上，运用有效市场理论分析了相关研究中存在的问题，最后得出中国股票市场正趋于弱势有效的结论。     

Asymmetric Mean Reversion in European Interest Rates: A Two-factor Model

Abstract

This paper tests for asymmetric mean reversion in European short-term interest rates using a combination of the interest rate models introduced by Longstaff and Schwartz (Longstaff, F.A., Schwarts, E.S. (1992) Interest rate volatility and the ferm structure: A two factor general equilibrium model, Journal of Finance, 48, pp. 1259–1282.) and Bali (Bali, T. (2000) Testing the empirical performance of stochastic volatility models of the short-term interest rates, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 35, pp. 191–215.). Using weekly rates for France, Germany and the United Kingdom, it is found that short-term rates follow in all instances asymmetric mean reverting processes. Specifically, interest rates exhibit non-stationary behavior following rate increases, but they are strongly mean reverting following rate decreases. The mean reverting component is statistically and economically stronger thus offsetting non-stationarity. Volatility depends on past innovations past volatility and the level of interest rates. With respect to past innovations volatility is asymmetric rising more in response to positive innovations. This is exactly opposite to the asymmetry found in stock returns.     

Mean Reversion in Profitability for Non‐listed Firms

The presence of mean reversion in profitability at the firm level is important for valuation and prediction of growth and earnings. We investigate the mean reversion in accounting profitability for Norwegian non‐listed firms for the period 1988–2006. We find a mean reversion rate of about 0.44 per year. This is higher than found in other studies. We also find that small firms have a higher mean reversion rate than large firms. Our results should have important practical implications for the difficult task of valuing non‐listed firms. Previously, price‐to‐book ratios have been used to investigate changes in profitability over time for listed firms. We examine bankruptcy risk as an alternative variable for unlisted firms. We find that bankruptcy risk may help explain changes in profitability, but the results are not as strong as found in previous work.     

Exploiting International Stock Market Correlations with Open-end International Mutual Funds

Investors can exploit the correlations between international stock markets by trading no-load, open-end, international mutual funds. These investors in effect cheat passive investors because they buy the mutual funds at their net asset values, which do not reflect information released during the US trading day. The strategy we examine yields an annual rate of return 800 basis points above the S&P500, over a period of almost eight years.     

股指期货与现货市场的关系研究

本文从市场结构、交易执行效率和市场信息传播三个方面,由浅入深地展开了期现货市场关系的梳理和分析。股指期货市场的出现,一是使得原本现货市场单轨运行的市场结构变为了期现货市场双轨运行的新结构,增加了市场稳定性;二是依托期货交易方式的独特机制,大大提高了交易执行效率;三是期货价格也因此包含了更多内容,促进了市场信息的传播与扩散。同时,股指期货的独特设计使得其非常适合在危机条件下充分发挥功能,是一个重要的风险管理工具,已经成为现代资本市场的重要组成部分和基础性的内在稳定机制。     

市价委托的提交策略、风险控制与实施方案

通过实证研究,本文认为相对于限价委托,市价委托方式更为常用。市场行情越不稳定,交投越活跃,投资者越倾向于采用市价委托。市价委托的主要风险在于可能引起产生股价大幅变动,本文通过价格波动与成交效率两个角度进行比较,认为最优五档成交转限价和最优五档成交并撤销方案应是在市场现有基础上推出市价委托的首选方案。     

Does the Momentum Strategy Work Universally? Evidence from the Japanese Stock Market

This paper investigates effectiveness of momentum strategies in the Japanese stock market during the period of 1975 to 1997. The main findings of this research are that momentum strategy portfolios which invest in past three-to-twelve month winners and sell past three-to-twelve month losers lose about 0.5% per month over the subsequent three to twelve months. This means that stock prices in the Japanese stock market reverse rather than continue over a medium-term horizon. The most significant reversal pattern is observed at the first month of portfolio formation and is unique to small stocks. Even with the market risk and size factor controlled, the price reversal is still present.     

中国股票市场效率的实证检验

了解股票市场是否有效对于监管者和投资者具有重要意义。近年来,大多数实证分析结果倾向于中国证券市场尚未达到半强式有效的结论,但对于是否达到弱式有效,则存在较大分歧。自回归检验结果表明,目前我国沪、深股市已达到弱式有效。这一结论对于进一步制定我国股票市场的发展对策具有重要的指导意义。     

REIT Stock Splits and Market Efficiency

An analysis of real estate investment trust (REIT) stock splits is presented. Evaluation of the initial reaction to split REITs supports efficient market pricing where REITs generate statistically significant positive announcement date returns, no statistically significant record date returns, and muted ex-date returns. In the long-term, split REITs do not consistently out perform benchmark portfolios over one-year, two-year, and three-year periods. REITs split subsequent to a substantial run up in stock price and to improve the position of their post split stock price relative to the stock price of the typical REIT.     

Mean reversion in annual earnings and its implications for security valuation

This article documents the long-horizon mean reverting character of annual earnings and tests the implications of such mean reversion for security valuation. First, both theory-based and nonparametric measures of earnings persistence decrease as the estimation order increases, revealing 40 percent less long-horizon persistence than expected under the commonly used random walk model. Second, the return responses to the earnings shocks are more closely related across firms to the higher-order measures of persistence that reflect significant long-horizon mean reversion. Third, the persistence measure derived from classical valuation theory outperforms the generic measure in explaining the return responses. Taken as a whole, these results provide evidence for significant mean reversion in the higher-order properties of earnings and for the stock market incorporating these properties in a manner consistent with classical valuation theory.     

Tactical Asset Allocation and Stock Issuance in the Korean Stock Market

Stock issuance predicts future stock returns in the Korean market. This creates profitable trading opportunities. Abnormal returns exist in the zero-cost portfolio that short the firms issuing large numbers of shares and longs those issuing small numbers of shares. Their average abnormal return is 12 percent per annum, which is highly significant even after controlling for market, size, value, and momentum factors as well as transaction costs. The authors suggest the possibility of fixed costs in equity market timing. Only the sizable benefit from market timing over fixed costs motivates firms to increase net equity shares.     

Stock returns,inflation and interest rates in the United Kingdom

The Fisherian theory of interest asserts that a fully perceived change in inflation would be reflected in nominal interest rates and stock returns in the same direction in the long run. This paper examines the Fisherian hypothesis of asset returns using alternative techniques of linear regression, and vector error correction models to examine the nature of the relationship between stock returns and inflation in the UK. Consistent with the Fisherian hypothesis, empirical evidence in the linear regression model suggests a positive and statistically significant relationship between stock returns and inflation, which regards common stock as a good hedge against inflation. The results based on the unit root and cointegration tests indicate a long-run reliable relationship between price levels, share prices, and interest rates which could be interpreted as the long-run determinants of stock returns. The findings also suggest a bidirectional relationship between stock returns and inflation. The evidence of a significant Fisher effect is robust across model specifications.     

Concentration of the UK Stock Market

Abstract:  During 1999 and 2000 a large number of articles appeared in the financial press which argued that the concentration of the FTSE 100 had increased. Many of these reports suggested that stock market volatility in the UK had risen, because the concentration of its stock markets had increased. This study undertakes a comprehensive measurement of stock market concentration using the FTSE 100 index. We find that during 1999, 2000 and 2001 stock market concentration was noticeably higher than at any other time since the index was introduced. When we measure the volatility of the FTSE 100 index we do not find an association between concentration and its volatility. When we examine the variances and covariance's of the FTSE 100 constituents we find that security volatility appears to be positively related to concentration changes but concentration and the size of security covariances appear to be negatively related. We simulate the variance of four versions of the FTSE 100 index; in each version of the index the weighting structure reflects either an equally weighted index, or one with levels of low, intermediate or high concentration. We find that moving from low to high concentration has very little impact on the volatility of the index. To complete the study we estimate the minimum variance portfolio for the FTSE 100, we then compare concentration levels of this index to those formed on the basis of market weighting. We find that realised FTSE index weightings are higher than for the minimum variance index.     

The Structure of the Japanese Stock Market

The Japanese stock market is characterized by two prominent features. First, stock prices have been extremely volatile over the past ten years. Second, the market is dominated by cross-shareholdings and stagnant individual stock ownership. So, there are two purposes on this paper. The first is to assess the effects of stock cross-holdings on the stock market. The second is to look at recent stock price fluctuations, in the bubble period before 1990 and during the subsequent collapse. It will be recognized that these two features are interrelated.