Volatility feedback effect and risk-return tradeoff

Using the two alternative measures of the ex-ante unexpected volatility shock, we show that the volatility feedback effect plays an important role in the intertemporal risk-return tradeoff. The empirical results indicate that the volatility feedback effect reinforces the positive risk-return relation conditional on bad market news but attenuates the relation under good market news. The results provide strong evidence that an extremely heightened risk-return tradeoff caused by a high level of volatility feedback effect might lead to a market crash, even with no macroeconomic uncertainties in the markets. Also, the results show that the asymmetric volatility feedback effect is attributable to the negative correlation between the concurrent volatility and a price change. The state-dependent volatility feedback effect is observed for different market conditions such as high and low market sentiments and business cycles.