Idiosyncratic Volatility and Retail Investor Preferences in the Australian Market

52 Pages Posted: 24 Aug 2010

See all articles by Deborah Tan

Deborah Tan

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Julia Henker

Bond University

Date Written: August 23, 2010

Abstract

We explore the negative relation between idiosyncratic volatility and future stock returns observed by previous researchers. We argue that, based on the observation described in prospect theory, retail investors prefer stocks with a high level of idiosyncratic volatility and are subsequently willing to overpay for those stocks. In support of our argument, we find that the negative idiosyncratic-volatility return relation is present in the Australian market, and that this relation is affected by the magnitude of retail trading. The relation is particularly strong when returns and realized volatility are measured at a daily frequency.

Keywords: retail investors, behavioral finance, realized volatility

JEL Classification: G14, G12

Suggested Citation

Tan, Deborah and Henker, Julia, Idiosyncratic Volatility and Retail Investor Preferences in the Australian Market (August 23, 2010). 23rd Australasian Finance and Banking Conference 2010 Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1663504 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1663504

Deborah Tan

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Julia Henker (Contact Author)

Bond University ( email )

Gold Coast, QLD 4229
Australia

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