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Inflexibility and Stock Returns

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Listed:
  • Lifeng Gu
  • Dirk Hackbarth
  • Tim Johnson

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. Received October 28, 2015; editorial decision May 1, 2017 by Editor Andrew Karolyi.

Suggested Citation

  • Lifeng Gu & Dirk Hackbarth & Tim Johnson, 2018. "Inflexibility and Stock Returns," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(1), pages 278-321.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:rfinst:v:31:y:2018:i:1:p:278-321.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/rfs/hhx092
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. 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).
    3. 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).
    4. 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).
    5. 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).
    6. 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).
    7. Cook, Douglas O. & Via, M. Tony, 2023. "Organizational capital and firm risk – Testing the outside option," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    8. 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.
    9. Zhang, Zhou, 2023. "Competition, investment reversibility, and equity risk premium," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    10. 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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