Using VIX and Investor Sentiment to Explain Stock Market Returns

Do stock market return volatility (as a measure of risk) and aggregate investor sentiment (as a measure of risk tolerance) work well jointly to explain stock market returns? In their June 2023 paper entitled “Time-varying Equity Premia with a High-VIX Threshold and Sentiment”, Naresh Bansal and Chris Stivers investigate the in-sample power an optimal CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) threshold rule and a linear Baker-Wurgler investor sentiment relationship to explain future variation in U.S. stock market excess return (relative to U.S. Treasury bill yield). They skip one month between VIX/sentiment measurements and stock market returns to accommodate investor digestion of new information. They consider return horizons of 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. They also extend this 2-factor model to include the lagged Treasury implied-volatility index (ICE BofAML MOVE Index) as a third explanatory variable. Using monthly excess stock market return and VIX during January 1990 through December 2022, monthly  investor sentiment during January 1990 through June 2022 and monthly MOVE index during October 1997 through December 2022, they find that:

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