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Using Stocks or Portfolios in Tests of Factor Models

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  • Ang, Andrew
  • Liu, Jun
  • Schwarz, Krista

Abstract

We examine the efficiency of using individual stocks or portfolios as base assets to test asset pricing models using cross-sectional data. The literature has argued that creating portfolios reduces idiosyncratic volatility and allows more precise estimates of factor loadings, and consequently risk premia. We show analytically and empirically that smaller standard errors of portfolio beta estimates do not lead to smaller standard errors of cross-sectional coefficient estimates. Factor risk premia standard errors are determined by the cross-sectional distributions of factor loadings and residual risk. Portfolios destroy information by shrinking the dispersion of betas, leading to larger standard errors.

Suggested Citation

  • Ang, Andrew & Liu, Jun & Schwarz, Krista, 2020. "Using Stocks or Portfolios in Tests of Factor Models," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 55(3), pages 709-750, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:jfinqa:v:55:y:2020:i:3:p:709-750_1
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. M. Hashem Pesaran & Ron P. Smith, 2021. "Factor Strengths, Pricing Errors, and Estimation of Risk Premia," CESifo Working Paper Series 8947, CESifo.
    2. Marcial Messmer & Francesco Audrino, 2022. "The Lasso and the Factor Zoo-Predicting Expected Returns in the Cross-Section," Forecasting, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-35, November.
    3. Ai, Hengjie & Han, Leyla Jianyu & Pan, Xuhui Nick & Xu, Lai, 2022. "The cross section of the monetary policy announcement premium," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 247-276.
    4. Matias D. Cattaneo & Richard K. Crump & Weining Wang, 2022. "Beta-Sorted Portfolios," Papers 2208.10974, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2023.
    5. Pesaran, M. Hashem & Smith, Ron P., 2023. "Arbitrage pricing theory, the stochastic discount factor and estimation of risk premia from portfolios," Econometrics and Statistics, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 17-30.
    6. Hollstein, Fabian & Prokopczuk, Marcel & Wese Simen, Chardin, 2020. "Beta uncertainty," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    7. José Luis Montiel Olea & Pietro Ortoleva & Mallesh Pai & Andrea Prat, 2021. "Competing Models," Working Papers 2021-89, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    8. Hollstein, Fabian & Prokopczuk, Marcel, 2022. "Testing Factor Models in the Cross-Section," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    9. Schlag, Christian & Semenischev, Michael & Thimme, Julian, 2020. "Predictability and the cross-section of expected returns: A challenge for asset pricing models," SAFE Working Paper Series 289, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    10. Dovonon, Prosper & Taamouti, Abderrahim & Williams, Julian, 2022. "Testing the eigenvalue structure of spot and integrated covariance," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 229(2), pages 363-395.
    11. Jiaqi Guo & Peng Li & Youwei Li, 2022. "What Can Explain Momentum? Evidence from Decomposition," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(8), pages 6184-6218, August.
    12. Guillaume Coqueret, 2023. "Forking paths in financial economics," Papers 2401.08606, arXiv.org.
    13. Christian Schlag & Michael Semenischev & Julian Thimme, 2021. "Predictability and the Cross-Section of Expected Returns: A Challenge for Asset Pricing Models," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(12), pages 7932-7950, December.
    14. M. Hashem Pesaran & Run Smith, 2021. "Arbitrage pricing theory, the stochastic discount factor and estimation of risk premia in portfolios," BCAM Working Papers 2108, Birkbeck Centre for Applied Macroeconomics.
    15. Ahmed, Shamim & Bu, Ziwen & Symeonidis, Lazaros & Tsvetanov, Daniel, 2023. "Which factor model? A systematic return covariation perspective," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    16. Chaieb, Ines & Langlois, Hugues & Scaillet, Olivier, 2021. "Factors and risk premia in individual international stock returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 669-692.
    17. Jozef Barunik & Michael Ellington, 2020. "Dynamic Network Risk," Papers 2006.04639, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2020.
    18. Milot Hasaj & Bernd Scherer, 2021. "Covid-19 and smart beta," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 35(4), pages 515-532, December.
    19. Ai He & Guofu Zhou, 2023. "Diagnostics for asset pricing models," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 52(4), pages 617-642, December.
    20. Barroso, Pedro & Boons, Martijn & Karehnke, Paul, 2021. "Time-varying state variable risk premia in the ICAPM," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(2), pages 428-451.

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