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A New Predictor of Real Economic Activity: The S&P 500 Option Implied Risk Aversion

Author

Listed:
  • Sylvia Sarantopoulou-Chiourea

    (University of Piraeus)

  • George Skiadopoulos

    (Queen Mary University of London and University of Piraeus)

Abstract

We propose a new predictor of real economic activity (REA), namely the representative investor's implied relative risk aversion (IRRA) extracted from S&P 500 option prices. IRRA exploits the forward-looking information in option prices. It increases as risk averse investors enter the market, leading to a decrease in market risk premium thus predicting a REA improvement. In line with our hypothesis, IRRA predicts U.S. REA even when we control for well-known REA predictors. Results hold over both short and long horizons and regardless of the way we conduct inference. Moreover, IRRA forecasts REA out-of-sample over the 2008-2009 great economic recession peak.

Suggested Citation

  • Sylvia Sarantopoulou-Chiourea & George Skiadopoulos, 2015. "A New Predictor of Real Economic Activity: The S&P 500 Option Implied Risk Aversion," Working Papers 741, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    • Handle: RePEc:qmw:qmwecw:741
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Option prices; Risk aversion; Risk-neutral moments; Real Economic Activity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G13 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Contingent Pricing; Futures Pricing
    • G17 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Financial Forecasting and Simulation

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