We analyze the cross-sectional relation between expected idiosyncratic volatility and stock returns. The expected idiosyncratic volatility is conditioned on macro-finance factors as well as traditional asset pricing factors. The macro-finance factors are constructed from a large set of...

This study re-examines the risk-return relation using a contemporaneous asset pricing model under various probability distribution functions that account for skewness and kurtosis effects in the data. Once these effects are taken into account a positive risk premium is established, suggesting...