Pricing Poseidon: Extreme Weather Uncertainty and Firm Return Dynamics
57 Pages Posted: 25 Jul 2019 Last revised: 1 Jul 2021
There are 3 versions of this paper
Pricing Poseidon: Extreme Weather Uncertainty and Firm Return Dynamics
Pricing Poseidon: Extreme Weather Uncertainty and Firm Return Dynamics
Date Written: July, 2019
Abstract
We investigate the uncertainty dynamics surrounding extreme weather events through the lens of option and stock markets by identifying market responses to the uncertainty regarding both potential hurricane landfall and subsequent economic impact. Stock options on firms with establishments exposed to the landfall region exhibit increases in implied volatility of 5-10 percent, reflecting impact uncertainty. Using hurricane forecasts, we show that landfall uncertainty and potential impact uncertainty are reflected in prices before landfall. We find no evidence that markets incorporate better hurricane forecasts than those from NOAA. Improvements to hurricane forecasts could have economically significant effects in financial markets.
JEL Classification: G12, G14, Q54
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation