A six-factor asset pricing model of China's stock market from the perspective of institutional investors' dominance

Purpose - China's stock market, which serves as an example of emerging markets, is steadily maturing in the context of globalization. In order to analyze the pricing mechanism of China's stock market, this paper builds a six-factor model to address the market features that are structurally efficient but not entirely efficient. Design/methodology/approach - This study updates the Fama–French factor model's construction process to account for the unique features of China's stock market before creating a model that incorporates size, volume, value, profitability, and profit-income factors based on institutional investors' trading behavior and research preferences. The SWS three-tier sector stock index's monthly and quarterly data for the years 2016–2021 are used as samples for this study. Findings - The results imply that China's stock market is structurally efficient and exhibits high levels of rationality in the region dominated by institutional investors. Specifically, big-size and high-volume portfolios that perform well in terms of liquidity can receive trading premiums. Growth-style sectors prevail at present, and investing in sectors with strong profitability and reliable financial reporting data can produce better returns. Practical implications - The research on China's stock market can be extended to improve the understanding of the development process of similar emerging markets, thereby promoting their improvement. To enhance the development of emerging markets, the regulators should attach great importance to the role of local institutional investors in driving the market to maturity. It is crucial to adopt a structured approach to examine the market pricing mechanism throughout the middle stage of the transition from developing to mature markets. Originality/value - This study offers a structured viewpoint on asset pricing in growing emerging markets by combining the multi-factor pricing model approach with behavioral finance theories.