While aggregate earnings should affect aggregate stock returns, standard portfolio theory predicts that the cross-sectional dispersion in firm-level earnings would not affect aggregate stock returns. Nonetheless, this paper demonstrates a surprisingly robust relation between cross-sectional...

Prior research documents that individual stock returns respond to earnings differently under new accounting standards, regulations, or changes in enforcement. This paper examines whether this result extends to the aggregate stock market. We take a macro perspective and study the properties of...

This paper studies the effects of capacity utilization on accounting profit margins and stock returns. Since accounting profit margins represent the average profit per unit and not the economists' concept of unit contribution margin, the marginal/variable profit per unit, a firm with idle...