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Inflexibility and Stock Returns

Author

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  • Hackbarth, Dirk
  • Gu, Lifeng
  • Johnson, Timothy

Abstract

Investment-based asset pricing research highlights the role of irreversibility as a determinant of firms’ risk and expected return. In a neoclassical model of a firm with costly scale adjustment options, we show that the effect of scale flexibility (i.e., contraction and expansion options) is to determine the relation between risk and operating leverage: risk increases with operating leverage for inflexible firms, but decreases for flexible firms. Guided by theory, we construct easily reproducible proxies for inflexibility and operating leverage. Empirical tests provide support for the predicted interaction of these characteristics in stock returns and risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Hackbarth, Dirk & Gu, Lifeng & Johnson, Timothy, 2017. "Inflexibility and Stock Returns," CEPR Discussion Papers 12441, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:12441
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    Cited by:

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    4. Ozdagli, Ali & Velikov, Mihail, 2020. "Show me the money: The monetary policy risk premium," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(2), pages 320-339.
    5. Ho, Tuan & Kim, Kirak & Li, Yang & Xu, Fangming, 2023. "Does real flexibility help firms navigate the COVID-19 pandemic?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    6. Ge, Jianjun & Li, Donghui & Ni, Yingzhao & Yang, Shijie, 2022. "Inflexibility and corporate innovation: Cross-country evidence," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    7. El Ghoul, Sadok & Fu, Zhengwei & Guedhami, Omrane & Saadi, Samir, 2023. "Firm inflexibility and the implied cost of equity," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    8. Theissen, Erik & Zimmermann, Lukas, 2020. "Do contented customers make shareholders wealthy? Implications of intangibles for security pricing," CFR Working Papers 20-12, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR).
    9. Cook, Douglas O. & Via, M. Tony, 2023. "Organizational capital and firm risk – Testing the outside option," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    10. Roi D. Taussig, 2024. "Operating Cost Flexibility and Implications for Stock Returns," Risks, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-7, October.
    11. Nuno Silva & Pedro Dias Moreira & Sónia Félix, 2021. "On the measurement of Portuguese firms’ fixed operating costs," Economic Bulletin and Financial Stability Report Articles and Banco de Portugal Economic Studies, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    12. Cook, Douglas O. & Kieschnick, Robert & Moussawi, Rabih, 2019. "Operating leases, operating leverage, operational inflexibility and sticky costs," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    13. Zhang, Zhou, 2023. "Competition, investment reversibility, and equity risk premium," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    14. Friedrich, Benjamin U. & Zator, Michał, 2023. "Flexibility costs of debt: Danish exporters during the cartoon crisis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(2), pages 91-117.
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    16. Shu, Wenjun & Fan, Di, 2024. "How do firms perceive and react to extreme weather risk in their supply bases?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    17. Po‐Hsuan Hsu & Kai Li & Chi‐Yang Tsou, 2023. "The Pollution Premium," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 78(3), pages 1343-1392, June.
    18. Keloharju, Matti & Linnainmaa, Juhani T. & Nyberg, Peter, 2021. "Long-term discount rates do not vary across firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(3), pages 946-967.
    19. Liu, Hao & Yi, Xingjian & Yin, Libo, 2021. "The impact of operating flexibility on firms’ performance during the COVID-19 outbreak: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
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    22. Chen, Jia & Yi, Xingjian & Liu, Hao, 2024. "Asset redeployability and firm value amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: A real options perspective," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Operating flexibility; Real options; Risk premia; Stock returns;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D92 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Intertemporal Firm Choice, Investment, Capacity, and Financing
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies

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