Partial Adjustment or Stale Prices? Implications from Stock Index and Futures Return Autocorrelations

45 Pages Posted: 11 May 2001

See all articles by Dong-Hyun Ahn

Dong-Hyun Ahn

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Jacob Boudoukh

Reichman University - Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliyah

Matthew P. Richardson

Department of Finance, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University

Robert Whitelaw

New York University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: October 2000

Abstract

This paper investigates the relation between returns on stock indices and their corresponding futures contracts in order to evaluate potential explanations for the pervasive yet anomalous evidence of positive, short-horizon portfolio autocorrelations. Using a simple theoretical framework, we generate empirical implications for both microstructure and partial adjustment models. These implications are then tested using futures data on 24 contracts across 15 countries. The major findings are (i) return autocorrelations of indices tend to be positive even though their corresponding futures contracts have autocorrelations close to zero, (ii) these autocorrelation differences between spot and futures markets are maintained even under conditions favorable for spot-futures arbitrage, and (iii) these autocorrelation differences are most prevalent during low volume periods. These results point us towards a market microstructure-based explanation for short-horizon autocorrelations and away from explanations based on current popular behavioral models.

Suggested Citation

Ahn, Dong-Hyun and Boudoukh, Jacob and Richardson, Matthew P. and Whitelaw, Robert F., Partial Adjustment or Stale Prices? Implications from Stock Index and Futures Return Autocorrelations (October 2000). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=269586 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.269586

Dong-Hyun Ahn

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( email )

Kenan-Flagler Business School
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3490
United States
919-962-3203 (Phone)
919-962-2068 (Fax)

Jacob Boudoukh

Reichman University - Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliyah ( email )

P.O. Box 167
Herzliya, 4610101
Israel

Matthew P. Richardson

Department of Finance, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University ( email )

44 West 4th Street
Suite 9-190
New York, NY 10012-1126
United States
+1 (212) 998-0349 (Phone)
212-995-4233 (Fax)

Robert F. Whitelaw (Contact Author)

New York University ( email )

Stern School of Business
44 West 4th Street
New York, NY 10012-1126
United States
212-998-0338 (Phone)
212-995-4233 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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