Can the degree of predictability found in the data be explained by existing asset pricing models? We provide two theoretical upper bounds on the R-squares of predictive regressions. Using data on the market and component portfolios, we find that the empirical R-squares are significantly greater...

We propose a novel measure of the ex-ante commodity downside-risk premium (CDP) for each commodity based on a term structure model of commodity futures. Our theory-based CDP, capturing forward-looking information in the futures markets, outperforms well-known characteristics in explaining the...

We show that the conditional risk estimation in the ICAPM model (Merton, 1973) should contain the unspanned uncertainty beyond stock market if the interest rate is not sufficient to describe the dynamic investment state. Borrowing an aggregated uncertainty measure that captures unspanned...

In this paper, we propose a cross-sectional option momentum strategy that is based on the risk component of delta-hedged option returns. We find strong evidence of risk continuation in option returns. Specifically, options with a high risk component significantly outperform those with a low risk...

We survey the literature on stock return forecasting, highlighting the challenges faced by forecasters as well as strategies for improving return forecasts. We focus on U.S. equity premium forecastability and illustrate key issues via an empirical application based on updated data. Some studies...

While there are hundreds of cross-sectional predictors in the equity market, whether corporate bonds are predictable in the cross-section is an open question. This paper proposes to use trend signals in returns, which exploit short-, intermediate- and long-term trends simultaneously, to predict...

We reaffirm the stylized fact that bond risk premia are time-varying with macroeconomic condition, even with real-time macro data instead of commonly used final revised data. While real-time data are noisier and render standard forecasts insignificant, we find that, with four efficient...

In this paper, we propose two asymmetry measures for stock returns. Unlike the popular skewness measure, our measures are based on the distribution function of the data rather than just the third central moment. We present empirical evidence that greater upside asymmetries calculated using our...

We provide an entropy approach for measuring asymmetric comovement between the return on a single asset and the market return. This approach yields a model-free test for stock return asymmetry, generalizing the correlation-based test proposed by Hong, Tu, and Zhou (2007). Based on this test, we...

This paper constructs an investor sentiment measure at both individual bond and aggregate levels, uncovering the first evidence that investor sentiment has strong cross- sectional predictive power for corporate bond returns. High bond investor sentiment leads to low future returns. A portfolio...