Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-21T09:17:46.576Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Enhanced Global Asset Pricing Factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2022

Lukas Zimmermann*
Affiliation:
University of Mannheim Business School
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This article constructs and examines enhanced global return factors. I focus on three different enhancement approaches. First, I incorporate information about the covariance structure in the cross-section of stock returns. Second, I employ volatility-reducing techniques in the time series. Third, I exploit diversification benefits. I form six categorical factors by aggregating information from 214 characteristics. Further, I diversify across factors. The enhancement mechanisms are largely successful and when jointly applied increase the optimal Sharpe ratio on average by a factor of 1.96 compared to the traditional factors. My results point to the importance of employing efficient factors in asset pricing studies.

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Michael G. Foster School of Business, University of Washington

Footnotes

This article greatly benefited from significant contributions of Sebastian Müller. The idea of employing cross-sectional enhancement and volatility scaling on return factors in international markets has been developed in many common discussions for which I am very thankful, as they made this project possible. In that regard, I kindly thank Sebastian Müller for providing the international stock market data and data on international return predictors. I further thank an anonymous referee, Hendrik Bessembinder (the editor), Scott Cederburg (a referee), Ralph Koijen, Simon Rottke, Oliver Spalt, Erik Theissen, Jiri Tresl, and seminar participants at the University of Mannheim for very helpful comments which greatly helped to improve the article. I acknowledge support by the state of Baden-Württemberg through the bwHPC high-performance computing cluster and the German Research Foundation (DFG) through grant INST 35/1134-1 FUGG.

References

Ahmed, S.; Bu, Z.; and Tsvetanov, D.. “Best of the Best: A Comparison of Factor Models.” Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 54 (2019), 17131758.Google Scholar
Barillas, F.; Kan, R.; Robotti, C.; and Shanken, J.. “Model Comparison with Sharpe Ratios.” Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 55 (2020), 18401874.Google Scholar
Barillas, F., and Shanken, J.. “Comparing Asset Pricing Models.” Journal of Finance, 73 (2018), 715754.Google Scholar
Barroso, P.; Detzel, A.; and Maio, P.. “Managing the Risk of the Beta Anomaly.” Working Paper, Catolica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics (2021).Google Scholar
Barroso, P., and Santa-Clara, P.. “Momentum Has its Moments.” Journal of Financial Economics, 116 (2015), 111120.Google Scholar
Campbell, J. Y.; Hilscher, J.; and Szilagyi, J.. “In Search of Distress Risk.” Journal of Finance, 63 (2008), 28992939.Google Scholar
Cederburg, S.; O’Doherty, M. S.; Wang, F.; and Yan, X. S.. “On the Performance of Volatility-Managed Portfolios.” Journal of Financial Economics, 138 (2020), 95117.Google Scholar
Chen, Z.; Liu, B.; Wang, H.; Wang, Z.; and Yu, J.. “Characteristics-Based Factors.” PBCSF-NIFR Research Paper (2020a).Google Scholar
Chen, Z.; Liu, B.; Wang, H.; Wang, Z.; and Yu, J.. “Investor Sentiment and the Pricing of Characteristics-Based Factors.” PBCSF-NIFR Research Paper (2020b).Google Scholar
Cooper, I.; Ma, L.; Maio, P.; and Philip, D.. “Multifactor Models and Their Consistency with the APT.” Review of Asset Pricing Studies, 11 (2021), 402444.Google Scholar
Daniel, K., and Moskowitz, T. J.. “Momentum Crashes.” Journal of Financial Economics, 122 (2016), 221247.Google Scholar
Daniel, K.; Mota, L.; Rottke, S.; and Santos, T.. “The Cross-Section of Risk and Returns.” Review of Financial Studies, 33 (2020), 19271979.Google Scholar
Daniel, K., and Titman, S.. “Evidence on the Characteristics of Cross Sectional Variation in Stock Returns.” Journal of Finance, 52 (1997), 133.Google Scholar
De Santis, G., and Gerard, B.. “International Asset Pricing and Portfolio Diversification with Time-Varying Risk.” Journal of Finance, 52 (1997), 18811912.Google Scholar
Dimson, E.Risk Measurement when Shares Are Subject to Infrequent Trading.” Journal of Financial Economics, 7 (1979), 197226.Google Scholar
Ehsani, S., and Linnainmaa, J.. “Time-Series Efficient Factors.” Working Paper, Tuck School of Business (2021).Google Scholar
Eisdorfer, A., and Misirli, E. U.. “Distressed Stocks in Distressed Times.” Management Science, 66 (2020), 24522473.Google Scholar
Fama, E. F., and French, K. R.. “Common Risk Factors in the Returns of Stocks and Bonds.” Journal of Financial Economics, 33 (1993), 356.Google Scholar
Fama, E. F., and French, K. R.. “Size, Value, and Momentum in International Stock Returns.” Journal of Financial Economics, 105 (2012), 457472.Google Scholar
Fama, E. F., and French, K. R.. “A Five-Factor Asset Pricing Model.” Journal of Financial Economics, 116 (2015), 122.Google Scholar
Fama, E. F., and French, K. R.. “Choosing Factors.” Journal of Financial Economics, 128 (2018), 234252.Google Scholar
Frazzini, A., and Pedersen, L. H.. “Betting Against Beta.” Journal of Financial Economics, 111 (2014), 125.Google Scholar
Glosten, L. R.; Jagannathan, R.; and Runkle, D. E.. “On the Relation between the Expected Value and the Volatility of the Nominal Excess Return on Stocks.” Journal of Finance, 48 (1993), 17791801.Google Scholar
Green, J.; Hand, J. R. M.; and Zhang, X. F.. “The Characteristics that Provide Independent Information about Average U.S. Monthly Stock Returns.” Review of Financial Studies, 30 (2017), 43894436.Google Scholar
Griffin, J. M.Are the Fama and French Factors Global or Country Specific?Review of Financial Studies, 15 (2002), 783803.Google Scholar
Griffin, J. M.; Kelly, P. J.; and Nardari, F.. “Do Market Efficiency Measures Yield Correct Inferences? A Comparison of Developed and Emerging Markets.” Review of Financial Studies, 23 (2010), 32253277.Google Scholar
Harvey, C. R.; Liu, Y.; Zhu, H.. “… And the Cross-Section of Expected Returns.” Review of Financial Studies, 29 (2016), 568.Google Scholar
Hou, K.; Karolyi, G. A.; and Kho, B.-C.. “What Factors Drive Global Stock Returns?Review of Financial Studies, 24 (2011), 25272574.Google Scholar
Hou, K.; Mo, H.; Xue, C.; and Zhang, L.. “Which Factors?Review of Finance, 23 (2019), 135.Google Scholar
Hou, K.; Mo, H.; Xue, C.; and Zhang, L.. “An Augmented Q-Factor Model with Expected Growth.” Review of Finance, 25 (2021), 141.Google Scholar
Hou, K.; Xue, C.; and Zhang, L.. “Digesting Anomalies: An Investment Approach.” Review of Financial Studies, 28 (2015), 650705.Google Scholar
Hou, K.; Xue, C.; and Zhang, L.. “Replicating Anomalies.” Review of Financial Studies, 33 (2020), 20192133.Google Scholar
Huber, D.; Jacobs, H.; Müller, S.; and Preissler, F.. “International Factor Models.” Working Paper, University of Hamburg (2021).Google Scholar
Ince, O. S., and Porter, R. B.. “Individual Equity Return Data from Thomsen Datastream: Handle with Care!Journal of Financial Research, 29 (2006), 463479.Google Scholar
Jacobs, H., and Müller, S.. “…And Nothing Else Matters? On the Dimensionality and Predictability of International Stock Returns.” Working Paper, University of Duisburg-Essen (2018).Google Scholar
Jacobs, H., and Müller, S. “Anomalies across the Globe: Once Public, No Longer Existent?Journal of Financial Economics, 135 (2020), 213230.Google Scholar
Jegadeesh, N., and Titman, S.. “Returns to Buying Winners and Selling Losers: Implications for Stock Market Efficiency.” Journal of Finance, 48 (1993), 65.Google Scholar
Kelly, B. T.; Pruitt, S.; and Su, Y.. “Characteristics Are Covariances: A Unified Model of Risk and Return.” Journal of Financial Economics, 134 (2019), 501524.Google Scholar
Kim, S.; Korajczyk, R. A.; and Neuhierl, A.. “Arbitrage Portfolios.” Review of Financial Studies, 34 (2021), 28132856.Google Scholar
Kozak, S.; Nagel, S.; and Santosh, S.. “Interpreting Factor Models.” Journal of Finance, 73 (2018), 11831223.Google Scholar
Kozak, S.; Nagel, S.; and Santosh, S.. “Shrinking the Cross Section.” Journal of Financial Economics, 135 (2019), 271292.Google Scholar
Lettau, M., and Pelger, M.. “Estimating Latent Asset-Pricing Factors.” Journal of Econometrics, 218 (2020a), 131.Google Scholar
Lettau, M., and Pelger, M.. “Factors That Fit the Time Series and Cross-Section of Stock Returns.” Review of Financial Studies, 33 (2020b), 22742325.Google Scholar
Moreira, A., and Muir, T.. “Volatility-Managed Portfolios.” Journal of Finance, 72 (2017), 16111644.Google Scholar
Murray, S. “Betting Against Other Betas.” Working Paper, Georgia State University (2020).Google Scholar
Newey, W., and West, K.. “A Simple, Positive Semi-Definite, Heteroskedasticity and Autocorrelation Consistent Covariance Matrix.” Econometrica, 55 (1987), 703708.Google Scholar
Novy-Marx, R. “Backtesting Strategies Based on Multiple Signals.” NBER Working Paper Series (2016).Google Scholar
Novy-Marx, R., and Velikov, M.. “Betting Against Betting Against Beta.” Journal of Financial Economics, 111 (2021), 125.Google Scholar
Stambaugh, R. F., and Yuan, Y.. “Mispricing Factors.” Review of Financial Studies, 30 (2017), 12701315.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Zimmermann supplementary material

Online Appendix

Download Zimmermann supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 455.2 KB