We examine the effect of book-to-market equity (BE/ME) on asset correlations in the asymptotic single risk factor (ASRF) framework under the Basel II Accord on regulatory capital requirement. Over a sample period from 1988 to 2007, we find that BE/ME is negatively related to asset correlations...

This paper investigates the importance of higher moments of return distributions in capturing the variation of average stock returns for companies listed in the leading S&P US and Australian indices. We find that Australian stocks are more negatively skewed but less leptokurtic than US stocks....