Expected stock returns, real business activity and consumption smoothing

Abstract

This paper develops a general equilibrium asset-pricing model that incorporates both production technology and consumption-smoothing behavior. It shows that technology and productivity shocks, labor input and capital stock are important factors in explaining the behavior of expected asset returns. Empirical tests indicate that, while technology shocks and growth in capital stock are significant factors in explaining asset returns, it is the labor growth variable that appears to provide most of the explanatory power. Furthermore, our results indicate that investors are likely to have high levels of relative risk aversion as well as consumption-smoothing behavior.