An Empirical Investigation of Consumption-Based Asset Pricing Models with Stochastic Habit Formation

We econometrically estimate and test a consumption-based asset pricing model with stochastic internal habit. The model departs from existing deterministic internal habit models by introducing shocks to the coefficients in the distributed lag specification of consumption habit and consequently an additional shock to the marginal rate of substitution. Habit shocks are persistent and provide an additional source of time variation in expected returns. Using returns on aggregate market and Treasury bond portfolios, we show that stochastic internal habit models provide a better explanation of time variation in expected returns than models with either deterministic habit or stochastic external habit.