Thies Lindenthal

Thies Lindenthal

Research and teaching, mostly real estate finance, a bit of Big Data, ML, domain names, and a careful dose of proptech. University of Cambridge, Department of Land Economy.

less than 1 minute read

This article estimates the first constant quality price index for Internet domain names. The suggested index provides a benchmark for domain name traders and investors looking for information on price trends, historical returns, and the fundamental risk of Internet domain names. The index increases transparency in the market for this newly emerged asset class. A cointegration analysis shows that domain registrations and resale prices form a long-run equilibrium and indicates supply constraints in domain space. This study explores a large data set of domain sales spanning the years 2006 to 2013. Differences in the quality of individual domain names are controlled for in hedonic repeat sales regressions.

How to cite: Lindenthal, T. (2014), Valuable Words: The Price Dynamics of Internet Domain Names. J Assn Inf Sci Tec, 65: 869-881. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23012

Full Paper (PDF)

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Working Paper: Enhancing Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Return Forecasts via Machine Learning

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We add to the emerging literature on machine learning empirical asset pricing by analyzing a comprehensive set of return prediction factors on REITs. We show that machine learning models are superior to traditional ordinary least square models and we find that REIT investors experience significant economic gains when using machine learning forecasts. Comparing to the stock market, we show that REITs are more predictable than stocks, and that the higher predictability is stable across time and across industry types.

The MPhils were back in town!

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It was such a joy to welcome back our MPhil alumni and former colleagues for the 2024 MPhil reunion! I truly enjoyed the evening, hearing all about your impressive careers—but, more importantly, seeing old friendships glowing strong and new bonds forming.Sometimes, the beauty of working in education gets lost in the daily grind. Being there with you wonderful people, I felt grateful, sentimental, and curious about your next steps. Thanks to all for the reunion, and I hope to see you again soon!

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Blog post: Predictable REIT returns

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