An Empirical Study on Asset Pricing Models Based on The Chinese A-Share Market

Abstract

Based on the analysis of the A-share markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2000 to 2023, this paper systematically evaluates the applicability and explanatory power of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), the Fama-French Three-Factor Model (FF3) and the Fama-French Five-Factor Model (FF5) in the Chinese market. The study finds that although CAPM has some explanatory power in the early stage, the three-factor and five-factor models can better explain the cross-sectional changes in stock returns as the market develops. In the descriptive statistics, each factor's volatility and correlation reveal the Chinese market's unique characteristics, such as the relative strength of small-cap and growth stocks. In the regression analysis, the results of the Fama-MacBeth regression showed that the significance and explanatory power of the market factor, size factor and value factor were different in different models. Further robustness analysis reveals the COVID-19's impact on the model's performance through the sub-period analysis. This paper provides a new perspective on understanding the asset pricing of China's A-share market and a theoretical basis for investors' investment decisions. It also points out the limitations of existing models in explaining emerging market equity returns. It suggests that future research can deeply explore the performance of more factors in different market environments.