The primary objective of this dissertation is to revisit the CAPM and the Fama-French multi-factor models with a view to evaluate the validity of the probabilistic assumptions imposed (directly or indirectly) on the particular data used. By thoroughly testing the assumptions underlying these models, several departures are found and the original linear regression models are respecified. The respecification results in a family of heterogeneous Student's t models which are shown to account for all the statistical regularities in the data. This family of models provides an appropriate basis for revisiting the empirical adequacy of the CAPM and the Fama-French multi-factor models, as well as other models, such as alternative asset pricing models and risk evaluation models. Along the lines of providing a sound basis for reliable inference, the respecified models can serve as a coherent basis for selecting the relevant factors from the set of possible ones. The latter contributes to the enhancement of the substantive adequacy of the CAPM and the multi-factor models. / Ph. D.

Socially responsible investing has presented itself as a growing, multifaceted, advanced and sophisticated investment philosophy. Socially responsible investment (SRI) involves incorporating social, ethical and responsible investment objectives with financial investment objectives during the investment decision-making process. Social, ethical and responsible investment objectives are set in line with environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria which are established within the SRI strategy followed. SRI strategies include screening (negative, positive and best-of-sector), shareholder activism and cause-based investing. Although international SRI markets such as that of the United States of America and the United Kingdom are sophisticated and established markets, the South African SRI market is still relatively new and is yet to reach its full potential. Thus, as a growing market, little research regarding the long term risk-adjusted performance of SRI funds in South Africa has been conducted. The long term risk-adjusted performance of the sample of SRI funds was measured through the use of five risk-adjusted performance measures, namely the Treynor ratio, Sharpe ratio, Jensen’s alpha, Sortino ratio and Omega ratio, and through the use of three performance measurement models which included the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), Fama-French three-factor model and Carhart four-factor model. The risk-adjusted performance of the sample of SRI funds was measured with the intent to establish if these funds out- or underperformed against three benchmark categories, namely the Financial Times Stock Exchange/Johannesburg Stock Exchange (FTSE/JSE) SRI Index, a matched sample of conventional investment (non-SRI) funds and the FTSE/JSE All Share Index. The probable effect of the 2007/08 global financial crisis was also measured to analyse whether such a hazardous market event affected the performance of the SRI funds. According to the results and findings, the risk-adjusted performance of the SRI funds has improved over the research period. However, the SRI funds neither outperformed nor underperformed against the three benchmark categories over the research period. The performance measurement models’ analysis indicated that the SRI funds were less sensitive to market fluctuations, more exposed to small capitalisation portfolios, more growth-oriented, and exhibited significant momentum after the period of the 2007/08 global financial crisis. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that the SRI funds significantly underperformed against the non-SRI funds during the Performance of socially responsible investment funds in South Africa research period. Mixed results were obtained with regards to the probable effect of the 2007/08 global financial crisis on the performance of the SRI funds.

Socially responsible investing has presented itself as a growing, multifaceted, advanced and sophisticated investment philosophy. Socially responsible investment (SRI) involves incorporating social, ethical and responsible investment objectives with financial investment objectives during the investment decision-making process. Social, ethical and responsible investment objectives are set in line with environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria which are established within the SRI strategy followed. SRI strategies include screening (negative, positive and best-of-sector), shareholder activism and cause-based investing. Although international SRI markets such as that of the United States of America and the United Kingdom are sophisticated and established markets, the South African SRI market is still relatively new and is yet to reach its full potential. Thus, as a growing market, little research regarding the long term risk-adjusted performance of SRI funds in South Africa has been conducted. The long term risk-adjusted performance of the sample of SRI funds was measured through the use of five risk-adjusted performance measures, namely the Treynor ratio, Sharpe ratio, Jensen’s alpha, Sortino ratio and Omega ratio, and through the use of three performance measurement models which included the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), Fama-French three-factor model and Carhart four-factor model. The risk-adjusted performance of the sample of SRI funds was measured with the intent to establish if these funds out- or underperformed against three benchmark categories, namely the Financial Times Stock Exchange/Johannesburg Stock Exchange (FTSE/JSE) SRI Index, a matched sample of conventional investment (non-SRI) funds and the FTSE/JSE All Share Index. The probable effect of the 2007/08 global financial crisis was also measured to analyse whether such a hazardous market event affected the performance of the SRI funds. According to the results and findings, the risk-adjusted performance of the SRI funds has improved over the research period. However, the SRI funds neither outperformed nor underperformed against the three benchmark categories over the research period. The performance measurement models’ analysis indicated that the SRI funds were less sensitive to market fluctuations, more exposed to small capitalisation portfolios, more growth-oriented, and exhibited significant momentum after the period of the 2007/08 global financial crisis. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that the SRI funds significantly underperformed against the non-SRI funds during the Performance of socially responsible investment funds in South Africa research period. Mixed results were obtained with regards to the probable effect of the 2007/08 global financial crisis on the performance of the SRI funds.

本文利用向量自我迴歸模型所得出來的殘差值來模擬未預期到的總體經濟訊息，以期限利差和一個月定存利率來捕捉殖利率曲線，以違約利差和股利收益率來描繪資產報酬的條件機率分布，本文實證未預期到的期限利差和未預期到的違約風險與淨值市價比因子和市值規模因子包含相同的訊息，因此後續檢驗這些能夠捕捉未來投資機會的總體經濟訊息比起Fama-French三因子模型是否對台灣股票橫斷面的平均報酬更具有解釋能力。 實證方法採用Fama-MacBeth(1973)兩階段迴歸方法，Fama-French三因子模型實證結果顯示台灣股票市場存在著負向的淨值市價比效果，但卻不存在著規模效果，這與國外一些學者研究1980年代之後規模效果逐漸消失的結論相同。在實證未預期到的總體經濟訊息模型時，由於被解釋變數為股票超額報酬率，因此常數項應該為不顯著的關係，但此假設強烈的被未預期到的總體經濟訊息模型拒絕，代表此模型可能遺漏了重要的解釋變數。因此，Fama-French 三因子模型對台灣股票橫斷面平均報酬率的解釋能力比未預期到的總體經濟訊息模型更佳。 / The Fama and French factors HML and SMB are correlated with innovations in variables that describe investment opportunities. I find that shocks to term spread and shocks to default spread have the same information with the Fama and French factors HML and SMB. This paper investigates whether a model that includes shocks to the aggregate dividend yield and term spread, default spread, and one-month deposit interest rate can explain the cross section of average return on Taiwan stock market as well as the Fama and French can. Using the Fama-MacBeth (1973) two steps cross-sectional regressions, I find there exists the negative book-to-market effect on Taiwan stock market, but the size effect disappears. Since the dependent variables in the regression is excess returns, the intercept of the cross-sectional regression should be zero. This hypothesis is strongly rejected in the case of the model includes shocks to the Macroeconomics variables and the market portfolio. It means this model omits some important variables, so the Fama and French three-factor model can explain the cross section of average returns better.

Notre thèse explore les facteurs de risque et les modèles des facteurs sur le marché boursier chinois A-share. Notre étude est basée sur le contexte du modèle facteur de Fama-French (FF). Tout d'abord, au chapitre 1, nous réexaminons l'applicabilité du Modèle Fama-French à Trois Facteurs (FF3F) et du dernier Modèle Fama-French à Cinq Facteurs (FF5F), compte tenu de plusieurs caractéristiques spéciales du marché boursier chinois. Les résultats empiriques montrent que le Modèle FF3F peut expliquer la majorité des variations de séries chronologiques des rentabilités des actions chinoises A-share. Au cours de la période d'échantillonnage, le marché bêta et le facteur SMB sont des déterminants importants pour expliquer la variation transversale des rentabilités des actions, cependant nous ne trouvons aucune prime de valeur. D’après la comparaison des performances des modèles FF3F et FF5F en présence de facteurs de rentabilité et d'investissement, le Modèle FF5F ne semble pas capturer plus de variations de rentabilités espérées que le modèle à trois facteurs, à l'exception des six portefeuilles pondérées en valeurs qui formés à partir de la taille et de la rentabilité opérationnelle.Dans le chapitre 2, nous examinons si les facteurs FF, SMB et HML, sont des proxys d'innovations de variables d'état sélectionnées (rendement de dividende agrégée, taux de T-bonds en un mois, l’écart de terme et l’écart de défaut) qui décrivent, sur la période recherche, les opportunités futures d'investissement sur le marché boursier chinois A-share. Les régressions chronologiques et les régressions des séries transversales sont réalisées sur cinq modèles comparatifs en utilisant l'approche à deux étapes Fama-MacBeth. Les facteurs FF ne perdent pas leur pouvoir explicatif, avec ou sans la présence des innovations des quatre variables d’états sélectionnées, à la fois dans les examens de séries chronologiques et les examens transversaux. Nous trouvons que l'information contenue dans l'innovation de rendements de dividende agrégés semble totalement capturée par la combinaison du marché bêta et du facteur de taille. Les facteurs FF ont pu jouer un rôle limité de capturer d'opportunités d'investissement alternatives représentées par les innovations des quatre variables d'état sélectionnées.Dans le chapitre 3, nous étudions si les facteurs FF sont des proxys de facteurs de risque de détresse et si différentes méthodes de construction des facteurs entraînent des résultats différents. Les résultats empiriques suggèrent qu'il n'y a pas de preuve significative que les facteurs FF représentent un risque de détresse sur le marché boursier chinois A-share. En comparant les résultats des régressions des séries chronologiques à partir de deux méthodes différentes, la performance du facteur de risque de détresse basé sur le DLI semble légèrement meilleure que celui basé sur le O-score. Cependant, le facteur de risque de détresse n'est pas un déterminant important des rentabilités transversales moyennes, et les facteurs FF ne peuvent pas représenter le facteur de risque de détresse dans la section transversale du marché boursier chinois A-share. / This dissertation is to explore the risk factors and factor models on Chinese A-share stock market based on the context of Fama-French (FF) factor model. First of all, chapter 1 re-examines the applicability of Fama-French Three-Factor (FF3F) Model and the latest Fama-French Five-Factor (FF5F) Model considering several special features of Chinese stock market. FF3F Model can explain a majority of time-series variation of the Chinese A-share stock returns. The market beta and SMB are important determinants in explaining the cross-sectional variation in the average stock returns over the sample period; however, we find no value premium. Comparing the performance of both FF3F Model and FF5F Model on Chinese A-share stock market, in the presence of profitability and investment factors, FF5F Model seems not capture more variations of expected stock returns than the three-factor model except the six value-weighted portfolios formed on size and operating profitability.Chapter 2 examines whether FF factors SMB and HML proxy for the innovations of selected state variables (aggregate dividend yield, one-month T-bill rate, term spread and default spread) that describe future investment opportunities on Chinese A-share stock market during the research period. Both time-series and cross-sectional regressions are performed on five comparative models using Fama-MacBeth two-stage approach. FF factors don’t lose their explanatory power with or without the presence of the innovations of selected four state variables in both the time-series and cross-sectional examinations. We find that the information contained in innovation of aggregate dividend yields seems totally captured by the combination of market beta and size factor. FF factors might have played a limited role in capturing alternative investment opportunities proxied by innovations of the selected four state variables.Chapter 3 investigates whether FF factors proxy for distress risk factor and whether different methods of constructing factors result in the different outcomes. The empirical results suggest that there is no significant evidence that FF factors are proxying for distress risk on Chinese A-share stock market. Comparing the time-series regression results by using two different methods, the distress risk factor constructed based on DLI seems to perform slightly better than that constructed based on O-score in capturing time-series average returns. However, the distress risk factor is not an important determinant of cross-sectional average returns, and FF factors cannot proxy as distress risk factor in the cross-section on Chinese A-share stock market.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att analysera och utvärdera Carharts fyrfaktormodells och Fama- Frenchs trefaktormodells prestanda vid portföljavkastning på den svenska aktiemarknaden, under perioden 2011–2020. Teori: Denna studie grundar sig i den effektiva marknadshypotesen, Fama och Frenchs trefaktormodell samt Carharts fyrfaktormodell. Metod: En kvantitativ studie med ett deduktivt förhållningssätt. Undersökningen utför tester på den svenska aktiemarknaden under perioden 2011–2020 genom en regressionsanalys. Upptäckter: Carharts fyrfaktormodell har en högre justerad förklaringsgrad än trefaktormodellen, vilket drivs av modellens förmåga att förklara avkastning på portföljer sorterade efter storlek och momentum. Originalitet: Studien särskiljer sig på grund av avsaknaden av forskning på den svenska aktiemarknaden. Vidare bidrar studien till ett forskningsområde för små öppna ekonomier, där den svenska aktiemarknaden ingår. / Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyze and evaluate Carhart's four-factor model’s and Fama-French's three-factor model's performance in portfolio returns on the Swedish stock market, during the period 2011–2020. Theory: This study is based on the effective market hypothesis, Fama and French's three- factor model and Carhart's four-factor model. Method: A quantitative study with a deductive approach. The survey performs tests on the Swedish stock market between the period 2011-2020 through a regression analysis. Findings: Carhart's four-factor model has a higher adjusted degree of explanation than the three-factor model, which is driven by the model's ability to explain returns on portfolios sorted by size and momentum. Originality: The study differs due to the lack of research on the Swedish stock market. Furthermore, the study contributes to a research area for small open economies, where the Swedish stock market is included.

Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is an equilibrium model to test relationship between expected return and market risk (Sharpe, 1964). The model research on pricing and return when the securities market reaches equilibrium and investors are rational and investing by diversification based on Markovitz portfolio theory (Markovitz, 1952). Fama and MacBeth (1973) proposed a cross-sectional testing methodology on CAPM and this regression method has been widely used in testing CAPM in developed markets since then. While CAPM is hard to explain more and more market anomalies (excessive return in smaller market value company) in cross section regression, Fama and French (1992) added two more factors (SMB and HML) and proposed three factor model. The empirical results show that three factor model is superior to CAPM in developed markets. Relevant studies have been conducted by Manjuunatha (2006) and Trimech et al. (2015) but show different results. This dissertation will use Fama-MacBeth cross section approach to test CAPM and Fama-French's three factor model in Chinese and Polish stock market respectively. Following Fama and MacBeth (1972) and Shweta and Anil (2015), three sub periods of Polish and Chinese stock market returns ranging from 2007 to 2018 are examined. The empirical results in this thesis...

The aim of this thesis is to examine an empirical relationship between multifrac- tality of financial time series and its returns. We approach the multifractality of a given time series as a measure of its complexity. Multifractal financial time series exhibit repeating self-similar patterns. Multifractality could be a good predictor of stock returns or a factor which can be used in asset pricing. We expected that capturing the complexity of a given time series by a model, a positive or a negative risk premia for investing into "more multifractal assets" could be found. Daily prices of 31 stock indices and daily returns of 10-years US government bonds were downloaded. All the data were recorded between 2012 and 2021. After estimation the multifractal spectra, applying MF-DFA method, of all stock indices, we ordered all stock indices from the lowest to the most multifractal. Then, we constructed a "multifractal portfolio" holding a long position in the 7 most multifractal and holding a short position in the 7 least multifractal stock indices. Fama-MacBeth regression with market risk premia and multifractal variable as independent variables was applied. Multi- fractality in all examined financial time series was found. We also found a very low negative risk premia for holding "a multifractal...

Sustainability has become a major societal trend and interest in sustainable investments has increased among investors. The purpose of this study is to investigate how sustainability affects Swedish funds' returns and risk. Since research on the impact of sustainability on funds focuses mostly on investments outside Sweden, this study has limited itself to Swedish funds to fill the gap in research. The study analyzes 67 Swedish funds during 2015-2019 using various models such as CAPM, Fama-French three-factor model and Sharpe ratio. Furthermore, the funds' sustainability is measured using Morningstar's sustainability rating. Results show no signs of linear regression between sustainability and results from different models and the results of the study are not statistically significant. Thus, the study concludes that it is not sustainability that affects risk and return among the Swedish funds, but there may be other factors that have not been taken into account in this study. However, previous research shows that sustainable funds perform better and are more stable during times of crisis. This study has not examined the Swedish funds during times of crisis, but this may be an interesting topic for future research. / Hållbarhet har blivit en stor samhällstrend och intresset för hållbara investeringar har ökat bland investerare. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur hållbarhet påverkar Sverigefonders avkastning och risk. Eftersom forskning kring hållbarhetens påverkan på fonder fokuserar mestadels på investeringar utanför Sverige har denna studie avgränsat sig till Sverigefonder för att fylla luckan i forskningen. Studien analyserar 67 Sverigefonder under 2015-2019 med hjälp av olika modeller såsom CAPM, Fama-French trefaktormodell och Sharpekvot. Vidare mäts fondernas hållbarhet med hjälp av Morningstar hållbarhetsbetyg. Resultat visar inga tecken på linjär regression mellan hållbarhet och resultat från olika modeller samt studiens resultat är inte statistiskt signifikanta. Därmed är studiens slutsats att det inte är hållbarhet som påverkar på risk och avkastning bland Sverigefonderna utan det kan vara andra faktorer som inte tagits hänsyn till i denna studie. Däremot visar tidigare forskning att hållbara fonder presterar bättre och är mer stabila under kristider. Denna studie har inte undersökt Sverigefonderna under kristider men detta kan vara ett intressant ämne för framtida forskning.

Det ökade fokuset på hållbarhet har gjort miljö-, social- och styrningsfaktorer (ESG) till kritiska faktorer när man fattar investeringsbeslut. Denna studie beskriver och analyserar sambandet mellan ESG-screening och finansiella prestandan hos portföljer inom STOXX Europe 600-indexet mellan 2019 och 2023. Studien tillämpar en kvantitativ ram för att analysera tre portföljer, var och en med olika tröskelvärden för ESG-screening, och undersöker om högre ESG-rating korrelerar med högre avkastning. Genom att tillämpa CAPM tillsammans med Fama Frenchs trefaktormodell samt prestationsmått som Sharpekvoten, Beta och Jensens Alfa, syftar studien till att ge en fördjupad jämförelse av portföljer med olika ESG-kriterier mot det europeiska aktieindexet. Resultaten visar att ESG-screenade portföljer inom STOXX Europe 600 inte överträffade indexet i hänsyn till deras riskjusterade avkastning. Denna studie bidrar till diskussionen om de ekonomiska fördelarna med hållbara investeringar, genom att visa att även om ESG-screenade portföljerna har högre hållbarhetsgrad, leder de inte nödvändigtvis till förbättrade finansiella resultat på de europeiska marknaderna. / The increasing focus on sustainability has made Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors critical elements when making investment decisions. This study evaluates the relationship of ESG screening and the financial performance of portfolios within the STOXX Europe 600 index between 2019 and 2023. Using a quantitative framework, this study analyzed three portfolios – each with different ESG-screening thresholds – to investigate whether higher ESG-rating correlates with higher financial returns. By applying CAPM and the Fama-French three-factor model along with performance metrics such as the Sharpe ratio, Beta and Jensen’s Alpha, the study aims to provide an in-depth comparison of portfolios with ESG-criteria against the European stock index. The results indicate that ESG-screened portfolios within STOXX Europe 600 did not outperform the unscreened index, in terms of risk-adjusted returns.  This study adds to the ongoing discussion about the financial benefits of sustainable investing by showing that whilst ESG-screened portfolios have higher sustainability measures, they do not necessarily lead to improved financial results in the European markets.