Factor Models - Momentum

8 important questions on Factor Models - Momentum

What are the choices when using momentum?

  • Lookback period J: how many past returns to include? (e.g. 4 Q)
  • Holding period K: how many periods do you keep the portfolio? (e.g. 4 Q)

What is the solution for the criticism "If you check enough combinations, you will always find a significant result"?

Out-of-sample testing (e.g. Out of time/out of country)

What procedure did Jegadeesh and Titman follow in 1993 for their paper on momentum?

  1. Calculate the returns of ALL stocks over the past J quarters
  2. Rank the stocks ascending based on their past returns
  3. Create 10 deciles
  4. Buy the winner decile, sell the loser decile
  5. Calculate returns in next month
  6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 each month
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Why do J & T (1993) include the Buy-sell (long-short) portfolio?

  1. This eliminates beta; (i.e., B = 0) almost no exposure to the market
  2. K = 0, i.e., you almost need no capital (self-financing)

How do we include momentum in the three/five factor model?

  • Momentum is the fourth (/sixth) factor
  • in which MOMt is the factor mimicking portfolio
    • sorting based on return from month -12 to -2
    • Long in top 30%, short in bottom 30%

How are the momentum results improved after the 2008 crash?

  • Residual momentum:
    • Take residuals from three factor model to calculate momentum scores (so do not look at raw returns)
  • Momentum and Volume:
    • Momentum + high volume = bad ("overbought") -> bubble
    • Momentum + low volume = good ("underreaction")
  • Momentum and Volatility
    • Volatility and correlation adjustments

Short momentum appears to exist, but (what is the underlying idea)?:
  • What goes up, must come down?
  • What about long-run mean reversion?

  • Underlying idea: Overreaction
    • Psychological evidence suggests that people overreact to unexpected news events
    • Excessive reaction to current information

Why are momentum patterns not arbitraged away?

  • Behavioral explanation
    • Investors suffer from biases when forming expectations
      • Representativeness
      • Conservatism

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