IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/assmgt/v22y2021i5d10.1057_s41260-021-00218-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Volatility Effect in China

Author

Listed:
  • David Blitz

    (Robeco Quantitative Investments)

  • Matthias X. Hanauer

    (Robeco Quantitative Investments
    Technical University of Munich)

  • Pim Vliet

    (Robeco Quantitative Investments)

Abstract

This paper shows that low-risk stocks significantly outperform high-risk stocks in the local China A-share market. The main driver of this low-risk anomaly is volatility, and not beta. A Fama–French style VOL factor is not explained by the Fama–French–Carhart factors, and has the strongest stand-alone performance among all these factors. Our findings are robust across sectors and over time, and consistent with previous empirical evidence for the US and international markets. Moreover, the VOL premium exhibits excellent investability characteristics, as it involves a low turnover and remains strong when applied to only the largest and most liquid stocks. Our results imply that the volatility effect is a highly pervasive phenomenon, and that explanations should be able to account for its presence in highly institutionalized markets, such as the US, but also in the Chinese market where private investors dominate trading.

Suggested Citation

  • David Blitz & Matthias X. Hanauer & Pim Vliet, 2021. "The Volatility Effect in China," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(5), pages 338-349, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:assmgt:v:22:y:2021:i:5:d:10.1057_s41260-021-00218-0
    DOI: 10.1057/s41260-021-00218-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41260-021-00218-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41260-021-00218-0?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. Liu, Jianan & Stambaugh, Robert F. & Yuan, Yu, 2019. "Size and value in China," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(1), pages 48-69.
    2. Wang, Yuenan & Di Iorio, Amalia, 2007. "The cross section of expected stock returns in the Chinese A-share market," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 335-349, March.
    3. Fama, Eugene F & French, Kenneth R, 1992. "The Cross-Section of Expected Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(2), pages 427-465, June.
    4. Su, Dongwei & Fleisher, Belton M., 1999. "Why does return volatility differ in Chinese stock markets?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 7(5), pages 557-586, December.
    5. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 2017. "International tests of a five-factor asset pricing model," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(3), pages 441-463.
    6. Matthias M. M. Buehlmaier & Kit Pong Wong, 2020. "Should investors join the index revolution? Evidence from around the world," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(3), pages 192-218, May.
    7. R. David Mclean & Jeffrey Pontiff, 2016. "Does Academic Research Destroy Stock Return Predictability?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 71(1), pages 5-32, February.
    8. Lewellen, Jonathan & Nagel, Stefan & Shanken, Jay, 2010. "A skeptical appraisal of asset pricing tests," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(2), pages 175-194, May.
    9. Ang, Andrew & Hodrick, Robert J. & Xing, Yuhang & Zhang, Xiaoyan, 2009. "High idiosyncratic volatility and low returns: International and further U.S. evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(1), pages 1-23, January.
    10. Robert Novy-Marx & Mihail Velikov, 2016. "A Taxonomy of Anomalies and Their Trading Costs," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(1), pages 104-147.
    11. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 2015. "A five-factor asset pricing model," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 1-22.
    12. Kewei Hou & Chen Xue & Lu Zhang, 2020. "Replicating Anomalies," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(5), pages 2019-2133.
    13. Andrew Ang & Robert J. Hodrick & Yuhang Xing & Xiaoyan Zhang, 2006. "The Cross‐Section of Volatility and Expected Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(1), pages 259-299, February.
    14. 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.
    15. Frazzini, Andrea & Pedersen, Lasse Heje, 2014. "Betting against beta," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(1), pages 1-25.
    16. Bali, Turan G. & Cakici, Nusret & Whitelaw, Robert F., 2011. "Maxing out: Stocks as lotteries and the cross-section of expected returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 427-446, February.
    17. Alessandro Russo, 2016. "Low-risk equity investment – From theory to practice," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(4), pages 264-279, July.
    18. Michael J. Seiler & David M. Harrison & Pim Van Vliet & Kit Ching Yeung, 2005. "Return Characteristics of State‐Owned and Non‐State‐Owned Chinese A Shares," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 40(4), pages 533-548, November.
    19. Blitz, David & Vidojevic, Milan, 2017. "The profitability of low-volatility," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 33-42.
    20. Robert Novy-Marx, 2014. "Understanding Defensive Equity," NBER Working Papers 20591, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    21. Han, Xing & Li, Youwei, 2017. "Can investor sentiment be a momentum time-series predictor? Evidence from China," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 212-239.
    22. Nicholas Barberis & Ming Huang, 2008. "Stocks as Lotteries: The Implications of Probability Weighting for Security Prices," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(5), pages 2066-2100, December.
    23. Carhart, Mark M, 1997. "On Persistence in Mutual Fund Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(1), pages 57-82, March.
    24. Blitz, David & Pang, Juan & van Vliet, Pim, 2013. "The volatility effect in emerging markets," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 31-45.
    25. Chen, Xuanjuan & Kim, Kenneth A. & Yao, Tong & Yu, Tong, 2010. "On the predictability of Chinese stock returns," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 403-425, September.
    26. Fama, Eugene F & MacBeth, James D, 1973. "Risk, Return, and Equilibrium: Empirical Tests," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 607-636, May-June.
    27. Eugene F. Fama & Kenneth R. French, 2016. "Dissecting Anomalies with a Five-Factor Model," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(1), pages 69-103.
    28. Grace Xing Hu & Jun Pan & Jiang Wang, 2018. "Chinese Capital Market: An Empirical Overview," NBER Working Papers 24346, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    29. Narasimhan Jegadeesh & Sheridan Titman, 2001. "Profitability of Momentum Strategies: An Evaluation of Alternative Explanations," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(2), pages 699-720, April.
    30. Haugen, Robert A. & Heins, A. James, 1975. "Risk and the Rate of Return on Financial Assets: Some Old Wine in New Bottles," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(5), pages 775-784, December.
    31. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 2012. "Size, value, and momentum in international stock returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(3), pages 457-472.
    32. Jansen, Maarten & Swinkels, Laurens & Zhou, Weili, 2021. "Anomalies in the China A-share market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    33. Tan, Lin & Chiang, Thomas C. & Mason, Joseph R. & Nelling, Edward, 2008. "Herding behavior in Chinese stock markets: An examination of A and B shares," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 16(1-2), pages 61-77, January.
    34. Hilliard, Jitka & Zhang, Haoran, 2015. "Size and price-to-book effects: Evidence from the Chinese stock markets," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 40-55.
    35. Bali, Turan G. & Brown, Stephen J. & Murray, Scott & Tang, Yi, 2017. "A Lottery-Demand-Based Explanation of the Beta Anomaly," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 52(6), pages 2369-2397, December.
    36. Huaigang Long & Adam Zaremba & Yuexiang Jiang, 2019. "Beware of the crash risk: Tail beta and the cross-section of stock returns in China," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(44), pages 4870-4881, September.
    37. Malcolm Baker & Jeffrey Wurgler, 2012. "Comovement and Predictability Relationships Between Bonds and the Cross-section of Stocks," The Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 2(1), pages 57-87.
    38. Guo, Bin & Zhang, Wei & Zhang, Yongjie & Zhang, Han, 2017. "The five-factor asset pricing model tests for the Chinese stock market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 84-106.
    39. Jegadeesh, Narasimhan & Titman, Sheridan, 1993. "Returns to Buying Winners and Selling Losers: Implications for Stock Market Efficiency," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 48(1), pages 65-91, March.
    40. Kie Wong & Ruth Tan & Wei Liu, 2006. "The Cross-Section of Stock Returns on The Shanghai Stock Exchange," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 23-39, February.
    41. Blitz, D.C. & van Vliet, P., 2007. "The Volatility Effect: Lower Risk without Lower Return," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2007-044-F&A, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    42. Han, Xing & Li, Kai & Li, Youwei, 2020. "Investor overconfidence and the security market line: New evidence from China," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    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. Jansen, Maarten & Swinkels, Laurens & Zhou, Weili, 2021. "Anomalies in the China A-share market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Ke Zhang, 2023. "Construct sparse portfolio with mutual fund's favourite stocks in China A share market," Papers 2305.01642, arXiv.org.
    3. Hanauer, Matthias X. & Jansen, Maarten & Swinkels, Laurens & Zhou, Weili, 2024. "Factor models for Chinese A-shares," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. Li, Jiaqi & Ahn, Hee-Joon, 2024. "Sensitivity of Chinese stock markets to individual investor sentiment: An analysis of Sina Weibo mood related to COVID-19," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    5. Tsafack, Georges & Becker, Ying & Han, Ki, 2023. "Earnings announcement premium and return volatility: Is it consistent with risk-return trade-off?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    6. Foye, James, 2024. "What Determines Equity Returns in Emerging Markets?," CAFE Working Papers 29, Centre for Accountancy, Finance and Economics (CAFE), Birmingham City Business School, Birmingham City University.

    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. Adam Zaremba & Jacob Koby Shemer, 2018. "Price-Based Investment Strategies," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-319-91530-2, December.
    2. Han, Xing & Li, Kai & Li, Youwei, 2020. "Investor overconfidence and the security market line: New evidence from China," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    3. Jansen, Maarten & Swinkels, Laurens & Zhou, Weili, 2021. "Anomalies in the China A-share market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    4. Stephen A. Gorman & Frank J. Fabozzi, 2021. "The ABC’s of the alternative risk premium: academic roots," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(6), pages 405-436, October.
    5. Bradrania, Reza & Veron, Jose Francisco & Wu, Winston, 2023. "The beta anomaly and the quality effect in international stock markets," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    6. Cakici, Nusret & Zaremba, Adam, 2022. "Salience theory and the cross-section of stock returns: International and further evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 689-725.
    7. Frömmel, Michael & Han, Xing & Li, Youwei & Vigne, Samuel A., 2022. "Low liquidity beta anomaly in China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    8. Blitz, David & Vidojevic, Milan, 2017. "The profitability of low-volatility," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 33-42.
    9. Köstlmeier, Siegfried, 2024. "Pricing and mispricing of accounting fundamentals: Global evidence," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 71-87.
    10. Cakici, Nusret & Zaremba, Adam, 2023. "Recency bias and the cross-section of international stock returns," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    11. Joshua Traut, 2023. "What we know about the low-risk anomaly: a literature review," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 37(3), pages 297-324, September.
    12. Andreas Oehler & Julian Schneider, 2022. "Gambling with lottery stocks?," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 23(6), pages 477-503, October.
    13. Ciciretti, Rocco & Dalò, Ambrogio & Dam, Lammertjan, 2023. "The contributions of betas versus characteristics to the ESG premium," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 104-124.
    14. Ruanmin Cao & Lajos Horváth & Zhenya Liu & Yuqian Zhao, 2020. "A study of data-driven momentum and disposition effects in the Chinese stock market by functional data analysis," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 335-358, January.
    15. Poon, Percy & Yao, Tong & Zhang, Andrew (Jianzhong), 2022. "The alphas of beta and idiosyncratic volatility," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    16. Chiah, Mardy & Long, Huaigang & Zaremba, Adam & Umar, Zaghum, 2023. "Trade competitiveness and the aggregate returns in global stock markets," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    17. 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.
    18. Sun, Kaisi & Wang, Hui & Zhu, Yifeng, 2023. "Salience theory in price and trading volume: Evidence from China," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 38-61.
    19. DeMiguel, Victor & Martin-Utrera, Alberto & Nogales, Francisco J. & Uppal, Raman, 2017. "A Portfolio Perspective on the Multitude of Firm Characteristics," CEPR Discussion Papers 12417, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    20. Shiyang Huang & Xin Liu & Dong Lou & Christopher Polk, 2024. "The Booms and Busts of Beta Arbitrage," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 70(8), pages 5367-5385, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    China A shares; Low risk; Low volatility; Low beta; Minimum variance; Anomaly; Value; Size; Momentum; Profitability; Investments; Smart beta; Low-volatility investing;
    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
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading

    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:pal:assmgt:v:22:y:2021:i:5:d:10.1057_s41260-021-00218-0. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    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.