Understanding Defensive Equity

40 Pages Posted: 22 Oct 2014 Last revised: 7 Apr 2023

See all articles by Robert Novy-Marx

Robert Novy-Marx

Simon Business School, University of Rochester; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: October 2014

Abstract

High volatility and high beta stocks tilt strongly to small, unprofitable, and growth firms. These tilts explain the poor absolute performance of the most aggressive stocks. In conjunction with the well documented inability of the Fama and French three-factor model to price small growth stocks, especially unprofitable small growth stocks, these tilts also drive the abnormal performance of defensive equity (i.e., low volatility and/or low beta strategies). While defensive strategy performance is explained by controlling for size, profitability, and relative valuations, the converse is false--the performance of value and profitability strategies cannot by explained using defensive equity performance.

Suggested Citation

Novy-Marx, Robert, Understanding Defensive Equity (October 2014). NBER Working Paper No. w20591, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2513151

Robert Novy-Marx (Contact Author)

Simon Business School, University of Rochester ( email )

Rochester, NY 14627
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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