We posit that the pricing mechanism of interest rate risk is contingent upon the prevailing inflation levels; in times of high (low) inflation, a positive (negative) shock to interest rates is indicative of a negative economic state. In line with this proposition, we introduce a conditional...

It is well known that returns on foreign exchange rates are not normal and tend to have fat-tailed distributions. Although the precise magnitude of the tail-fatness is crucial for applications such as risk analysis, little consensus exists in this respect due to estimation problems. In this...

A prominent factor used in most models predicting stock returns is firm size. Yet no consensus has emerged on the magnitude and stability of the size premium, with some researchers even questioning the usefulness of the factor. To take stock of the voluminous academic literature on the size...

We develop a four-factor model intended to capture size, value, and credit rating transition patterns in excess returns for a panel of predominantly mid- and large-cap entities. Using credit transition matrices and rating histories from 48 US issuers, we provide evidence to support a...

This study examines whether investors’ attitudes toward ambiguity can explain cross-sectional stock returns by investigating the relationship between future stock returns and option-implied volatilities as well as implied third moments. We find that investors’ attitudes toward different...