The Stock Market, The Theory of Rational Expectations, and The Efficient Market Hypothesis
The Stock Market, The Theory of Rational Expectations, and The Efficient Market Hypothesis
The Stock Market, The Theory of Rational Expectations, and The Efficient Market Hypothesis
The Stock
Market, the
Theory of
Rational
Expectations,
and the Efficient
Market
Hypothesis
Div1 P1
P0
(1 ke ) (1 ke )
P0 = the current price of the stock
Div1 = the dividend paid at the end of year 1
ke = the required return on investment in equity
P1 = the sale price of the stock at the end of the first period
Example:
Compute the price of the Intel stock if, after a
careful consideration, you decide that you
would be satisfied to earn 12% return on
investment. You are also told that Intel pays
$0.16 per year in dividends and forecast the
share price of $60 for next year.
The value of stock today is the present value of all future cash flows
D1 D2 Dn Pn
P0 ...
(1 ke )1 (1 ke ) 2 (1 ke ) n (1 ke ) n
If Pn is far in the future, it will not affect P0
Dt
P0
t 1 (1 ke )t
The price of the stock is determined only by the present value of
the future dividend stream
Example:
Find the value of the stock that sells for $50
seventy-five years from now using a 12%
discount rate. Assuming the stock pays no
dividend.
Multiply both sides of the equation with (1+ke)/ (1+g) and subtract from the
original equation
ke > g
• Adaptive expectations:
– Expectations are formed from past
experience only.
– Changes in expectations will occur slowly
over time as data changes.
– However, people use more than just past
data to form their expectations and
sometimes change their expectations
quickly.
X e X of
X e expectation of the variable that is being forecast
X of = optimal forecast using all available information
Recall
The rate of return from holding a security equals the sum of the capital
gain on the security, plus any cash payments divided by the
initial purchase price of the security.
Pt 1 Pt C
R
Pt
R = the rate of return on the security
Pt 1 = price of the security at time t + 1, the end of the holding period
Pt = price of the security at time t , the beginning of the holding period
C = cash payment (coupon or dividend) made during the holding period
P Pt C e
R e t 1
Pt
Expectations of future prices are equal to optimal forecasts using all
currently available information so
P P R R
e
t 1
of
t 1
e of
R of R* Pt R of
R of R* Pt R of
until
R of R*
In an efficient market, all unexploited profit opportunities will
be eliminated