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Media tone and expected stock returns

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  • Liu, Sha
  • Han, Jingguang

Abstract

We find that media tone reflects firm-level expected returns—firms with low-negative tone stories over a few months earn higher returns in the medium to long term than do firms with high-negative tone stories. The tone premium is driven by consistent outperformance of low-negative stocks, while high-negative stocks do not produce significant abnormal returns. The media tone effect is associated with some common risk factors, among which the size factor plays a consistent and most significant role. The tone effect also reflects differences in firms' idiosyncratic risk, and there is evidence that it is partially related to mispricing and limits to arbitrage.

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  • Liu, Sha & Han, Jingguang, 2020. "Media tone and expected stock returns," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:70:y:2020:i:c:s1057521920301666
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2020.101522
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Media tone; Expected returns; Risk; Mispricing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

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