Efficient Tests of Stock Return Predictability

John Y. Campbell () and Motohiro Yogo ()

No 1972, Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers from Harvard - Institute of Economic Research

Abstract: Empirical studies have suggested that stock returns can be predicted by ï¬nancial variables such as the dividend-price ratio. However, these studies typically ignore the high persistence of predictor variables, which can make ï¬rst-order asymptotics a poor approximation in ï¬nite samples. Using a more accurate asymptotic approximation, we propose two methods to deal with the persistence problem. First, we develop a pretest that determines when the conventional t-test for predictability is misleading. Second, we develop a new test of predictability that results in correct inference regardless of the degree of persistence and is efficient compared to existing methods. Applying our methods to US data, we ï¬nd that the dividend-price ratio and the smoothed earningsprice ratio are sufficiently persistent for conventional inference to be highly misleading. However, we ï¬nd some evidence for predictability using our test, particularly with the earnings-price ratio. We also ï¬nd evidence for predictability with the short-term interest rate and the long-short yield spread, for which the conventional t-test leads to correct inference.

Date: Written
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Related works:
Working Paper: Efficient Tests of Stock Return Predictability (2003)
Journal Article: Efficient tests of stock return predictability (2006)
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