
Purpose: This study attempts to empirically investigate the pair trading performance of financial and non-financial firms in Pakistan. Methodology: Daily data from 2008 to 2017 was collected for nine years. Cointegration and the distance approach were the two major analytical techniques used to evaluate the profitability of pair trading. The financial and non-financial sectors of the Pakistan Stock Exchange were used to build the pairs. Findings: Results showed that the top 5 pairs of portfolios exhibited the highest average excess returns of 0.0698, and Jensen's alpha is 0.0947 for the top 5 pairs. All pairs of firms showed significant and positive risk-adjusted performance. In the non-financial sector, the Top 10 pairs of portfolios had the highest average excess returns of 0.0789, and Jensen's alpha under the co-integration method for non-financial firms for all pairs 5, 10, 15, and 20 of the portfolios is also substantial and positive for risk-adjusted performance, with 0.0046, 0.0618, 0.0577, and 0.0493, respectively. Finally, pair trading under both techniques showed profitability. However, the co-integration technique exhibited better performance than the distance method. Conclusion: The study concluded that both pair trading techniques, particularly the co-integration technique, exhibited profitable pair trading performance that can assist investors and fund managers to earn positive returns on their investments regardless of market direction.
Financial economics, HF5001-6182, Economics, Profitability index, Social Sciences, Alternative trading system, Business, Management and Accounting, Financial market, Trading strategy, FOS: Economics and business, Accounting, Management. Industrial management, Business, Econometrics, Impact of Working Capital Management on Firm Profitability, Financial Performance, Cointegration, Asset Pricing and Market Efficiency, HD28-70, Pairs trade, Economics, Econometrics and Finance, HG1-9999, Pair trading, Distance method, Co-integration method, PXE, Financial and Non-financial, Algorithmic trading, Finance
Financial economics, HF5001-6182, Economics, Profitability index, Social Sciences, Alternative trading system, Business, Management and Accounting, Financial market, Trading strategy, FOS: Economics and business, Accounting, Management. Industrial management, Business, Econometrics, Impact of Working Capital Management on Firm Profitability, Financial Performance, Cointegration, Asset Pricing and Market Efficiency, HD28-70, Pairs trade, Economics, Econometrics and Finance, HG1-9999, Pair trading, Distance method, Co-integration method, PXE, Financial and Non-financial, Algorithmic trading, Finance
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