Financial Distress, Market Anomalies and Single and Multifactor Asset Pricing Models: New Evidence

Abstract

Data snooping and the nature of the distress premium are unresolved issues for the Fama and French three-factor model. These are addressed using UK data to create and test the model on portfolios based on market anomalies. We explore the apparent distress premium identified in prior research with particular reference to negative book equity-to-market equity (BE/ME) stocks. Although neglected in the prior research, we argue that these stocks offer new insights into the nature of the distress premium. We conclude that the distress premium is real and the three-factor model is an improvement on CAPM for all portfolios tested including the negative (BE/ME) portfolio. Unlike other distressed portfolios there is no compensation with high abnormal returns for this portfolio.

Keywords: Market Anomalies, Fama and French (1993) three-factor model, Negative book-to-market firms, financial distress, CAPM

JEL Classification: G12