Do Trading Volume and Bid-Ask Spread Contain Information to Predict Stock Returns? Intraday Evidence from India

Abstract

Relying on the mixture of distribution hypothesis (MDH) and the sequential information arrival hypothesis (SIAH), this paper empirically examines the relationship between stock returns, trading volume and bid-ask spread for 50 Indian stocks using high frequency 5-minute data set for the period July 2, 2012 to December 31, 2012. This is the first study in India using bid-ask spread as yet another measure of information flow variable along with trading volume. Our empirical findings provide evidence of a positive contemporaneous relationship between absolute returns and trading volume as well as between absolute returns and bid-ask spread. The Granger causality test results show that the information content of trading volume and bid-ask spread are useful for predicting stock returns in Indian stock market. Overall results seem to indicate that information arrival to investors tends to follow a sequential rather than simultaneous process as suggested by SIAH. In summary, both trading volume and bid-ask spread serve as a good measure of information variable in India.