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The Accrual Anomaly: Risk or Mispricing?

Author Info

Listed author(s):
  • David Hirshleifer

    ()

    (Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697)

  • Kewei Hou

    ()

    (Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210)

  • Siew Hong Teoh

    ()

    (Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697)

Abstract

We document considerable return comovement associated with accruals after controlling for other common factors. An accrual-based factor-mimicking portfolio has a Sharpe ratio of 0.16, higher than that of the market factor or the SMB and HML factors of Fama and French. According to rational frictionless asset pricing models, the ability of accruals to predict returns should come from the loadings on this accrual factor-mimicking portfolio. However, our tests indicate that it is the accrual characteristic rather than the accrual factor loading that predicts returns. These findings suggest that investors misvalue the accrual characteristic and cast doubt on the rational risk explanation. This paper was accepted by Brad Barber, Teck Ho, and Terrance Odean, special issue editors.

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File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1100.1289
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Article provided by INFORMS in its journal Management Science.

Volume (Year): 58 (2012)
Issue (Month): 2 (February)
Pages: 320-335

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Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:58:y:2012:i:2:p:320-335
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Keywords: capital markets; accruals; market efficiency; behavioral finance; limited attention;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
  • 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
  • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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Cited by:

  1. Mohanram, Partha & Rajgopal, Shiva, 2009. "Is PIN priced risk?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 226-243, June.
  2. David Hirshleifer & Siew Hong Teoh & Jeff Jiewei Yu, 2011. "Short Arbitrage, Return Asymmetry, and the Accrual Anomaly," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(7), pages 2429-2461.
  3. David Hirshleife, 2015. "Behavioral Finance," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 7(1), pages 133-159, December.
  4. Martijn Cremers & Ankur Pareek, 2009. "Institutional Investors’ Investment Durations and Stock Return Anomalies: Momentum, Reversal, Accruals, Share Issuance and R&D Increases," Yale School of Management Working Papers amz2662, Yale School of Management, revised 04 Sep 2009.
  5. Lect. Aurora Murgea Ph. D, 2010. "Classical Lassical And Behavioural Finance In Investor Decision," Annals of University of Craiova - Economic Sciences Series, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 2(38), pages 1-12, May.
  6. Wu, Yuliang & Mazouz, Khelifa, 2016. "Long-term industry reversals," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 236-250.
  7. Bin Miao & Siew Hong Teoh & Zinan Zhu, 2016. "Limited attention, statement of cash flow disclosure, and the valuation of accruals," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 473-515, June.
  8. Hsien-Li Lee & Hua Lee, 2015. "Effect of information disclosure and transparency ranking system on mispricing of accruals of Taiwanese firms," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 445-471, April.
  9. Lin, Xiaoji & Zhang, Lu, 2013. "The investment manifesto," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 351-366.
  10. Xiaoji Lin & Lu Zhang, 2011. "Covariances versus Characteristics in General Equilibrium," NBER Working Papers 17285, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  11. Huang, Lin & Wang, Zijun, 2014. "Is the investment factor a proxy for time-varying investment opportunities? The US and international evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 219-232.
  12. Goto, Shingo & Xiao, Gang & Xu, Yan, 2015. "As told by the supplier: Trade credit and the cross section of stock returns," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 296-309.
  13. Javier Gómez Biscarri & Germán López Espinosa, 2008. "Fundamentals and the accruals puzzle," Faculty Working Papers 02/08, School of Economics and Business Administration, University of Navarra.
  14. Cooper, Ilan & Priestley, Richard, 2016. "The expected returns and valuations of private and public firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(1), pages 41-57.
  15. Hirshleifer, David & Teoh, Siew Hong & Yu, Jeff Jiewei, 2007. "Do short-sellers arbrtrage accrual-based return anomalies?," MPRA Paper 5510, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 27 Oct 2007.
  16. Richardson, Scott & Tuna, Irem & Wysocki, Peter, 2010. "Accounting anomalies and fundamental analysis: A review of recent research advances," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 410-454, December.
  17. Core, John E. & Guay, Wayne R. & Verdi, Rodrigo, 2008. "Is accruals quality a priced risk factor?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 2-22, September.
  18. Doukakis, Leonidas C. & Papanastasopoulos, Georgios A., 2014. "The accrual anomaly in the U.K. stock market: Implications of growth and accounting distortions," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 256-277.
  19. Simlai, Prodosh E., 2016. "Time-varying risk, mispricing attributes, and the accrual premium," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 150-161.
  20. Taylor, Daniel J. & Verrecchia, Robert E., 2015. "Delegated trade and the pricing of public and private information," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 8-32.
  21. Iqbal Hussain, Hafezali & Mohd Farid, Shamsudin & Noor H, Jabarullah, 2016. "Non Linear Speed of Adjustment to Lead Leverage Levels and the Timing Element in Equity Issues: Empirical Evidence from the UK," MPRA Paper 79261, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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