In this paper, we look specifically at the effect of industry volatility on momentum returns, a phenomenon that has been overlooked in previous studies. We find that industry volatility has asymmetric effects on the winner and loser portfolios. The cross‐sectional variation in the returns of high and low‐volatility winners is driven primarily by industry volatility. It disappears after controlling for the effect of industry volatility on total firm volatility. However, for firms in the loser portfolios, the differential return between high and low volatile stocks remains even after adjusting for industry volatility. This implies that momentum returns are mainly induced by industry specific news at the winners' level and firm‐specific factors at the losers' level. The results are robust even after controlling for different levels of liquidity.

Copyright and moral rights to this thesis/research project are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. Any use of the thesis/research project for private study or research must be properly acknowledged with reference to the work's full bibliographic details.This thesis/research project may not be reproduced in any format or medium, or extensive quotations taken from it, or its content changed in any way, without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s).If you believe that any material held in the repository infringes copyright law, please contact the Repository Team at Middlesex University via the following email address:eprints@mdx.ac.ukThe item will be removed from the repository while any claim is being investigated. 1The relevance of information and trading costs in explaining momentum profits: Evidence from optioned and non-optioned stocks Sina Badreddine Middlesex University Emilios C Galariotis Audencia Nantes School of Management, PRES UNAM Phil Holmes University of Leeds AbstractConsiderable evidence from many countries suggests momentum strategies generate profits. These have been difficult to rationalise and evidence on the sources of such profitability is inconclusive. We utilise a sample of optioned stocks, characterised by high liquidity, high market capitalisation and fewer short sales constraints and compare results with control samples of non optioned stocks chosen on the basis of market value, turnover and bid-ask spread. The sample characteristics, and the fact that derivatives improve the impounding of information into prices, enable us to draw conclusions about the causes of momentum profits.While we find that short sales constraints are not the major driver of profitability and that most momentum profits disappear using two transactions costs measures of the bid-ask spread, one not previously used, the persistence of some momentum profits indicates that the market underreacts even to the most publicly available information.JEL Classification: G1, G14

PurposeThis paper examines the dividend smoothing (DS) behaviour in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in emerging markets where the response to news and the economic environment are different from those of developed countries.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examine the effect of share price informativeness on DS in the GCC markets using unbalanced panel data for a sample of 628 GCC-listed firms during 1994–2016. For the regression analysis, the hypotheses are tested using panel regressions and generalised method of moments (GMM) estimation.FindingsFirst, the Lintner model shows that the DS degree in GCC firms is comparable to that of a developed market. Second, and importantly, the results reveal that the DS in GCC firms is sensitive to private information of share prices. Finally, the findings indicate that information asymmetry (IA) and agency-based models affect the tendency to smooth dividends in the GCC markets.Originality/valueThis study is the first study to measure the degree of DS using data for all GCC countries. The authors also identify other determinants of DS behaviour and test the agency and IA explanations for DS in GCC-listed firms. The findings are highly recommended to financial managers and analysts dealing with the GCC markets. This study helps financial analysts to use the share price informativeness as an indicator for the presence of the IA. The study results are beneficial to researchers in understanding the relationship between DS and share price informativeness.