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The Stock Market Valuation of Research and Development Expenditures

Louis K.C. Chan
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Finance

Josef Lakonishok
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Theodore Sougiannis
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Accountancy


June 1999


Abstract:     
We examine whether stock prices fully reflect the value of firms? intangible assets, focusing on research and development (R&D). Since intangible assets are not reported on financial statements under current U.S. accounting standards and R&D spending is expensed, the valuation problem may be especially challenging. Nonetheless we find that historically the stock returns of firms doing R&D on average matches the returns on firms with no R&D. For companies engaged in R&D, high R&D intensity has a distinctive effect on returns for two groups of stocks. Within the set of growth stocks, R&D-intensive stocks tend to out-perform stocks with little or no R&D. Companies with high R&D relative to equity market value (who tend to have poor past returns) show strong signs of mis-pricing. In both cases the market apparently fails to give sufficient credit for firms? R&D investments. Our exploratory investigation of the effects of advertising on returns yields similar results. We also provide evidence that R&D intensity is positively associated with return volatility, everything else equal. Insofar as the association reflects investors? lack of information about firms? R&D activity, increased accounting disclosure may be beneficial.

JEL Classifications: G12, G14, M41, M44

Working Paper Series

Date posted: January 03, 2000 ; Last revised: January 06, 2000

Suggested Citation

Chan, Louis K.C., Lakonishok, Josef and Sougiannis, Theodore , The Stock Market Valuation of Research and Development Expenditures (June 1999). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=195488 or doi:10.2139/ssrn.195488


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Contact Information

Louis K.C. Chan (Contact Author)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Finance ( email )
1206 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
United States
217-333-6391 (Phone)
217-244-3102 (Fax)
Josef Lakonishok
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ( email )
1206 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
United States
217-333-7185 (Phone)
217-244-3102 (Fax)
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
Theodore Sougiannis
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Accountancy ( email )
360 Wohlers Hall
1206 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
United States
217-244-0555 (Phone)
217-244-0902 (Fax)
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References: 23
Citations: 122

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