A decision-theoretic model of asset-price underreaction and overreaction to dividend news
Abstract
We combine new developments in decision theory with a standard consumption-based asset-pricing framework. In our model the efficient market hypothesis is violated if and only if agents' beliefs express ambiguity about the stochastic process driving economic fundamentals. Asset price fluctuations result because agents with ambiguous beliefs are prone to a confirmatory bias in the interpretation of new information. We demonstrate that our approach gives rise to price-patterns of "underreaction" and "overreaction" to news about dividend payments. Although these empirical phenomena have received significant attention in the behavioral finance literature, we argue that our decision-theoretic underpinning of psychological attitudes has a less ad hoc flavor than existing approaches.Download Info
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Paper provided by University of Pretoria, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers with number 201223.Length: 49 pages
Date of creation: Jun 2012
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:pre:wpaper:201223
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Keywords: Choquet Expected Utility Theory; Portfolio Choice; Asset Pricing Puzzles;Other versions of this item:
- Alexander Ludwig & Alexander Zimper, 2012. "A decision-theoretic model of asset-price underreaction and overreaction to dividend news," Working Papers 296, Economic Research Southern Africa.
- C62 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Existence and Stability Conditions of Equilibrium
- D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
- G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
- G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2012-07-14 (All new papers)
- NEP-FMK-2012-07-14 (Financial Markets)
- NEP-NEU-2012-07-14 (Neuroeconomics)
- NEP-UPT-2012-07-14 (Utility Models & Prospect Theory)
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