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Journal of Corporate Finance Vol. 91 2025

Beta estimation precision and corporate investment efficiency

Lee Biggerstaff; Brad Goldie; Haimanot Kassa

Miami University

Abstract

Survey evidence suggests most firms use the CAPM to estimate their cost of equity. Previous research has documented these estimates can be extremely imprecise. We study the impact of the precision of beta estimates on firm investment decisions, and find that firms with precise beta estimates invest closer to their expected levels. We employ quantile regressions to further examine the relationship between Beta Precision and investment levels and find that firms with more precise betas tend to avoid extremes in investment levels. Finally, we show that precision in the estimation of cost of equity is associated with higher risk-adjusted stock returns.

DOI
10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2024.102728
Volume
91
Pages
102728
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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