Finally, Gebhardt et al. (1999) show that the implied cost-of-capital based on a RIM
model is correlated with many firm-risk characteristics, while estimates based on historical
realized returns are not. Specifically, they find that the market uses a higher
discount rate for firms with higher leverage, lower analyst foUowings, lower liquidity,
and more volatile (and less predictable) earnings. They also find that a large proportion
of the cross-sectional variation in the implied cost-of-capital can be explained by these
factors, suggesting it is possible to estimate a cost-of-capital based on these factors
without appealing to a traditional asset pricing model. This line of research is still in its
infancy, but the early results are encouraging and the potential payoff is substantial.