WSEAS Transactions on Business and Economics
Print ISSN: 1109-9526, E-ISSN: 2224-2899
Volume 23, 2026
Optimal Stopping and Bubble Riding under Limited Arbitrage Constraints: An Empirical Study based on A-Share Market Microstructure
Authors: , , ,
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Abstract: The Chinese A-share market, characterized by its unique retail-dominated structure and institutional constraints, exhibits pricing features distinct from mature markets. This study constructs a portfolio management framework adapted to the microstructure of the A-share market and examines how institutional investors can generate excess returns through Bubble Riding and Factor Timing strategies when limited arbitrage and investor irrationality coexist. First, using a synchronization-risk framework and a behavioral overreaction mechanism, we derive that the optimal strategy for rational arbitrageurs under heterogeneous beliefs and short-sale constraints can shift from immediate mean reversion to momentum-following. Subsequently, we integrate a China-localized factor construction and conduct an empirical study using A-share data from 2020 to 2026 collected through Python and the Baostock interface. The results show that: (1) traditional Fama-French factors are weakened in the A-share market when shell-value contamination is ignored, and excluding the bottom 30% of micro-cap stocks improves pricing efficiency; (2) momentum and sentiment factors exhibit nonlinear characteristics across market regimes; and (3) a dynamic risk-control strategy based on market-wide turnover rates—penalizing high-volatility exposure during bubble periods and increasing beta exposure during freezing periods—substantially outperforms the CSI 300 index out of sample.
Keywords:
A-share Market, Portfolio Management, Bubble Riding, Factor Models, Investor Sentiment, Shell Value, Baostock
Pages: 1098-1106
DOI: 10.37394/23207.2026.23.84