three-factor alphas for the asset growth decile portfolios, but
to save space in the tables we only report the alpha results for the first year
after portfolio formation (we discuss the event-time alpha results in the text).
For most of our portfolio tests throughout the paper, we concentrate on pricing
errors from the three-factor model. Using the three-factor model’s pricing errors
to make inferences about growth (instead of solely examining raw returns) is
important, since spreads in raw returns from the asset growth-sorted portfolios
are likely to be explained somewhat by the size and BM factors. Throughout
the paper, our null is based on the initial assumption that the three-factor
model does an adequate job of explaining expected returns associated with
firm growth.11 Thus, statistically significant nonzero intercepts from the threefactor
model serve as preliminary evidence of mispricing that merits further
scrutiny in the paper.