Consequences of Outlier Returns for Event Studies: A Methodological Investigation and Treatment

The International Journal of Accounting, Forthcoming

30 Pages Posted: 1 Jan 2020

See all articles by Panayiotis Theodossiou

Panayiotis Theodossiou

Ball State University

Alexandra K. Theodossiou

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi-College of Business

Date Written: December 15, 2019

Abstract

Stock returns are decomposed into their regular and outlier components using a maximum likelihood outlier resistant estimation method. Analytical results depicting the impact of outliers on the OLS estimated models and CAR statistics are derived and validated using Monte Carlo simulations. The implications of outliers for past event studies are investigated using samples drawn randomly from the universe of stocks in the CRSP database. The OLS-CAR statistics fail to forecast about 37% of the negative impact and 43% of the positive impact events. These results raise serious concerns about the validity of conclusions of past event studies, especially those that rejected the hypothesis of significant impact events.

Keywords: Cumulative abnormal returns; Monte Carlo simulations; multifactor asset pricing models; ordinary least squares method; maximum likelihood outlier resistant estimation method

Suggested Citation

Theodossiou, Panayiotis and Theodossiou, Alexandra K., Consequences of Outlier Returns for Event Studies: A Methodological Investigation and Treatment (December 15, 2019). The International Journal of Accounting, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3504331 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3504331

Panayiotis Theodossiou (Contact Author)

Ball State University ( email )

2000 W. University Ave
Muncie, IN Delaware 47306
United States

Alexandra K. Theodossiou

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi-College of Business ( email )

6300 Ocean Drive
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
United States

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