JOURNAL OF APPLIED BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
Idiosyncratic Risk Pricing in Canada
Author(s): Shishir Singh
Citation: Shishir Singh, (2014) "Idiosyncratic Risk Pricing in Canada," Journal of Applied Business and Economics, Vol. 16, Iss. 1, pp. 110-127
Article Type: Research paper
Publisher: North American Business Press
Abstract:
This paper confirms the relationship between idiosyncratic risk and excess stock returns for Canadian
equities. The relationship between returns and idiosyncratic risk is examined using Fama-MacBeth twostep
methodology with a modified Carhart four-factor (five-beta) model. The Fama-MacBeth tests are
conducted with and without the presence of control variables for liquidity (proxied by amortized spread
or the illiquidity measure of Amihud) and firm-specific information embedded in stock prices (proxied by
synchronicity and the zero-return&trade metric). The conditional relation between returns and
idiosyncratic risk for Canadian stocks is robust and significant. Given the model dependencies and
metrics, the paper posits this to a higher competitive environment, investor under-diversification, and
lower market power faced by Canadian firms as compared to US firms.