A Critique of Momentum Anomalies
Discussion Papers on Business and Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Forthcoming
51 Pages Posted: 16 Mar 2019
There are 2 versions of this paper
A Critique of Momentum Anomalies
Date Written: February 15, 2019
Abstract
This paper offers theoretical, empirical, and simulated evidence that momentum regularities in asset prices are not anomalies. Within a general, frictionless, rational expectations, risk-based asset pricing framework, riskier assets tend to be in the loser portfolios after (large) increases in the price of risk. Hence, the risk of momentum portfolios usually decreases with the prevailing price of risk, and their risk premiums are approximately negative quadratic functions of the price of risk (and the market premium) theoretically truncated at zero. The best linear (CAPM) function describing this relation unconditionally has exactly the negative slope and positive intercept documented empirically.
Keywords: Momentum, Risk, Puzzle, Ranking, Conditional
JEL Classification: G11, G12, G14
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation