Testing the Multivariate Normality of Australian Stock Returns

The multivariate normality of stock returns is a crucial assumption in many tests of assets pricing models. While past Australian research has examined the univariate normality of returns, univariate test statistics are unreliable for testing multivariate normality since they ignore the contemporaneous correlation between asset returns. This paper utilises a multivariate test procedure, based on the generalised method of moments, to test whether residuals from market model regressions are multivariate normal. The results suggest violations of the multivariate normality assumption which cast doubt over the validity over inferential procedures commonly used in the extant empirical literature.