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Low-cost momentum strategies

Author

Listed:
  • Xiafei Li
  • Chris Brooks

    (Chris Brooks, ICMA Centre, University of Reading)

  • Joëlle Miffre

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of trading costs on the profitability of momentum strategies in the United Kingdom and concludes that losers are more expensive to trade than winners. The observed asymmetry in the costs of trading winners and losers crucially relates to the high cost of selling loser stocks with small size and low trading volume. Since transaction costs severely impact net momentum profits, the paper defines a new low-cost relative-strength strategy by shortlisting from all winner and loser stocks those with the lowest total transaction costs. While the study severely questions the profitability of standard momentum strategies, it concludes that there is still room for momentum-based return enhancement, should asset managers decide to adopt low-cost relative-strength strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiafei Li & Chris Brooks & Joëlle Miffre, 2009. "Low-cost momentum strategies," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(6), pages 366-379, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:assmgt:v:9:y:2009:i:6:d:10.1057_jam.2008.28
    DOI: 10.1057/jam.2008.28
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiafei Li & Chris Brooks & Joelle Miffre, 2009. "Transaction Costs, Trading Volume and Momentum Strategies," ICMA Centre Discussion Papers in Finance icma-dp2009-04, Henley Business School, University of Reading.
    2. Antonios Siganos, 2010. "Can small investors exploit the momentum effect?," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 24(2), pages 171-192, June.
    3. Antonios Siganos, 2012. "Can retail investors exploit stock market anomalies?," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(7), pages 537-547, April.
    4. Kwaku Opong & Antonios Siganos, 2013. "Compositional changes in the FTSE100 index from the standpoint of an arbitrageur," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 14(2), pages 120-132, April.
    5. Manuel Ammann & Marcel Moellenbeck & Markus M Schmid, 2011. "Feasible momentum strategies in the US stock market," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(6), pages 362-374, February.
    6. Badreddine, Sina & Galariotis, Emilios C. & Holmes, Phil, 2012. "The relevance of information and trading costs in explaining momentum profits: Evidence from optioned and non-optioned stocks," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 589-608.
    7. Friedrich-Carl Franz & Tobias Regele, 2016. "Beating the DAX, MDAX, and SDAX: investment strategies in Germany," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 30(2), pages 161-204, May.
    8. Chen Su & Hanxiong Zhang & Kenbata Bangassa & Nathan Lael Joseph, 2019. "On the investment value of sell-side analyst recommendation revisions in the UK," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 257-293, July.
    9. John Cotter & Niall McGeever, 2018. "Are equity market anomalies disappearing? Evidence from the U.K," Working Papers 201804, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    10. Kuhns, Annemarie & Volpe, Richard, 2014. "Assessing the Impact of the Great Recession on Healthfulness of Food Purchase Choices," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170485, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    momentum profits; transaction costs; low-cost strategy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G19 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Other

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