IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/pacfin/v74y2022ics0927538x22001032.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Economic uncertainty and cross section of stock returns: Australian evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Simkus, Matthew
  • Truong, Helen
  • Hoang, Khoa
  • Huang, Ronghong

Abstract

In this paper, we construct a new macroeconomic uncertainty index for the Australian economy. We then examine the pricing implication of macroeconomic uncertainty on the cross section of Australian equity returns. Our paper replicates Bali, Brown and Tang (2017)’s findings that U.S. investors pay (require) higher prices (lower premium) for stocks that perform well when economic uncertainty increases. We also find evidence supporting such premium in the Australian equity market.

Suggested Citation

  • Simkus, Matthew & Truong, Helen & Hoang, Khoa & Huang, Ronghong, 2022. "Economic uncertainty and cross section of stock returns: Australian evidence," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pacfin:v:74:y:2022:i:c:s0927538x22001032
    DOI: 10.1016/j.pacfin.2022.101808
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927538X22001032
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.pacfin.2022.101808?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kyle Jurado & Sydney C. Ludvigson & Serena Ng, 2015. "Measuring Uncertainty," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(3), pages 1177-1216, March.
    2. Nicholas Bloom, 2009. "The Impact of Uncertainty Shocks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 77(3), pages 623-685, May.
    3. Carhart, Mark M, 1997. "On Persistence in Mutual Fund Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(1), pages 57-82, March.
    4. Pastor, Lubos & Stambaugh, Robert F., 2003. "Liquidity Risk and Expected Stock Returns," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 111(3), pages 642-685, June.
    5. Chaieb, Ines & Langlois, Hugues & Scaillet, Olivier, 2021. "Factors and risk premia in individual international stock returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 669-692.
    6. Bali, Turan G. & Brown, Stephen J. & Tang, Yi, 2017. "Is economic uncertainty priced in the cross-section of stock returns?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(3), pages 471-489.
    7. Linda Allen & Turan G. Bali & Yi Tang, 2012. "Does Systemic Risk in the Financial Sector Predict Future Economic Downturns?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(10), pages 3000-3036.
    8. Merton, Robert C, 1973. "An Intertemporal Capital Asset Pricing Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 41(5), pages 867-887, September.
    9. Kewei Hou & Chen Xue & Lu Zhang, 2015. "Editor's Choice Digesting Anomalies: An Investment Approach," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 28(3), pages 650-705.
    10. Kewei Hou & Chen Xue & Lu Zhang, 2020. "Replicating Anomalies," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(5), pages 2019-2133.
    11. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1993. "Common risk factors in the returns on stocks and bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 3-56, February.
    12. Newey, Whitney & West, Kenneth, 2014. "A simple, positive semi-definite, heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation consistent covariance matrix," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 33(1), pages 125-132.
    13. Chai, Daniel & Chiah, Mardy & Gharghori, Philip, 2019. "Which model best explains the returns of large Australian stocks?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 182-191.
    14. Itamar Drechsler, 2013. "Uncertainty, Time-Varying Fear, and Asset Prices," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(5), pages 1843-1889, October.
    15. Theis Ingerslev Jensen & Bryan T. Kelly & Lasse Heje Pedersen, 2021. "Is There A Replication Crisis In Finance?," NBER Working Papers 28432, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sheikh, Umaid A. & Asadi, Mehrad & Roubaud, David & Hammoudeh, Shawkat, 2024. "Global uncertainties and Australian financial markets: Quantile time-frequency connectedness," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dunbar, Kwamie, 2021. "Pricing the hedging factor in the cross-section of stock returns," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    2. Bali, Turan G. & Brown, Stephen J. & Tang, Yi, 2017. "Is economic uncertainty priced in the cross-section of stock returns?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(3), pages 471-489.
    3. Nartea, Gilbert V. & Bai, Hengyu & Wu, Ji, 2020. "Investor sentiment and the economic policy uncertainty premium," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    4. Wang, Zijun, 2021. "The high volume return premium and economic fundamentals," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(1), pages 325-345.
    5. Lee, Kiryoung & Joen, Yoontae & Kim, Minki, 2022. "Which uncertainty measures matter for the cross-section of stock returns?#," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    6. Xin Chen & Wei He & Libin Tao & Jianfeng Yu, 2023. "Attention and Underreaction-Related Anomalies," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(1), pages 636-659, January.
    7. Marton Lotz & Daniel Ruf & Johannes Strobel, 2023. "Uncertainty premia in REIT returns," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 51(2), pages 372-407, March.
    8. Bams, Dennis & Blanchard, Gildas & Honarvar, Iman & Lehnert, Thorsten, 2017. "Does oil and gold price uncertainty matter for the stock market?," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 270-285.
    9. Hollstein, Fabian, 2022. "The world of anomalies: Smaller than we think?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    10. Ali, Sara & Badshah, Ihsan & Demirer, Riza & Hegde, Prasad, 2022. "Economic policy uncertainty and institutional investment returns: The case of New Zealand," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    11. Atilgan, Yigit & Bali, Turan G. & Demirtas, K. Ozgur & Gunaydin, A. Doruk, 2020. "Left-tail momentum: Underreaction to bad news, costly arbitrage and equity returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(3), pages 725-753.
    12. Maio, Paulo & Philip, Dennis, 2018. "Economic activity and momentum profits: Further evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 466-482.
    13. Christian Schlag & Michael Semenischev & Julian Thimme, 2021. "Predictability and the Cross-Section of Expected Returns: A Challenge for Asset Pricing Models," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(12), pages 7932-7950, December.
    14. Lin, Qi, 2022. "Understanding idiosyncratic momentum in the Chinese stock market," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    15. Schlag, Christian & Semenischev, Michael & Thimme, Julian, 2020. "Predictability and the cross-section of expected returns: A challenge for asset pricing models," SAFE Working Paper Series 289, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    16. Bali, Turan G. & Brown, Stephen J. & Caglayan, Mustafa O., 2014. "Macroeconomic risk and hedge fund returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(1), pages 1-19.
    17. González-Sánchez, Mariano & Nave, Juan & Rubio, Gonzalo, 2020. "Effects of uncertainty and risk aversion on the exposure of investment-style factor returns to real activity," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    18. Jun Gao & Sheng Zhu & Niall O’Sullivan & Meadhbh Sherman, 2019. "The Role of Economic Uncertainty in UK Stock Returns," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, January.
    19. Treepongkaruna, Sirimon & Chan, Kam Fong & Malik, Ihtisham, 2023. "Climate policy uncertainty and the cross-section of stock returns," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PA).
    20. Jennie Bai & Turan G. Bali & Quan Wen, 2019. "Is There a Risk-Return Tradeoff in the Corporate Bond Market? Time-Series and Cross-Sectional Evidence," NBER Working Papers 25995, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Macroeconomic uncertainty; Cross-section of stock returns; Intertemporal CAPM;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General
    • E20 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • E30 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:pacfin:v:74:y:2022:i:c:s0927538x22001032. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/pacfin .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.