We discuss the impact of different formulations of asset pricing models on the outcome of specification tests that are performed using excess returns. It is generally believed that when only excess returns are used for testing asset pricing models, the mean of the stochastic discount factor...

We present a new finding that the return autocorrelation of underlying stock is an important determinant of expected equity option returns. Using an extended Black-Scholes model incorporating the presence of stock return autocorrelation, we show that expected returns of both call and put options...

Sectoral labor reallocation shocks change the optimal allocation of workers across industries. We find that a proxy for this type of labor market shocks has very strong and robust predictive power for future stock market returns. In predictive regressions, the one-year out-of-sample R2 is as...

Using a comprehensive data set and an array of 27 macroeconomic, stock and bond predictors, we find that corporate bond returns are highly predictable based on an iterated combination model. The large set of predictors outperforms traditional predictors substantially, and predictability...

We analyze the daily predictability of investor sentiment across four major asset classes and compare sentiment measures based on news and social media with those based on trade information. For the majority of assets, trade-based sentiment measures outperform their text-based equivalents for...

We investigate whether firm fundamentals can explain the shape of option implied volatility (IV)curve. Extending Geske's (1977) compound option model, we link firm fundamentals to the IV curvetheoretically. Using options on all available US-listed companies, we find empirically that...