Connecting Expected Stock Returns to Accounting Valuation Multiples: A Primer

We outline a framework in which accounting “valuation anchors" could be connected to expected stock returns. Under two general conditions, expected log returns is a log- linear function of a valuation (market value-to-accounting) multiple and the expected growth in the valuation anchor. We show that the framework can: 1) allow for expected enterprise returns, 2) correct for the use of stale accounting data in estimation, and 3) accommodate differences in information quality. This analytical formulation is tractable and flexible, and provides building blocks for further innovations in accounting valuation research.