Time-varying Noise Trader Risk and Asset Prices∗ Dylan C. Thomasy and Qingwei Wangz Abstract By introducing time varying noise trader risk in De Long, Shleifer, Summers, and Wald- mann (1990) model, we predict that noise trader risk significantly affects time variations in the small-stock premium. Consistent with the theoretical predictions, we find that when noise trader risk is high, small stocks earn lower contemporaneous returns and higher subsequent re- turns relative to large stocks. In addition, noise trader risk has a positive effect on the volatility of the small-stock premium. After accounting for macroeconomic uncertainty and controlling for time variation in conditional market betas, we demonstrate that systematic risk provides an incomplete explanation for our results. Noise trader risk has a similar impact on the distress premium. Keywords: Noise trader risk; Small-stock premium; Investor sentiment JEL Classification: G10; G12; G14 ∗We thank Mark Tippett for helpful discussions. Errors and omissions remain the responsibility of the author. ySchool of Business, Swansea University, U.K.. E-mail:
[email protected] zBangor Business School. E-mail:
[email protected] 1 Introduction In this paper we explore the theoretical and empirical time series relationship between noise trader risk and asset prices. We extend the De Long, Shleifer, Summers, and Waldmann (1990) model to allow noise trader risk to vary over time, and predict its impact on both the returns and volatility of risky assets. Using monthly U.S. data since 1960s, we provide empirical evidence consistent with the model. Our paper contributes to the debate on whether noise trader risk is priced.