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Conditional Betas

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  • Tano Santos
  • Pietro Veronesi
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    Abstract

    Empirical evidence shows that conditional market betas vary substantially over time. Yet, little is known about the source of this variation, either theoretically or empirically. Within a general equilibrium model with multiple assets and a time varying aggregate equity premium, we show that conditional betas depend on (a) the level of the aggregate premium itself; (b) the level of the firm's expected dividend growth; and (c) the firm's fundamental risk, that is, the one pertaining to the covariation of the firm's cash-flows with the aggregate economy. Especially when fundamental risk (c) is strong, the model predicts that market betas should display a large time variation, that their cross-sectional dispersion should be negatively related to the aggregate premium, and that investments in physical capital should be positively related to changes in betas. These predictions find considerable support in the data.

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    Bibliographic Info

    Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 10413.

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    Date of creation: Apr 2004
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    Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:10413

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    Cited by:
    1. Mariano M. Croce & Martin Lettau & Sydney C. Ludvigson, 2007. "Investor Information, Long-Run Risk, and the Duration of Risky Cash-Flows," NBER Working Papers 12912, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Cosemans, M. & Frehen, R.G.P. & Schotman, P.C. & Bauer, R.M.M.J., 2009. "Efficient Estimation of Firm-Specific Betas and its Benefits for Asset Pricing Tests and Portfolio Choice," MPRA Paper 23557, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Lieven Baele & Koen Inghelbrecht, 2005. "Structural versus Temporary Drivers of Country and Industry Risk," International Finance 0511005, EconWPA.
    4. Ammann, Manuel & Kind, Axel & Seiz, Ralf, 2010. "What drives the performance of convertible-bond funds?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(11), pages 2600-2613, November.
    5. Lettau, Martin & Wachter, Jessica, 2005. "Why is Long-Horizon Equity Less Risky? A Duration-based Explanation of the Value Premium," CEPR Discussion Papers 4921, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Francesco FRANZONI & Tobias ADRIAN, . "Learning about Beta: Time-Varying Factor Loadings, Expected Returns,and the Conditional CAPM," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 08-36, Swiss Finance Institute.
    7. Londono Yarce, J.M., 2011. "Essays on asset pricing," Open Access publications from Tilburg University urn:nbn:nl:ui:12-5146522, Tilburg University.
    8. Carmine Trecroci, 2012. "Uncertainty and the Dynamics of Multifactor Loadings and Pricing Errors," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 32(3), pages 2453-2463.
    9. Baele, Lieven & Inghelbrecht, Koen, 2009. "Time-varying Integration and International diversification strategies," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 368-387, June.
    10. Tano Santos & Pietro Veronesi, 2005. "Cash-Flow Risk, Discount Risk, and the Value Premium," NBER Working Papers 11816, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Andrew Ang & Joseph Chen, 2005. "CAPM Over the Long Run: 1926-2001," NBER Working Papers 11903, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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