The maturity effect states that the volatility of futures prices should increase as the contract approaches expiration. Numerous studies have investigated this effect for different asset classes. However, the presence of a maturity effect in short term interest rate (STIR) futures has usually...

This paper investigates whether excess stock price volatility may be due in part to a failure of the market to form rational expectations. Using data on analysts' expectations of long run earnings growth for individual companies, we report a number of interelated results which lend support to...