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Putty-clay technology and stock market volatility

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  • Gourio, François

Abstract

Firms' first-order conditions imply that stock returns equal investment returns from the production technology. Much applied work uses the adjustment cost technology, which implies that the realized return is high when the investment-capital ratio is high. This paper derives, for an arbitrary stochastic discount factor, the investment return implied by the putty-clay technology. The combination of capital heterogeneity and irreversibility creates a novel channel for return volatility. The investment return is high when the ratio of investment to gross job creation is low. Empirically, the putty-clay feature helps account for U.S. stock market data.

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  • Gourio, François, 2011. "Putty-clay technology and stock market volatility," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 117-131, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:moneco:v:58:y:2011:i:2:p:117-131
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    2. R. Førsund, Finn & Vislie, Jon, 2011. "From Macro Growth to Disaggregated Production Studies," Memorandum 22/2011, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    3. Calvet, Laurent E. & Betermier, Sebastien & Jo, Evan, 2019. "A Supply and Demand Approach to Equity Pricing," CEPR Discussion Papers 13974, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. John H. Cochrane, 2017. "Macro-Finance," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 21(3), pages 945-985.
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    6. Ishise, Hirokazu, 2016. "Capital heterogeneity as a source of comparative advantage: Putty-clay technology in a ricardian model," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 223-236.
    7. Bayer, Christian & Mecikovsky, Ariel & Meier, Matthias, 2018. "Misallocation: Markups and Technology," CEPR Discussion Papers 12727, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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    9. Martino Pelli & Jeanne Tschopp & Natalia Bezmaternykh & Kodjovi M Eklou, 2020. "In the Eye of the Storm: Firms, Putty-Clay and Capital Destruction," Diskussionsschriften dp2012, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
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