Exploring fundamental anomalies: Evidence from the Moroccan stock market

Abstract

Fundamental anomalies are explored, for the first time, in the Moroccan stock market. The sample includes non-financial companies from July 2001 to June 2020. We carry out, initially, sorts of returns on anomaly indicators, then, we follow through a regression analysis using a fixed-effect model and the system generalized method of moments methodology. The findings emphasize a significantly positive relationship between returns and the book-to-market ratio and a significantly negative relationship between returns and each of the price-to-earnings and the price-to-cash flow ratios. Regarding the size and the leverage effects, the findings highlight their absence. Finally, we cannot ascertain the existence of a positive or negative price-to-sales effect considering the contradictory results of the tests.

Keywords

• Fundamental anomalies
• fixed-effect model
• dynamic panel model
• SGMM methodology
• Moroccan stock market
• size effect