Predictability and 'Good Deals' in Currency Markets

51 Pages Posted: 9 Mar 2009

See all articles by Richard M. Levich

Richard M. Levich

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Valerio Potì

University College Dublin

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 2009

Abstract

This paper studies predictability of currency returns over the period 1971-2006. To assess the economic significance of predictability, we construct an upper bound on the explanatory power of predictive regressions. The upper bound is motivated by "no good-deal" restrictions that rule out unduly attractive investment opportunities. We find evidence that predictability often exceeds this bound. Excess-predictability is highest in the 1970s and tends to decrease over time, but it is still present in thefinal part of the sample period. Moreover, periods of high and low predictability tend to alternate. These stylized facts pose a serious challenge to Fama's (1970) Efficient Market Hypothesis but are consistent with Lo's (2004) Adaptive Market Hypothesis, coupled with slow convergence towards efficient markets. Strategies that attempt to exploit excess-predictability are very sensitive to transaction costs but those that exploit monthly predictability remain attractive even after realistic levels oftransaction costs are taken into account and are not spanned either by the Fama and French (1993) equity-based factors or by the AFX Currency Management Index.

Suggested Citation

Levich, Richard M. and Potì, Valerio, Predictability and 'Good Deals' in Currency Markets (February 2009). NYU Working Paper No. FIN-08-007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1354495

Richard M. Levich (Contact Author)

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance ( email )

Stern School of Business
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Valerio Potì

University College Dublin ( email )

M. Smurfit School of Business
Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock
Dublin, Co Dublin
Ireland

HOME PAGE: http://https://people.ucd.ie/valerio.poti

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