In this study, we provide empirical evidence that firm-level jump-induced tail risk (measured by a jump-implied variance contribution index [JIVX]) prospectively predicts cross-sectional stock returns around earnings announcements. The effect size is nontrivial. A practical trading strategy that buys announcers with high pre-news JIVX values and sells announcers with low pre-news JIVX values, earns a net risk-adjusted average return of 82 basis points (bps) three days after the news release. Notably, the empirical success of the JIVX predictor is distinct from model-free implied skewness and kurtosis measures and withstands a battery of robustness checks.

The first 100 days of a newly-elected President's administration are often a period of substantial and concentrated policy change. This paper shows that measures of uncertainty and risk aversion rise sharply during Presidential honeymoons. Consistent with theoretical models that suggest that investors demand compensation for bearing heightened political risk, we document striking spread returns to value, investment and profitability anomalies during honeymoons. For example, the book-to-market value premium averages 3.51% per month during Presidential honeymoons, yet only 0.27% per month at other times. These findings survive numerous robustness checks. Nonetheless, establishing a direct link between escalating political risk and equity returns proves challenging.