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Superstition and Financial Decision Making

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  • David Hirshleifer

    (Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92617)

  • Ming Jian

    (Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798)

  • Huai Zhang

    (Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798)

Abstract

In Chinese culture, certain digits are lucky and others unlucky. We test how such numerological superstition affects financial decision in the China initial public offering (IPO) market. We find that the frequency of lucky numerical stock listing codes exceeds what would be expected by chance. Also consistent with superstition effects, newly listed firms with lucky listing codes experience inferior post-IPO abnormal returns. Further tests suggest that our conclusions are not driven by endogeneity.

Suggested Citation

  • David Hirshleifer & Ming Jian & Huai Zhang, 2018. "Superstition and Financial Decision Making," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(1), pages 235-252, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:64:y:2018:i:1:p:235-252
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2016.2584
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    4. Zeng, Huixiang & Zhang, Xinxin & Zhou, Zhifang & Zhang, Tao & Zhou, Qiong, 2022. "Does the effect of the annual year taboo exist? Empirical evidence from senior managers’ zodiac year and corporate inefficient investment," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(6).
    5. Hao, Jing, 2023. "Retail investor attention and corporate innovation in the big data era," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    6. Bhattacharya, Haimanti & Dugar, Subhasish, 2022. "Business norm versus norm-nudge as a contract-enforcing mechanism: Evidence from a real marketplace," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
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    9. Titman, Sheridan & Wei, Chishen & Zhao, Bin, 2022. "Corporate actions and the manipulation of retail investors in China: An analysis of stock splits," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(3), pages 762-787.
    10. Shanaev, Savva & Shuraeva, Arina & Fedorova, Svetlana, 2022. "The Groundhog Day stock market anomaly," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    11. Wu, Nan & Zhang, Xiaomeng & Zhou, Wenyu, 2023. "The impacts of superstition on risk preferences and beliefs: Evidence from the Chinese zodiac year," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    12. Kooli, Maher & Zhou, Xiaozhou, 2020. "IPO flipping activity in China and its implications," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    13. Tong V. Wang & Rogier J. D. Potter van Loon & Martijn J. van den Assem & Dennie van Dolder, 2016. "Number preferences in lotteries," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 11(3), pages 243-259, May.
    14. Ke, Wen-Chyan & Chen, Hueiling & Lin, Hsiou-Wei W. & Liu, Yo-Chia, 2017. "The impact of numerical superstition on the final digit of stock price," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 145-157.
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    18. Jasjit Singh & Nina Teng & Serguei Netessine, 2019. "Philanthropic Campaigns and Customer Behavior: Field Experiments on an Online Taxi Booking Platform," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(2), pages 913-932, February.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    asset pricing; information and market efficiency; international financial markets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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