With this insight, the paper has explored how the operating and financing components
relate to subsequent stock returns which their composite, B/P forecasts. The enterprise book-toprice
ratio is positively related to returns, affirming that it is the difference between price and
book value, not solely leverage, which accounts for the B/P effect. This observation accords with
the view that the enterprise book-to-price ratio is a firm characteristic that loads on a risk factor,
but is also consistent with the mispricing of book values. In absence of a well-specified asset
37
pricing model, the issue cannot be sorted out. However, finance theory is quite definite that
adding financing leverage to operating risk should be rewarded with higher return. Rather we
find that, conditional upon the enterprise book-to-price ratio, market leverage is negatively
correlated with subsequent returns. Accordingly, while investing on the basis of (levered) B/P
should yield additional return (as a reward for the leverage risk) over that indicated by the
difference between price and book value, the return is in fact less.