Stock Returns And Disagreement Among Sell-Side Analysts

Asymmetric information, investor optimism, and unbiased prices hypotheses are the main hypotheses proposed for explaining how investors’ difference of opinion may impact stock returns. We use a new measure for divergence in investor beliefs among sell-side analysts to test these three hypotheses. Our initial findings are not supportive of either the asymmetric information or the investor optimism hypotheses. However, since these two hypotheses predict opposing effects of divergence in opinion on stock returns, the effects could neutralize their respective impacts on stock prices. Our further empirical analysis though suggests that this is not the case. The weight of the evidence presented suggests thatwithin the sell-side, the difference of opinion does not impose a bias on future stock returns.

Profits From Buying Losers And Selling Winners In The London Stock Exchange

<p>DeBondt and Thaler (1985) have challenged the notions of market efficiency and of rational investor behaviour. According to their findings stock portfolios that experience negative returns tend to outperform portfolios that experience positive returns, during the subsequent period. In other words, stock returns may be predictable, and this may be due to excessive investor optimism and pessimism. This paper investigates the existence of such contrarian profits for stocks listed in the London Stock Exchange. The results indicate that contrarian strategies are profitable for UK stocks and more pronounced for extreme market capitalisation stocks. These profits persist even after the sample is adjusted for market frictions, and irrespective of whether raw or risk-adjusted returns are used.</p>