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Real Options, Idiosyncratic Skewness, and Diversification

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  • Del Viva, Luca
  • Kasanen, Eero
  • Trigeorgis, Lenos

Abstract

We show how firm-level real options lead to idiosyncratic skewness in stock returns. We then document empirically that growth option variables are positive and significant determinants of idiosyncratic skewness. The real option impact on skewness is more significant in firms with lottery-type features, small size, high volatility, distressed, low return on assets, and low book-to-market ratio. We also find that expectation on idiosyncratic skewness is associated with lower Sharpe ratios. This suggests investors are willing to sacrifice mean-variance portfolio efficiency for greater skewness deriving from real options. Furthermore, financial flexibility has a positive incremental effect, enhancing the beneficial role of asset flexibility on idiosyncratic skewness.

Suggested Citation

  • Del Viva, Luca & Kasanen, Eero & Trigeorgis, Lenos, 2017. "Real Options, Idiosyncratic Skewness, and Diversification," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 52(1), pages 215-241, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jfinqa:v:52:y:2017:i:01:p:215-241_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Easterwood, John C. & Paye, Bradley S. & Xie, Yutong, 2021. "Firm uncertainty and corporate policies: The role of stock return skewness," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    2. Matthias Breuer & David Windisch, 2019. "Investment Dynamics and Earnings‐Return Properties: A Structural Approach," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(3), pages 639-674, June.
    3. Ho, Tuan & Kim, Kirak & Li, Yang & Xu, Fangming, 2023. "Can Real Options Explain the Skewness of Stock Returns?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    4. Murad Antia & Christos Pantzalis & Jung Chul Park, 2021. "Does CEO myopia impede growth opportunities?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1503-1535, May.
    5. Andrea Gamba & Alessio Saretto, 2022. "Endogenous Option Pricing," Working Papers 2202, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    6. Cui, Xiangyu & Guan, Zheng, 2022. "On the pricing of expected idiosyncratic skewness," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    7. 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).
    8. Cookson, J. Anthony, 2018. "When saving is gambling," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(1), pages 24-45.
    9. Panayiotis Theodossiou & Dimitris Tsouknidis & Christos Savva, 2020. "Freight rates in downside and upside markets: pricing of own and spillover risks from other shipping segments," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 183(3), pages 1097-1119, June.
    10. Luca Del Viva & S. P. Kothari & Neophytos Lambertides & Lenos Trigeorgis, 2021. "Asymmetric Returns and the Economic Content of Accruals and Investment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(6), pages 3921-3942, June.
    11. Del Viva, Luca & Kasanen, Eero & Saunders, Anthony & Trigeorgis, Lenos, 2021. "US government TARP bailout and bank lottery behavior," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    12. Bressan, Silvia & Weissensteiner, Alex, 2021. "The financial conglomerate discount: Insights from stock return skewness," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    13. Agnes Cheng, C.S. & Xie, Jing & Zhong, Yuxiang, 2023. "Common institutional blockholders and tail risk," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    14. Andrés, Pablo de & Fuente, Gabriel de la & Velasco, Pilar, 2021. "Exercising a firm’s growth options: A portfolio approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 571-585.
    15. Fuente, Gabriel de la & Velasco, Pilar, 2020. "Capital structure and corporate diversification: Is debt a panacea for the diversification discount?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    16. Yin, Libo & Lu, Man, 2022. "Oil uncertainty and firms' risk-taking," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    17. Lin, Mei-Chen, 2023. "Analyst coverage and the idiosyncratic skewness effect in the Taiwan stock market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    18. Ayadi, Mohamed A. & Cao, Xu & Lazrak, Skander & Wang, Yan, 2019. "Do idiosyncratic skewness and kurtosis really matter?," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).

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