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Why Do Firms with Diversification Discounts Have Higher Expected Returns?

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  • Mitton, Todd
  • Vorkink, Keith

Abstract

A diversified firm can trade at a discount to a matched portfolio of single-segment firms if the diversified firm has either lower expected cash flows or higher expected returns than the single-segment firms. We study whether firms with diversification discounts have higher expected returns in order to compensate investors for offering less upside potential (or skewness exposure) than focused firms. Our empirical tests support this hypothesis. First, we find that focused firms offer greater skewness exposure than diversified firms. Second, we find that diversified firms have significantly larger discounts when the diversified firm offers less skewness than matched single-segment firms. Finally, we find that up to 53% of the excess returns received on diversification-discount firms relative to diversification-premium firms can be explained by differences in exposure to skewness.

Suggested Citation

  • Mitton, Todd & Vorkink, Keith, 2010. "Why Do Firms with Diversification Discounts Have Higher Expected Returns?," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(6), pages 1367-1390, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jfinqa:v:45:y:2011:i:06:p:1367-1390_00
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    Cited by:

    1. M. Kabir Hassan & M. Sydul Karim & Tarun Mukherjee, 2023. "Does corporate diversification retrench the effects of firm‐level political risk?," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 58(4), pages 663-702, November.
    2. Yin, Libo & Bai, Ruxue, 2023. "China's diversification discount: The role of the information environment," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    3. de Andrés, Pablo & de la Fuente, Gabriel & Velasco, Pilar, 2017. "Does it really matter how a firm diversifies? Assets-in-place diversification versus growth options diversification," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 316-339.
    4. Jafarinejad, Mohammad & Ngo, Thanh & Escobari, Diego, 2018. "Disentangling the impacts of industrial and global diversification on firm risk," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 39-56.
    5. Patrick Bielstein & Mario Fischer & Christoph Kaserer, 2018. "The cost of capital effect of M&A transactions: Disentangling coinsurance from the diversification discount," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 24(4), pages 650-679, September.
    6. R. Jared DeLisle & Nathan Walcott, 2017. "The Role of Skewness in Mergers and Acquisitions," Quarterly Journal of Finance (QJF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 7(01), pages 1-38, March.
    7. Hund, John & Monk, Donald & Tice, Sheri, 2010. "Uncertainty about average profitability and the diversification discount," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(3), pages 463-484, June.
    8. Huang, Shiyang & Hwang, Byoung-Hyoun & Lou, Dong & Yin, Chengxi, 2020. "Offsetting disagreement and security prices," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 101135, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Bressan, Silvia & Weissensteiner, Alex, 2021. "The financial conglomerate discount: Insights from stock return skewness," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    10. Fuente, Gabriel de la & Velasco, Pilar, 2020. "Capital structure and corporate diversification: Is debt a panacea for the diversification discount?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    11. Hwang, Byoung-Hyoung & Lou, Dong & Yin, Chengxi, 2014. "Offsetting disagreement and security prices," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 119022, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Jordan, Bradford D. & Li, Ang & Liu, Mark H., 2022. "Mutual fund preference for pure-play firms," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    13. Silvia Bressan & Alex Weissensteiner, 2023. "Option-Implied Skewness and the Value of Financial Intermediaries," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 64(2), pages 207-229, October.
    14. Lee, Bong Soo & Li, Ming-Yuan Leon, 2012. "Diversification and risk-adjusted performance: A quantile regression approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 2157-2173.
    15. H. J. Turtle & Kainan Wang, 2017. "The Value In Fundamental Accounting Information," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 40(1), pages 113-140, March.
    16. Stefan Erdorf & Thomas Hartmann-Wendels & Nicolas Heinrichs & Michael Matz, 2013. "Corporate diversification and firm value: a survey of recent literature," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 27(2), pages 187-215, June.

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