Andrew L. Detzel

Bio: Andrew L. Detzel is an academic researcher from University of Denver. The author has contributed to research in topics: Capital asset pricing model & Sharpe ratio. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 21 publications receiving 1205 citations. Previous affiliations of Andrew L. Detzel include University of Washington.

The Asset Pricing Implications of Government Economic Policy Uncertainty

Abstract: Using the Baker, Bloom, and Davis (2013) news-based measure to capture economic policy uncertainty (EPU) in the United States, we find that EPU positively forecasts log excess market returns. A one-standard deviation increase in EPU is associated with a 1.5% increase in forecasted 3-month abnormal returns (6.1% annualized). Furthermore, innovations in EPU earn a significant negative risk premium in the Fama French 25 size-momentum portfolios. Among the Fama French 25 portfolios formed on size and momentum returns, the portfolio with the greatest EPU beta underperforms the portfolio with the lowest EPU beta by 5.53% per annum, controlling for exposure to the Carhart four factors as well as implied and realized volatility. These findings suggest that EPU is an economically important risk factor for equities.

The Asset-Pricing Implications of Government Economic Policy Uncertainty

Abstract: Using the news-based measure of Baker et al. [Baker SR, Bloom N, Davis SJ 2013 Measuring economic policy uncertainty. Working paper, Stanford University, Stanford, CA] to capture economic policy uncertainty EPU in the United States, we find that EPU positively forecasts log excess market returns. An increase of one standard deviation in EPU is associated with a 1.5% increase in forecasted three-month abnormal returns 6.1% annualized. Furthermore, innovations in EPU earn a significant negative risk premium in the Fama-French 25 size-momentum portfolios. Among the Fama-French 25 portfolios formed on size and momentum returns, the portfolio with the greatest EPU beta underperforms the portfolio with the lowest EPU beta by 5.53% per annum, controlling for exposure to the Carhart four factors as well as implied and realized volatility. These findings suggest that EPU is an economically important risk factor for equities. This paper was accepted by Wei Jiang, finance.

Learning and predictability via technical analysis: Evidence from bitcoin and stocks with hard-to-value fundamentals

Abstract: What predicts returns on assets with "hard-to-value" fundamentals, such as Bitcoin and stocks in new industries? We propose an equilibrium model that shows how rational learning enables return predictability through technical analysis We document that ratios of prices to their moving averages forecast daily Bitcoin returns in- and out-of sample Trading strategies based on these ratios generate an economically significant alpha and Sharpe ratio gains relative to a buy-and-hold position Similar results hold for small-cap, young-firm, and low-analyst-coverage stocks as well as NASDAQ stocks during the dotcom era

Combination Return Forecasts and Portfolio Allocation with the Cross-Section of Book-to-Market Ratios

Abstract: In this paper, we forecast industry returns out-of-sample using the cross-section of book-to-market ratios and investigate whether investors can exploit this predictability in portfolio allocation. Cash-flow and return forecasting regressions show that cross-industry book-to-market ratios contain significant predictive information beyond aggregate and industry-specific book-to-market ratios. Forecast combination methods based on industry book-to-market ratios generate significant out-of-sample predictability for many industries. Real-time portfolio-rotation strategies that buy industries with high predicted returns and short industries with low predicted returns based on combination forecasts earn significant alpha with respect to standard asset pricing models net of transaction costs.

Measuring Economic Policy Uncertainty

Abstract: We develop a new index of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) based on newspaper coverage frequency Several types of evidence – including human readings of 12,000 newspaper articles – indicate that our index proxies for movements in policy-related economic uncertainty Our US index spikes near tight presidential elections, Gulf Wars I and II, the 9/11 attacks, the failure of Lehman Brothers, the 2011 debt-ceiling dispute and other major battles over fiscal policy Using firm-level data, we find that policy uncertainty raises stock price volatility and reduces investment and employment in policy-sensitive sectors like defense, healthcare, and infrastructure construction At the macro level, policy uncertainty innovations foreshadow declines in investment, output, and employment in the United States and, in a panel VAR setting, for 12 major economies Extending our US index back to 1900, EPU rose dramatically in the 1930s (from late 1931) and has drifted upwards since the 1960s

Measuring Economic Policy Uncertainty

Abstract: Many commentators argue that uncertainty about tax, spending, monetary and regulatory policy slowed the recovery from the 2007-2009 recession. To investigate this we develop a new index of economic policy uncertainty (EPU), built on three components: the frequency of newspaper references to economic policy uncertainty, the number of federal tax code provisions set to expire, and the extent of forecaster disagreement over future inflation and government purchases. This EPU index spikes near consequential presidential elections and major events such as the Gulf wars and the 9/11 attack. It also rises steeply from 2008 onward. We then evaluate our EPU index, first on a sample of 3,500 human audited news articles, and second against other measures of policy uncertainty, with these suggesting our EPU index is a good proxy for actual economic policy uncertainty. Drilling down into our index we find that the post-2008 increase was driven mainly by tax, spending and healthcare policy uncertainty. Finally, VAR estimates show that an innovation in policy uncertainty equal to the increase from 2006 to 2011 foreshadows declines of up to 2.3% in GDP and 2.3 million in employment.