Quant BuffetRelax, Not Over Thinking

Intangibles Intensity in 10-K Reports

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Academic paper

Is Intangibles Talk Informative about Future Returns? Evidence from 10-K Filings

AuthorsDavid Alexander; Amir Hosseini; Anup Srivastava

Institute
  • CAUniversity of Calgary
  • ?Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
  • ?University of Calgary - Haskayne School of Business
  • University of Warwick
  • ?University of Warwick - Warwick Business School

Strategy in a nutshell

This strategy invests in U.S. stocks by analyzing the frequency of intangible-related words in annual 10-K filings. Firms with high intangible talk are bought, while those with low intangible talk are shorted, using yearly rebalancing.

Economic rationale

The rationale is that intangible-related disclosures capture valuable signals not explained by traditional risk factors. Evidence shows these signals deliver superior returns, supporting the mispricing hypothesis and highlighting the growing importance of intangibles in valuation.

Backtest performance

Annualised return3.61%
Volatility12.38%
Sharpe ratio0.29