Short- and Long-Horizon Behavioral Factors

Abstract

We propose a theoretically motivated factor model based on investor psychology and assess its ability to explain the cross-section of U.S. equity returns. Our factor model augments the market factor with two factors that capture long- and short-horizon mispricing. The long-horizon factor exploits the information in managers’ decisions to issue or repurchase equity in response to persistent mispricing. The short-horizon earnings surprise factor, which is motivated by investor inattention and evidence of short-horizon underreaction, captures short-horizon anomalies. This 3-factor risk-and-behavioral model outperforms other proposed models in explaining a broad range of return anomalies.Received February 28, 2018; editorial decision February 3, 2019 by Editor Lauren Cohen. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.