Robust Structure without Predictability: The "Compass Rose" Pattern of the Stock Market.

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Finance
Year: 1996
Volume: 51
Issue: 2
Pages: 751-62

Authors (2)

Crack, Timothy Falcon (not in RePEc) Ledoit, Olivier (Universität Zürich)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Plotting daily stock returns against themselves with one day's lag reveals a striking pattern. Evenly spaced lines radiate from the origin; the thickest lines point in the major directions of the compass. This 'compass rose' pattern appears in every stock. It is caused by discreteness. However, counterexamples demonstrate that the existence of exchange-imposed tick sizes (e.g., eighths) is neither necessary nor sufficient for the compass rose. The compass rose cannot be used to make abnormal profits: it is structure without predictability. Among other consequences, the compass rose may bias estimation of ARCH models and tests for chaos. Copyright 1996 by American Finance Association.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:bla:jfinan:v:51:y:1996:i:2:p:751-62
Journal Field
Finance
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25