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High Idiosyncratic Volatility and Low Returns: A Prospect Theory Explanation
Author(s) -
Bhootra Ajay,
Hur Jungshik
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
financial management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.647
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1755-053X
pISSN - 0046-3892
DOI - 10.1111/fima.12057
Subject(s) - volatility (finance) , economics , stock (firearms) , prospect theory , financial economics , monetary economics , systematic risk , risk seeking , econometrics , finance , mechanical engineering , engineering
The well‐documented negative relationship between idiosyncratic volatility and stock returns is puzzling if investors are risk‐averse. However, under prospect theory, while investors are risk‐averse in the domain of gains, they exhibit risk‐seeking behavior in the domain of losses. Consistent with risk‐seeking investors’ preference for high‐volatility stocks in the loss domain, we find that the negative relationship between idiosyncratic volatility and stock returns is concentrated in stocks with unrealized capital losses, but is nonexistent in stocks with unrealized capital gains. This finding is robust to control for short‐term return reversals and maximum daily return, among other variables.