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Learning about Risk and Return: A Simple Model of Bubbles and Crashes

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  • Branch, William A.
  • Evans, George W.

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that an asset pricing model with least-squares learning can lead to bubbles and crashes as endogenous responses to the fundamentals driving asset prices. When agents are risk-averse they need to make forecasts of the conditional variance of a stock’s return. Recursive updating of both the conditional variance and the expected return implies several mechanisms through which learning impacts stock prices. Extended periods of excess volatility, bubbles and crashes arise with a frequency that depends on the extent to which past data is discounted. A central role is played by changes over time in agents’ estimates of risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Branch, William A. & Evans, George W., 2010. "Learning about Risk and Return: A Simple Model of Bubbles and Crashes," SIRE Discussion Papers 2010-33, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    • Handle: RePEc:edn:sirdps:165
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Risk; Asset Pricing; Bubbles; Adaptive Learning;
    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
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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