Momentum Decomposition: Evidence from Emerging Markets

Abstract

To explain the reason why momentum effect in emerging markets is much weaker than that in developed markets. We divide the traditional momentum returns into intra-style momentum and inter-style momentum effect on the basis of style investing. According to the result, intra-style momentum effect spreads widely in all of the twelve emerging markets, as the primary driving factor for the overall momentum effect. Besides, the inter-style momentum strategy has distinct property in all kinds of markets, leading to the poor performance of momentum strategy in some markets. It is also discovered in the cross-section regression that in emerging markets, the style-adjusted firm-specific return is in evidently positive correlation with the future stock return, but the relationship between the style return and future stock return is uncertain.