Beta, value, and growth: Do dichotomous risk-preferences explain stock returns?

Abstract

I propose a Capital Asset Pricing Model in which investor demand exhibits a speculative component. In equilibrium, investors' optimal trade-off between diversification and speculation generates predictable patterns for stocks with extreme book-to-market ratios. Using data on U.S. stocks, I find evidence consistent with the model predictions. I show that the value premium varies with investors’ propensity to speculate, and therefore includes a substantial behavioral component. Overall, the findings shed new light on the role of dichotomous risk-preferences in asset pricing.