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The Conditional Pricing of Systematic and Idiosyncratic Risk in the UK Equity Market

Author

Listed:
  • John Cotter

    (UCD School of Business, University College Dublin)

  • Niall O'Sullivan

    (School of Economics and Centre for Investment Research, University College Cork)

  • Francesco Rossi

    (UCD School of Business, University College Dublin)

Abstract

We test whether firm idiosyncratic risk is priced in a large cross-section of U.K. stocks. A distinguishing feature of our paper is that our tests allow for a conditional relationship between systematic risk (beta) and returns in our tests, i.e., conditional on whether the excess market return is positive or negative. We find strong evidence in support of a conditional beta/return relationship which in turn reveals conditionality in the pricing of idiosyncratic risk. We find that idiosyncratic risk is significantly negatively priced in stock returns in down-markets. Although perhaps initially counter-intuitive, we describe the theoretical support for such a finding in the literature. Our results also reveal a strong role for liquidity, size and momentum factors in explaining the cross-section of U.K. stock returns.

Suggested Citation

  • John Cotter & Niall O'Sullivan & Francesco Rossi, 2014. "The Conditional Pricing of Systematic and Idiosyncratic Risk in the UK Equity Market," Working Papers 201403, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucd:wpaper:201403
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. M. Reza Bradrania & Maurice Peat & Stephen Satchell, 2022. "Liquidity Costs, Idiosyncratic Volatility and Expected Stock Returns," Papers 2211.04695, arXiv.org.
    2. Foran, Jason & Hutchinson, Mark C. & O'Sullivan, Niall, 2015. "Liquidity commonality and pricing in UK equities," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 281-293.
    3. French, Declan & Wu, Yuliang & Li, Youwei, 2016. "Identifying the relative importance of stock characteristics," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 80-91.
    4. Soliman, Alain & Le Saout, Erwan, 2024. "The impact of the war in Ukraine on the idiosyncratic risk and the market risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    5. Reza Bradrania, M. & Peat, Maurice & Satchell, Stephen, 2015. "Liquidity costs, idiosyncratic volatility and expected stock returns," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 394-406.
    6. John Cotter & Niall McGeever, 2018. "Are equity market anomalies disappearing? Evidence from the U.K," Working Papers 201804, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    7. Zalewska Justyna & Nehrebecka Natalia, 2019. "Liquidity and solvency of a company and the rate of return – an analysis of the Warsaw Stock Exchange," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 6(53), pages 199-220, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    asset pricing; idiosyncratic risk; turnover; conditional beta.;
    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

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