IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jimfin/v160y2026ics0261560625002013.html

Taming the global factor zoo

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Jian
  • Han, Yufeng
  • Tang, Guohao
  • Zhu, Yifeng

Abstract

This paper examines monthly returns from over 48,120 stocks across 36 countries/regions, employing an iterative two-step LASSO methodology to identify key factors in global markets. The result is a novel global factor model that incorporates factors such as market dynamics, profit growth, quality, momentum, investment, size, and debt issuance. This model outperforms existing approaches by providing a superior explanation of global asset pricing anomalies and achieving lower average pricing errors. A distinguishing feature of our model is its efficacy in explicating anomalies in local markets, diverging from traditional models that typically confine their scope to local market dynamics. Overall, this research highlights the potential of machine learning-based frameworks in developing a more comprehensive and robust global factor model for international asset pricing.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Jian & Han, Yufeng & Tang, Guohao & Zhu, Yifeng, 2026. "Taming the global factor zoo," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:160:y:2026:i:c:s0261560625002013
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2025.103466
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261560625002013
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jimonfin.2025.103466?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 2017. "International tests of a five-factor asset pricing model," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(3), pages 441-463.
    2. Piotroski, JD, 2000. "Value investing: The use of historical financial statement information to separate winners from losers," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38, pages 1-41.
    3. Novy-Marx, Robert, 2013. "The other side of value: The gross profitability premium," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 1-28.
    4. Kewei Hou & Chen Xue & Lu Zhang, 2015. "Editor's Choice Digesting Anomalies: An Investment Approach," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 28(3), pages 650-705.
    5. Guanhao Feng & Stefano Giglio & Dacheng Xiu, 2020. "Taming the Factor Zoo: A Test of New Factors," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(3), pages 1327-1370, June.
    6. Amihud, Yakov, 2002. "Illiquidity and stock returns: cross-section and time-series effects," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 31-56, January.
    7. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 2015. "A five-factor asset pricing model," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 1-22.
    8. Xi Dong & Yan Li & David E. Rapach & Guofu Zhou, 2022. "Anomalies and the Expected Market Return," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(1), pages 639-681, February.
    9. Kewei Hou & Chen Xue & Lu Zhang, 2020. "Replicating Anomalies," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(5), pages 2019-2133.
    10. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1993. "Common risk factors in the returns on stocks and bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 3-56, February.
    11. Lee, Kuan-Hui, 2011. "The world price of liquidity risk," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 136-161, January.
    12. Liu, Jianan & Stambaugh, Robert F. & Yuan, Yu, 2019. "Size and value in China," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(1), pages 48-69.
    13. Barberis, Nicholas & Thaler, Richard, 2003. "A survey of behavioral finance," Handbook of the Economics of Finance, in: G.M. Constantinides & M. Harris & R. M. Stulz (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Finance, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 18, pages 1053-1128, Elsevier.
    14. Evgeny Lyandres & Le Sun & Lu Zhang, 2008. "The New Issues Puzzle: Testing the Investment-Based Explanation," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 21(6), pages 2825-2855, November.
    15. Clifford S. Asness & Tobias J. Moskowitz & Lasse Heje Pedersen, 2013. "Value and Momentum Everywhere," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(3), pages 929-985, June.
    16. Hollstein, Fabian, 2022. "Local, Regional, or Global Asset Pricing?," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 57(1), pages 291-320, February.
    17. Kent Daniel & David Hirshleifer & Lin Sun, 2020. "Short- and Long-Horizon Behavioral Factors," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(4), pages 1673-1736.
    18. Geert Bekaert & Campbell R. Harvey & Christian Lundblad & Stephan Siegel, 2007. "Global Growth Opportunities and Market Integration," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(3), pages 1081-1137, June.
    19. Joachim Freyberger & Andreas Neuhierl & Michael Weber & Andrew KarolyiEditor, 2020. "Dissecting Characteristics Nonparametrically," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(5), pages 2326-2377.
    20. Fama, Eugene F, 1970. "Efficient Capital Markets: A Review of Theory and Empirical Work," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 25(2), pages 383-417, May.
    21. Baltussen, Guido & Swinkels, Laurens & Van Vliet, Pim, 2021. "Global factor premiums," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(3), pages 1128-1154.
    22. Lamont, Owen & Polk, Christopher & Saa-Requejo, Jesus, 2001. "Financial Constraints and Stock Returns," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 14(2), pages 529-554.
    23. Kewei Hou & G. Andrew Karolyi & Bong-Chan Kho, 2011. "What Factors Drive Global Stock Returns?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(8), pages 2527-2574.
    24. Bartram, Söhnke M. & Grinblatt, Mark, 2021. "Global market inefficiencies," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(1), pages 234-259.
    25. Karolyi, G. Andrew & Wu, Ying, 2018. "A New Partial-Segmentation Approach to Modeling International Stock Returns," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(2), pages 507-546, April.
    26. Avramov, Doron & Cheng, Si & Hameed, Allaudeen, 2016. "Time-Varying Liquidity and Momentum Profits," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 51(6), pages 1897-1923, December.
    27. Cooper, Ilan & Mitrache, Andreea & Priestley, Richard, 2022. "A Global Macroeconomic Risk Model for Value, Momentum, and Other Asset Classes," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 57(1), pages 1-30, February.
    28. Theis Ingerslev Jensen & Bryan Kelly & Lasse Heje Pedersen, 2023. "Is There a Replication Crisis in Finance?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 78(5), pages 2465-2518, October.
    29. 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.
    30. repec:bla:jfinan:v:53:y:1998:i:3:p:1131-1147 is not listed on IDEAS
    31. John M. Griffin, 2002. "Are the Fama and French Factors Global or Country Specific?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 15(3), pages 783-803.
    32. Kent Daniel & David Hirshleifer & Lin Sun, 2020. "Short- and Long-Horizon Behavioral Factors," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 33(4), pages 1673-1736.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fieberg, Christian & Liedtke, Gerrit & Zaremba, Adam & Cakici, Nusret, 2025. "A factor model for the cross-section of country equity risk premia," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    2. Hollstein, Fabian, 2022. "The world of anomalies: Smaller than we think?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    3. Cakici, Nusret & Zaremba, Adam, 2022. "Salience theory and the cross-section of stock returns: International and further evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 689-725.
    4. Cakici, Nusret & Fieberg, Christian & Metko, Daniel & Zaremba, Adam, 2025. "Factor momentum versus price momentum: Insights from international markets," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    5. Doron Avramov & Guy Kaplanski & Avanidhar Subrahmanyam, 2022. "Postfundamentals Price Drift in Capital Markets: A Regression Regularization Perspective," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(10), pages 7658-7681, October.
    6. Söhnke M. Bartram & Harald Lohre & Peter F. Pope & Ananthalakshmi Ranganathan, 2021. "Navigating the factor zoo around the world: an institutional investor perspective," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 91(5), pages 655-703, July.
    7. Lu Zhang, 2017. "The Investment CAPM," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 23(4), pages 545-603, September.
    8. Sadok El Ghoul & Omrane Guedhami & Sattar A. Mansi & Oumar Sy, 2023. "Event studies in international finance research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(2), pages 344-364, March.
    9. Xin Chen & Wei He & Libin Tao & Jianfeng Yu, 2023. "Attention and Underreaction-Related Anomalies," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(1), pages 636-659, January.
    10. Huber, Daniel & Jacobs, Heiko & Müller, Sebastian & Preissler, Fabian, 2023. "International factor models," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    11. Bryzgalova, Svetlana & Huang, Jiantao & Julliard, Christian, 2023. "Bayesian solutions for the factor zoo: we just ran two quadrillion models," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126151, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Azevedo, Vitor & Müller, Sebastian, 2024. "Analyst recommendations and mispricing across the globe," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    13. Long, Huaigang & Chiah, Mardy & Zaremba, Adam & Umar, Zaghum, 2024. "Changes in shares outstanding and country stock returns around the world," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    14. Long, Huaigang & Zaremba, Adam & Zhou, Wenyu & Bouri, Elie, 2022. "Macroeconomics matter: Leading economic indicators and the cross-section of global stock returns," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    15. Köstlmeier, Siegfried, 2024. "Pricing and mispricing of accounting fundamentals: Global evidence," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 71-87.
    16. Assoe, Kodjovi & Attig, Najah & Sy, Oumar, 2024. "The battle of factors," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    17. 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.
    18. Mbengue, Mohamed Lamine & Ndiaye, Bara & Sy, Oumar, 2023. "Which factors explain African stock returns?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    19. Meng, Qingbin & Qi, Ji & Wang, Solomon & Zhao, Xuankai, 2026. "Disciplining the factor zoo: Identifying pricing factors in the Chinese stock market," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    20. Adam Zaremba & Jacob Koby Shemer, 2018. "Price-Based Investment Strategies," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-319-91530-2, March.

    More about this item

    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

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:160:y:2026:i:c:s0261560625002013. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/30443 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.