Is Default Risk Negatively Related to Stock Returns?

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Chava, Sudheer; Purnanandam, Amiyatosh
• 署名单位: University of Michigan System; University of Michigan; Texas A&M University System; Texas A&M University College Station; Mays Business School
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF FINANCIAL STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0893-9454
• DOI: 10.1093/rfs/hhp107
• 发表日期: 2010
• 页码: 2523
• 关键词: ASSET PRICING MODEL; EXPECTED RETURN; Distress risk; IMPLIED COST; OF-INTEREST; forecasts; equity; ANALYST; performance; bankruptcy

摘要

We find a positive cross-sectional relationship between expected stock returns and default risk, contrary to the negative relationship estimated by prior studies. Whereas prior studies use noisy ex post realized returns to estimate expected returns, we use ex ante estimates based on the implied cost of capital. The results suggest that investors expected higher returns for bearing default risk, but they were negatively surprised by lower-than-expected returns on high default risk stocks in the 1980s. We also extend the sample compared with prior studies and find that the evidence based on realized returns is considerably weaker in the 1952-1980 period.