• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.37-45
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• 2015

Purpose - This paper's aim is to investigate whether or not gross profitability explains the cross-sectional variation of the stock returns in the Korean stock market. Gross profitability is an alternative profitability measure proposed by Novy-Marx in 2013 to predict cross-sectional variation of stock returns in the US. He shows that the gross profitability adds explanatory power to the Fama-French 3 factor model. Interestingly, gross profitability is negatively correlated with the book-to-market ratio. By confirming the gross profitability premium in the Korean stock market, we may provide some implications regarding the well-known value premium. In addition, our empirical results may provide opportunities for the fund distribution industry to promote brand new styles of funds. Research design, data, and methodology - For our empirical analysis, we collect monthly market prices of all the companies listed on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) of the Korea Exchanges (KRX). Our sample period covers July1994 to December2014. The data from the company financial statementsare provided by the financial information company WISEfn. First, using Fama-Macbeth cross-sectional regression, we investigate the relation between gross profitability and stock return performance. For robustness in analyzing the performance of the gross profitability strategy, we consider value weighted portfolio returns as well as equally weighted portfolio returns. Next, using Fama-French 3 factor models, we examine whether or not the gross profitability strategy generates excess returns when firmsize and the book-to-market ratio are controlled. Finally, we analyze the effect of firm size and the book-to-market ratio on the gross profitability strategy. Results - First, through the Fama-MacBeth cross-sectional regression, we show that gross profitability has almost the same explanatory power as the book-to-market ratio in explaining the cross-sectional variation of the Korean stock market. Second, we find evidence that gross profitability is a statistically significant variable for explaining cross-sectional stock returns when the size and the value effect are controlled. Third, we show that gross profitability, which is positively correlated with stock returns and firm size, is negatively correlated with the book-to-market ratio. From the perspective of portfolio management, our results imply that since the gross profitability strategy is a distinctive growth strategy, value strategies can be improved by hedging with the gross profitability strategy. Conclusions - Our empirical results confirm the existence of a gross profitability premium in the Korean stock market. From the perspective of the fund distribution industry, the gross profitability portfolio is worthy of attention. Since the value strategy portfolio returns are negatively correlated with the gross profitability strategy portfolio returns, by mixing both portfolios, investors could be better off without additional risk. However, the profitable firms are dissimilar from the value firms (high book-to-market ratio firms); therefore, an alternative factor model including gross profitability may help us understand the economic implications of the well-known anomalies such as value premium, momentum, and low volatility. We reserve these topics for future research.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.9
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• pp.125-134
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• 2020

This study examines the nominal price anomaly in the Vietnamese stock market, that is, whether stocks with low nominal price outperform stocks with high nominal price. Using a sample of all 351 companies listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) from June 2009 to March 2018, we confirm our hypothesis and document that cheaper stocks yield higher subsequent abnormal returns. The results are robust after controlling for various stock characteristics that have been documented to be value-relevant in prior literature, including firm size, book-to-market ratio, intermediate-term momentum, short-term reversal, skewness, market risk, idiosyncratic risk, illiquidity and extreme daily returns, using both the portfolio analysis and the Fama-MacBeth cross-sectional regression. The negative effect persists in the long term (i.e., after up to 12 months), implying a slow adjustment of stock prices to their intrinsic value. Further analysis show that the observed nominal price anomaly is mainly driven by mispricing but not a latent risk factor proxied by stock price, thus the observed anomaly reflects a mispricing but not a fundamental risk. The study highlights the irrational behaviour of investors and market inefficiency in the Vietnamese stock market and provides important implication for investors in the market.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.243-254
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• 2020

Purpose - This paper explores whether overnight returns measured from the last closing price to today's opening price explain the cross-section of stock returns. Design/methodology/approach - This study is conducted using the Korean stock market data from 1998 to 2018, obtained from DataGuide database. The analysis begins with portfolio-level tests, followed by firm-level cross-sectional regressions. Findings - First, when decile portfolios sorted on the daily average of overnight returns in the previous months, the highest decile portfolio exhibits a significant negative risk-adjusted return. This suggests that stocks with higher average overnight returns are temporarily overvalued due to buying pressure from investors. Second, at least 6 months of persistence exists in average overnight returns, which is in line with the results reported by Barber, Odean and Zhu (2009) that investor sentiment persists over several weeks. Finally, Fama-MacBeth cross-sectional regression of expected returns after controlling for a variety of firm characteristic variables such as firm size, book-to-market ratio, market beta, momentum, liquidity, short-term reversal, the slope coefficient for overnight returns remains negative and statistically significant. Research implications or Originality - Overall, the evidence consistently suggests that overnight return is considered as a new priced factor in the cross-section of expected returns. The findings of this paper not only adds to finance literature, but also could be useful to practitioners in making stock investment decision.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.121-134
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• 2021

Purpose - This study examines whether flight-to-liquidity (FTL) explains the dynamic liquidity risk on stock returns, and whether it has a significant influence on determinants the cross-section of stock returns. Design/methodology/approach - This study suggests a new risk factor, dynamic liquidity hedge portfolio (DLP), to reflect the dynamic impact of liquidity risk on stock returns and the Fama-MacBeth 2 stage regression analysis is employed in order to analyze the data. Findings - First, the DLP factor shows more positive and significant beta for the small or illiquidity stocks. Second, the DLP shows a different influence than SMB (size risk factor), HML (value risk factor), NMP (liquidity risk factor), FTVOL (total volatility factor) in determining the cross-section of stock returns. In addition, the DLP has a statistically significant risk premium of around 5%, which is relatively larger than other risk factors. Research implications or Originality - This study has academic value in terms of newly confirming that the DLP factor has a more significant impact on cross-sectional determination of stock returns than other risk factors by proposing a conditional liquidity factor that can explain the FTL phenomenon.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.436-448
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• 2015

This study examined one of the contemporary financial aspects, the level of corporate cash holdings for the firms belonging to the chaebols in the Korean capital markets. Being accompanied by various alternative econometric methodologies such as static and dynamic panel data model, stepwise OLS, and Fama-Macbeth modelm this research extended the preceding Kim's study (2015) in anticipation of validating the results to identify any financial factors which may significantly affect the chaebol firms' cash reserves. Several financial characteristics such as CASHFLOW, MVBV, REINVEST, and AGENCY, were found to be statistically significant factors on the level corporate liquidity, along with CCC as cash conversion cycle in the models. It may be plausible that any outcomes of this study may be applied to enhance the efficiency of financial strategies of the chaebol firms on cash holdings, thereby expediting the development of the domestic capital markets status quo toward the advanced one in the market classification.