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Pricing sin stocks: Ethical preference vs. risk aversion

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  • Colonnello, Stefano
  • Curatola, Giuliano
  • Gioffré, Alessandro

Abstract

We develop an ethical preference-based model that reproduces the average return and volatility spread between sin and non-sin stocks. Our investors do not necessarily boycott sin companies. Rather, they are open to invest in any company while trading off dividends against ethicalness. When dividends and ethicalness are complementary goods and investors are sufficiently risk averse, the model predicts that the dividend share of sin companies exhibits a positive relation with the future return and volatility spreads. An empirical analysis supports the model’s predictions. Taken together, our results point to the importance of ethical preferences for investors’ portfolio choices and asset prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Colonnello, Stefano & Curatola, Giuliano & Gioffré, Alessandro, 2019. "Pricing sin stocks: Ethical preference vs. risk aversion," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 69-100.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:118:y:2019:i:c:p:69-100
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2019.04.006
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    Cited by:

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    2. Karim, Sitara & Naeem, Muhammad Abubakr & Lucey, Brian M., 2022. "Do ethics outpace sins?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    3. OKIMOTO Tatsuyoshi & TAKAOKA Sumiko, 2022. "Credit Default Swaps and Corporate Carbon Emissions in Japan," Discussion papers 22098, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    4. Florian H. Schneider & Fanny Brun & Roberto A. Weber, 2020. "Sorting and Wage Premiums in Immoral Work," CESifo Working Paper Series 8456, CESifo.
    5. Okimoto, Tatsuyoshi & Takaoka, Sumiko, 2024. "Sustainability and credit spreads in Japan," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Sébastien Duchêne & Adrien Nguyen-Huu & Dimitri Dubois & Marc Willinger, 2021. "Why finance professionals hold green and brown assets? A lab-in-the-field experiment [Pourquoi investir dans le vert et le brun ? Une expérience sur des professionnels de la finance]," Working Papers hal-03285376, HAL.
    7. Adrian R. Fleissig, 2020. "Impact of Casino Gambling and Lotteries on Demand for Other ‘Sin’ Goods," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 48(3), pages 327-338, September.
    8. Imane El Ouadghiri & Mathieu Gomes & Jonathan Peillex & Guillaume Pijourlet, 2022. "Investor Attention to the Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement and Stock Returns," Post-Print hal-03549713, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Asset pricing; General equilibrium; Sin stocks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D51 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Exchange and Production Economies
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E20 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates

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