IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/pacfin/v91y2025ics0927538x24003147.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Which factors in China? A pre-registered report

Author

Listed:
  • Gharghori, Philip
  • Nguyen, Annette

Abstract

We evaluate the ability of the asset pricing models of Liu, Stambaugh and Yuan (2019) and Fama and French (2018) to price Chinese stocks. Our model comparisons are conducted using spanning tests following Barillas and Shanken (2017) and maximum squared Sharpe ratios following Barillas, Kan, Robotti and Shanken (2020). We will first examine the models of Liu et al. (2019) and Fama and French (2018) in isolation. Next, we will conduct horse race tests between the models. The superior model will be determined based on spanning regressions and a comparison of the maximum squared Sharpe ratios derived from the model's factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Gharghori, Philip & Nguyen, Annette, 2025. "Which factors in China? A pre-registered report," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:pacfin:v:91:y:2025:i:c:s0927538x24003147
    DOI: 10.1016/j.pacfin.2024.102562
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927538X24003147
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.pacfin.2024.102562?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. Andy C W Chui & Avanidhar Subrahmanyam & Sheridan Titman, 2022. "Momentum, Reversals, and Investor Clientele [Illiquidity and stock returns: Cross-section and time-series effects]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(2), pages 217-255.
    2. 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.
    3. Leippold, Markus & Wang, Qian & Zhou, Wenyu, 2022. "Machine learning in the Chinese stock market," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(2), pages 64-82.
    4. Baker, Malcolm & Stein, Jeremy C., 2004. "Market liquidity as a sentiment indicator," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 271-299, June.
    5. Barillas, Francisco & Kan, Raymond & Robotti, Cesare & Shanken, Jay, 2020. "Model Comparison with Sharpe Ratios," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 55(6), pages 1840-1874, September.
    6. Francisco Barillas & Jay Shanken, 2018. "Comparing Asset Pricing Models," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 73(2), pages 715-754, April.
    7. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 2012. "Size, value, and momentum in international stock returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(3), pages 457-472.
    8. Dickerson, Alexander & Mueller, Philippe & Robotti, Cesare, 2023. "Priced risk in corporate bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(2).
    9. Guo, Bin & Zhang, Wei & Zhang, Yongjie & Zhang, Han, 2017. "The five-factor asset pricing model tests for the Chinese stock market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 84-106.
    10. Andy C.W. Chui & Sheridan Titman & K.C. John Wei, 2010. "Individualism and Momentum around the World," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(1), pages 361-392, February.
    11. 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.
    12. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 2015. "A five-factor asset pricing model," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 1-22.
    13. Liu, Jianan & Stambaugh, Robert F. & Yuan, Yu, 2019. "Size and value in China," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(1), pages 48-69.
    14. Gibbons, Michael R & Ross, Stephen A & Shanken, Jay, 1989. "A Test of the Efficiency of a Given Portfolio," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 57(5), pages 1121-1152, September.
    15. 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.
    16. Fama, Eugene F & French, Kenneth R, 1996. "Multifactor Explanations of Asset Pricing Anomalies," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(1), pages 55-84, March.
    17. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1997. "Industry costs of equity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 153-193, February.
    18. Carhart, Mark M, 1997. "On Persistence in Mutual Fund Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(1), pages 57-82, March.
    19. Hilliard, Jitka & Zhang, Haoran, 2015. "Size and price-to-book effects: Evidence from the Chinese stock markets," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 40-55.
    20. 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.
    21. Merton, Robert C, 1973. "An Intertemporal Capital Asset Pricing Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 41(5), pages 867-887, September.
    22. Fenghua Wang & Yexiao Xu, 2004. "What Determines Chinese Stock Returns?," Financial Analysts Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(6), pages 65-77, November.
    23. 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.
    24. Grace Xing Hu & Can Chen & Yuan Shao & Jiang Wang, 2019. "Fama–French in China: Size and Value Factors in Chinese Stock Returns," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 19(1), pages 3-44, March.
    25. Kewei Hou & Haitao Mo & Chen Xue & Lu Zhang, 2021. "An Augmented q-Factor Model with Expected Growth [Abnormal returns to a fundamental analysis strategy]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 25(1), pages 1-41.
    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. Hanauer, Matthias X. & Jansen, Maarten & Swinkels, Laurens & Zhou, Weili, 2024. "Factor models for Chinese A-shares," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Huber, Daniel & Jacobs, Heiko & Müller, Sebastian & Preissler, Fabian, 2023. "International factor models," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    3. Hollstein, Fabian, 2022. "The world of anomalies: Smaller than we think?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    4. 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).
    5. Wang, Shaoping & Yu, Lu & Zhao, Qing, 2021. "Do factor models explain stock returns when prices behave explosively? Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    6. 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).
    7. Azevedo, Vitor & Müller, Sebastian, 2024. "Analyst recommendations and mispricing across the globe," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    8. 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.
    9. 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).
    10. Assoe, Kodjovi & Attig, Najah & Sy, Oumar, 2024. "The battle of factors," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    11. Dong, Dayong & Wu, Keke & Fang, Jianchun & Gozgor, Giray & Yan, Cheng, 2022. "Investor attention factors and stock returns: Evidence from China," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    12. Chen, Jiun-Lin & Glabadanidis, Paskalis & Sun, Mingwei, 2022. "The five-factor asset pricing model, short-term reversal, and ownership structure – the case of China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    13. Wang, Jinzhe & Zhu, Yifeng, 2024. "A comparison of factor models in China," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. Budras, Oliver & Dierkes, Maik & Sckade, Florian, 2025. "Localized risk factors: Performance differentials between state-level and US factor models," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    15. Sha, Yezhou & Gao, Ran, 2019. "Which is the best: A comparison of asset pricing factor models in Chinese mutual fund industry," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 8-16.
    16. Mbengue, Mohamed Lamine & Ndiaye, Bara & Sy, Oumar, 2023. "Which factors explain African stock returns?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    17. 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.
    18. Cong, Lin William & George, Nathan Darden & Wang, Guojun, 2023. "RIM-based value premium and factor pricing using value-price divergence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    19. Lin, Qi, 2022. "Understanding idiosyncratic momentum in the Chinese stock market," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    20. Hansen, Erwin, 2022. "Economic evaluation of asset pricing models under predictability," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 50-66.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

    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:pacfin:v:91:y:2025:i:c:s0927538x24003147. 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/pacfin .

    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.