Sentiment and stock prices: The case of aviation disasters

Guy Kaplanski, Haim Levy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

386 Scopus citations

Abstract

Behavioral economic studies reveal that negative sentiment driven by bad mood and anxiety affects investment decisions and may hence affect asset pricing. In this study we examine the effect of aviation disasters on stock prices. We find evidence of a significant negative event effect with an average market loss of more than $60 billion per aviation disaster, whereas the estimated actual loss is no more than $1 billion. In two days a price reversal occurs. We find the effect to be greater in small and riskier stocks and in firms belonging to less stable industries. This event effect is also accompanied by an increase in the perceived risk: implied volatility increases after aviation disasters without an increase in actual volatility.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)174-201
Number of pages28
JournalJournal of Financial Economics
Volume95
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2010

Keywords

  • Behavioral finance
  • Disasters
  • Event effect
  • Market sentiment
  • Reversal effect

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