The stochastic discount factor (SDF) method provides a unified general framework for econometric analysis of asset pricing models. It has recently been pointed out that the generality of the SDF method may come at the cost of estimation efficiency. We show that there is no need for this concern....

We provide an estimate of the value of a cure using the joint behavior of stock prices and a vaccine progress indicator during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Our indicator is based on the chronology of stage-by-stage progress of individual vaccines and related news. We construct a general...