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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. Lee, Yoonsoo & Mukoyama, Toshihiko, 2015. "Entry and exit of manufacturing plants over the business cycle," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 20-27.
    3. Francois Gourio, 2012. "Disaster Risk and Business Cycles," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(6), pages 2734-2766, October.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. Isaac Sorkin, 2015. "Are There Long-Run Effects of the Minimum Wage?," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 18(2), pages 306-333, April.
    8. Matthias Meier & Ariel Mecikovsky & Christian Bayer, 2014. "Dynamics of Factor Productivity Dispersions," 2014 Meeting Papers 719, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    9. John H. Cochrane, 2017. "Macro-Finance," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 21(3), pages 945-985.
    10. R. Førsund, Finn & Vislie, Jon, 2011. "From Macro Growth to Disaggregated Production Studies," Memorandum 22/2011, Oslo University, Department of Economics.

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