This study investigates if changes in risk-neutral systematic volatility, skewness, and kurtosis, are priced, either symmetrically or asymmetrically, as systematic risk factors in the cross-section of stock returns. The moments are constructed using options on the S&P 500, and represent...

Using the risk-neutral volatility and skewness computed from options on the S&P500, we show there is an asymmetric contemporaneous relation between stock returns and changes in implied market volatility and skewness. Changes in expected market volatility and skewness are cross-sectionally priced...

Assuming a symmetric relation between returns and innovations in implied market volatility, Ang, Hodrick, Xing, and Zhang (2006) find that sensitivities to changes in implied market volatility have a cross-sectional effect on firm returns. Dennis, Mayhew, and Stivers (2006), however, find an...

Quarterly earnings conference calls are becoming a more pervasive tool for corporate disclosure. However, the extent to which the market embeds information contained in the tone (i.e. sentiment) of conference call wording is unknown. Using computer aided content analysis, we examine the...

Prior literature shows that the implied volatility spread between call and put options is a bullish signal for future returns on the underlying stocks. A common interpretation is that a high call-put implied volatility spread indicates favorable private information revealed by informed option...

We dissect the impact of information contained for future asset returns in the implied volatility skew. Future returns are linked to the discrepancy between call and put volatilities of at-the-money options and to the left side of the volatility skew, calculated as the difference between...

This paper presents a parsimonious, implementable model for the estimation of the short-and long-term expected rates of return on the S&P 500 stock market Index. Sufficient statistics for the expected return on the S&P 500 Index consist of the risk-free rate of interest, the option market's...

Hedging market downturns without sacrificing upside has long been sought by investors. If VIX was directly investable, adding it as a hedge to the S&P 500 would result in significantly improved performance over the equity only portfolio. However, tradable VIX products do not provide the hedge or...

This study examined the impact on future asset returns of information contained in the implied volatility skew. Future returns are linked to the discrepancy between call and put volatilities of at-the-money options and to the left side of the volatility skew, calculated as the difference between...