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Journal of Accounting Research Vol. 41 No. 5 2003

Does Greater Firm‐Specific Return Variation Mean More or Less Informed Stock Pricing?

Artyom Durnev1; Randall Mørck; Bernard Yeung2; Paul Zarowin2

1 University of Miami · 2 New York University

Abstract

Roll [1988] observes low R 2 statistics for common asset pricing models due to vigorous firm‐specific return variation not associated with public information. He concludes that this implies “either private information or else occasional frenzy unrelated to concrete information”[p. 56]. We show that firms and industries with lower market model R 2 statistics exhibit higher association between current returns and future earnings, indicating more information about future earnings in current stock returns. This supports Roll's first interpretation: higher firm‐specific return variation as a fraction of total variation signals more information‐laden stock prices and, therefore, more efficient stock markets.

DOI
10.1046/j.1475-679x.2003.00124.x
Volume
41
Issue
5
Pages
797-836
Language
en
Sources
crossref bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex

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