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Risk aversion vs. intertemporal substitution: identification failure in the intertemporal consumption CAPM

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Abstract

Is the risk aversion parameter in the simple intertemporal consumption CAPM ?small? as in Hansen and Singleton (1982,1983), or is it that its reciprocal, the intertemporal elasticity of substitution, is small, as in Hall (1988)? This paper attributes the disparate estimates of this fundamental parameter not only to failures of instrument admissibility as do Hall (1988) and Hansen-Singleton (1996), but rather to failures of instrument relevance. That is, the disparate estimates reflect near nonidentification due to the unpredictability of asset returns and consumption growth. One natural identifying restriction from the risk aversion perspective leads to estimates that are low and stable over both time and model specifications. An equally natural identifying restriction from the intertemporal substitution perspective leads to estimates of the reciprocal that are also low and stable.

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  • Christopher J. Neely & Amlan Roy & Charles H. Whiteman, 1999. "Risk aversion vs. intertemporal substitution: identification failure in the intertemporal consumption CAPM," Working Papers 1995-002, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedlwp:1995-002
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    1. Prescott, Edward C., 1986. "Theory ahead of business-cycle measurement," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 11-44, January.
    2. Hansen, Lars Peter & Singleton, Kenneth J, 1983. "Stochastic Consumption, Risk Aversion, and the Temporal Behavior of Asset Returns," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 91(2), pages 249-265, April.
    3. Douglas T. Breeden & Michael R Gibbons & Robert H. Litzenberger, "undated". "Empirical Tests of the Consumption-Oriented CAPM," Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research Working Papers 07-89, Wharton School Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research.
    4. Ferson, Wayne E. & Constantinides, George M., 1991. "Habit persistence and durability in aggregate consumption: Empirical tests," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 199-240, October.
    5. Braun, Phillip A. & Constantinides, George M. & Ferson, Wayne E., 1993. "Time nonseparability in aggregate consumption : International evidence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 897-920, June.
    6. Hansen, Lars Peter & Singleton, Kenneth J, 1996. "Efficient Estimation of Linear Asset-Pricing Models with Moving Average Errors," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 14(1), pages 53-68, January.
    7. Heaton, John & Lucas, Deborah J, 1996. "Evaluating the Effects of Incomplete Markets on Risk Sharing and Asset Pricing," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(3), pages 443-487, June.
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    10. A. Roy, 1995. "The Role of Temporal Aggregation in Asset Pricing Tests," Working Papers 340, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael Nwogugu, 2020. "Regret Theory And Asset Pricing Anomalies In Incomplete Markets With Dynamic Un-Aggregated Preferences," Papers 2005.01709, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    capital asset pricing model; Consumption (Economics);

    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • C8 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs
    • E2 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates

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