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Explaining stock price movements: is there a case for fundamentals?

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  • Nathan S. Balke
  • Mark E. Wohar

Abstract

Some observers have argued that the run-up in the Standard & Poor's 500 stock price index during the 1990s was due to irrational exuberance rather than market fundamentals. This article presents evidence that the case for market fundamentals is stronger than it appears on the surface. Nathan Balke and Mark Wohar show that movements in the price-dividend and price-earnings rations have exhibited substantial persistence, particularly since World War II. Hence, using the long-run historical average value of the price/earnings or price/dividend ratio as the \"normal\" valuation ratio is misleading. The authors also show that plausible combinations of lower expected future real discount rates and higher expected real dividend (earnings) growth could rationalize current broad market stock values, raising the possibility that changes in market fundamentals have made a major contribution to the run-up in stock prices. Even if market fundamentals were responsible for the increase in stock prices during the 1990s, we should not necessarily expect future stock returns to be as high as the returns seen in the latter half of the 1990s.

Suggested Citation

  • Nathan S. Balke & Mark E. Wohar, 2001. "Explaining stock price movements: is there a case for fundamentals?," Economic and Financial Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, issue Q III, pages 22-34.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedder:y:2001:i:qiii:p:22-34
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    2. Tsvetanov, Daniel & Coakley, Jerry & Kellard, Neil, 2016. "Bubbling over! The behaviour of oil futures along the yield curve," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(PB), pages 516-533.
    3. Bohl, Martin T. & Siklos, Pierre L., 2004. "The present value model of U.S. stock prices redux: a new testing strategy and some evidence," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 208-223, May.
    4. McMillan, David G., 2009. "Are share prices still too high?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 223-232, September.
    5. Olkhov, Victor, 2018. "Expectations, Price Fluctuations and Lorenz Attractor," MPRA Paper 89105, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. repec:zbw:bofism:2006_035 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Taipalus, Katja, 2012. "Detecting asset price bubbles with time-series methods," Scientific Monographs, Bank of Finland, number 2012_047.
    8. Brendan McCabe & Stephen Leybourne & David Harris, 2003. "Testing for Stochastic Cointegration and Evidence for Present Value Models," Econometrics 0311009, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. repec:zbw:bofism:2012_047 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Taipalus, Katja, 2012. "Detecting asset price bubbles with time-series methods," Bank of Finland Scientific Monographs, Bank of Finland, volume 0, number sm2012_047, July.
    11. Patrick Bisciari & Alain Durré & Alain Nyssens, 2003. "Stock market valuation in the United States," Working Paper Document 41, National Bank of Belgium.
    12. Gerdesmeier Dieter & Reimers Hans-Eggert & Roffia Barbara, 2010. "Applying a New Bubble Test for a Composite Indicator," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 9(1), pages 1-23, January.
    13. David G. McMillan, 2010. "Level‐shifts and non‐linearity in US financial ratios," Review of Accounting and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(2), pages 189-207, May.
    14. Taipalus, Katja, 2006. "Bubbles in the Finnish and US equities markets," Bank of Finland Scientific Monographs, Bank of Finland, volume 0, number sm2006_035, July.
    15. Filis, George, 2010. "Macro economy, stock market and oil prices: Do meaningful relationships exist among their cyclical fluctuations?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 877-886, July.
    16. Gerdesmeier, Dieter & Reimers, Hans-Eggert & Roffia, Barbara, 2013. "Testing for the existence of a bubble in the stock market," Wismar Discussion Papers 01/2013, Hochschule Wismar, Wismar Business School.
    17. Binswanger, Mathias, 2004. "Stock returns and real activity in the G-7 countries: did the relationship change during the 1980s?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 237-252, May.
    18. Woglom, Geoffrey, 2003. "Endowment spending rates, intergenerational equity and the sources of capital gains," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 591-601, December.
    19. McMillan, David G., 2007. "Bubbles in the dividend-price ratio? Evidence from an asymmetric exponential smooth-transition model," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 787-804, March.
    20. McMillan, David G., 2006. "The price-dividend ratio and limits to arbitrage: Evidence from a time-varying ESTR model," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 91(3), pages 408-412, June.
    21. Binswanger, Mathias, 2004. "How important are fundamentals?--Evidence from a structural VAR model for the stock markets in the US, Japan and Europe," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 185-201, April.
    22. Taipalus, Katja, 2006. "Bubbles in the Finnish and US equities markets," Scientific Monographs, Bank of Finland, number 35/2006.
    23. Shamsuddin, Abul F. M. & Hillier, John R., 2004. "Fundamental determinants of the Australian price-earnings multiple," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 565-576, November.

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