We report a theoretical investigation of electric multipole moments and the dipole and quadrupole (hyper)polarizability for the asymmetric stretching of carbon dioxide. The dependence of the properties on the displacement parameter Delta R is not uniform. At the CCSD(T) level of theory the dipole moment varies around the equilibrium position as mu(Delta R)/ea(0) = -1.21 Delta R + 0.02 Delta R-3. At the MP2 level we find for the dipole-quadrupole polarizability A(zzz)(Delta R)/e(2)a(0)(3)E(h)(-1) = 23.6 Delta R - 1.2 Delta R-3, A(x,zx)(Delta R)/e(2)a(0)(3)E(h)(-1) = 17.7 Delta R + 0.9 Delta R-3. Our best value for the derivative (d mu/d Delta R)(e) = -1.21 e is in very good agreement with experiment. For the mean polarizability we obtain (d(2)(alpha) over bar /d Delta R-2)(e) = 0.68 e(2)a(0)E(h)(-1) which lifts the existing ambiguity for the respective experimental findings. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.