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Journal of Financial Economics Vol. 110 No. 3 2013

Political uncertainty and risk premia

Ľuboš Pástor1,2; Pietro Veronesi2,1

1 Centre for Economic Policy Research · 2 University of Chicago

Abstract

We develop a general equilibrium model of government policy choice in which stock prices respond to political news. The model implies that political uncertainty commands a risk premium whose magnitude is larger in weaker economic conditions. Political uncertainty reduces the value of the implicit put protection that the government provides to the market. It also makes stocks more volatile and more correlated, especially when the economy is weak. We find empirical evidence consistent with these predictions.

DOI
10.1016/j.jfineco.2013.08.007
Volume
110
Issue
3
Pages
520-545
Language
en
Sources
crossref bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex

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