IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/isacfm/v28y2021i3p173-181.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Explaining stock markets' performance during the COVID‐19 crisis: Could Google searches be a significant behavioral indicator?

Author

Listed:
  • Evangelos Vasileiou

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the pandemic on the performance of stock markets, focusing on the behavioral influence of the fear due to COVID‐19. Using a data set of 10 developed countries during the period December 31, 2019, to September 30, 2020, we examine the impact of COVID‐19 on the performance of the stock markets. We incorporate the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic using the following variables: (a) the number of new COVID‐19 cases, which was widely used as the main explanatory variable for market performance in early financial studies, and (b) a Google Search index, which collects the number of Google searches related to COVID‐19 and incorporates the health risk and the fear of COVID‐19 (the higher the number of searches for Covid terms, the higher the index value, and the higher the fear index). We employ our input into an EGARCH(1,1,1) model, and the findings show that the Google Search index enables us to draw statistically significant information regarding the impact of the COVID‐19 fear on the performance of the stock markets. On the other hand, the variable of the number of new COVID‐19 cases does not have any statistically significant influence on the performance of the stock markets. Google searches could be a useful tool for supporters of behavioral finance, scholars, and practitioners.

Suggested Citation

  • Evangelos Vasileiou, 2021. "Explaining stock markets' performance during the COVID‐19 crisis: Could Google searches be a significant behavioral indicator?," Intelligent Systems in Accounting, Finance and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(3), pages 173-181, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:isacfm:v:28:y:2021:i:3:p:173-181
    DOI: 10.1002/isaf.1499
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/isaf.1499
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/isaf.1499?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thiemo Fetzer & Lukas Hensel & Johannes Hermle & Christopher Roth, 2021. "Coronavirus Perceptions and Economic Anxiety," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 103(5), pages 968–978-9, December.
    2. Zhang, Dayong & Hu, Min & Ji, Qiang, 2020. "Financial markets under the global pandemic of COVID-19," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    3. Evangelos Vasileiou & Aristeidis Samitas & Maria Karagiannaki & Jagadish Dandu, 2021. "Health risk and the efficient market hypothesis in the time of COVID-19," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(2), pages 210-223, March.
    4. Shen, Dehua & Urquhart, Andrew & Wang, Pengfei, 2019. "Does twitter predict Bitcoin?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 118-122.
    5. Trueman, Brett, 1994. "Analyst Forecasts and Herding Behavior," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 7(1), pages 97-124.
    6. De Bondt, Werner F M & Thaler, Richard, 1985. "Does the Stock Market Overreact?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 40(3), pages 793-805, July.
    7. Demirer, RIza & Kutan, Ali M., 2006. "Does herding behavior exist in Chinese stock markets?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 123-142, April.
    8. Michael B. Clement & Senyo Y. Tse, 2005. "Financial Analyst Characteristics and Herding Behavior in Forecasting," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(1), pages 307-341, February.
    9. Tim Loughran & Bill McDonald, 2020. "Textual Analysis in Finance," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 12(1), pages 357-375, December.
    10. Decker, Simon & Schmitz, Hendrik, 2016. "Health shocks and risk aversion," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 156-170.
    11. Lyócsa, Štefan & Molnár, Peter, 2020. "Stock market oscillations during the corona crash: The role of fear and uncertainty," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    12. Tim Loughran & Bill McDonald, 2015. "The Use of Word Lists in Textual Analysis," Journal of Behavioral Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, January.
    13. Thomas A. Garrett, 2008. "Pandemic economics: the 1918 influenza and its modern-day implications," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 90(Mar), pages 74-94.
    14. Fama, Eugene F. & Schwert, G. William, 1977. "Asset returns and inflation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 115-146, November.
    15. Matthew Rabin & Richard H. Thaler, 2013. "Anomalies: Risk aversion," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Leonard C MacLean & William T Ziemba (ed.), HANDBOOK OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING Part I, chapter 27, pages 467-480, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    16. Albulescu, Claudiu Tiberiu, 2021. "COVID-19 and the United States financial markets’ volatility," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    17. Smith, Richard D. & Yago, Milton & Millar, Michael & Coast, Jo, 2005. "Assessing the macroeconomic impact of a healthcare problem: The application of computable general equilibrium analysis to antimicrobial resistance," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 1055-1075, November.
    18. Conghui Chen & Lanlan Liu & Ningru Zhao, 2020. "Fear Sentiment, Uncertainty, and Bitcoin Price Dynamics: The Case of COVID-19," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(10), pages 2298-2309, August.
    19. Marcus R. Keogh‐Brown & Simon Wren‐Lewis & W. John Edmunds & Philippe Beutels & Richard D. Smith, 2010. "The possible macroeconomic impact on the UK of an influenza pandemic," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(11), pages 1345-1360, November.
    20. Jacob Boudoukh & Ronen Feldman & Shimon Kogan & Matthew Richardson, 2013. "Which News Moves Stock Prices? A Textual Analysis," NBER Working Papers 18725, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kothari, S. P., 2001. "Capital markets research in accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 105-231, September.
    2. Aharon, David Y. & Siev, Smadar, 2021. "COVID-19, government interventions and emerging capital markets performance," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    3. Konstantinos Gkillas & Christoforos Konstantatos & Costas Siriopoulos, 2021. "Uncertainty Due to Infectious Diseases and Stock–Bond Correlation," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Narayan, Paresh Kumar & Phan, Dinh Hoang Bach & Liu, Guangqiang, 2021. "COVID-19 lockdowns, stimulus packages, travel bans, and stock returns," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    5. Nepp, Alexander & Okhrin, Ostap & Egorova, Julia & Dzhuraeva, Zarnigor & Zykov, Alexander, 2022. "What threatens stock markets more - The coronavirus or the hype around it?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 519-539.
    6. Liu, Zhifeng & Huynh, Toan Luu Duc & Dai, Peng-Fei, 2021. "The impact of COVID-19 on the stock market crash risk in China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    7. Gavriilidis, Konstantinos & Kallinterakis, Vasileios & Ferreira, Mario Pedro Leite, 2013. "Institutional industry herding: Intentional or spurious?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 192-214.
    8. Anastasiou, Dimitris & Ballis, Antonis & Drakos, Konstantinos, 2022. "Constructing a positive sentiment index for COVID-19: Evidence from G20 stock markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    9. Zaheda Daruwala, 2022. "Reactive or Immune: Stock Market Behaviour During Subsequent Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 12(6), pages 92-106, November.
    10. Lin, Mei-Chen, 2018. "The impact of aggregate uncertainty on herding in analysts' stock recommendations," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 90-105.
    11. Saadaoui Mallek, Ray & Albaity, Mohamed & Molyneux, Philip, 2022. "Herding behaviour heterogeneity under economic and political risks: Evidence from GCC," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 345-361.
    12. Chiang, Thomas C. & Li, Jiandong & Tan, Lin, 2010. "Empirical investigation of herding behavior in Chinese stock markets: Evidence from quantile regression analysis," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 111-124.
    13. Syed, Sarfaraz Ali Shah, 2022. "Stock market in the age of COVID19: Mere acclimatization or Stockholm syndrome?," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    14. Babalos, Vassilios & Stavroyiannis, Stavros & Gupta, Rangan, 2015. "Do commodity investors herd? Evidence from a time-varying stochastic volatility model," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(P2), pages 281-287.
    15. Tan, Lin & Chiang, Thomas C. & Mason, Joseph R. & Nelling, Edward, 2008. "Herding behavior in Chinese stock markets: An examination of A and B shares," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 16(1-2), pages 61-77, January.
    16. Beniamino Callegari & Christophe Feder, 2022. "The long-term economic effects of pandemics: toward an evolutionary approach [Epidemics and trust: the case of the Spanish flu]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 31(3), pages 715-735.
    17. Jian Zhou & Randy Anderson, 2013. "An Empirical Investigation of Herding Behavior in the U.S. REIT Market," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 83-108, July.
    18. ?ikolaos A. Kyriazis, 2021. "Impacts of Stock Indices, Oil, and Twitter Sentiment on Major Cryptocurrencies during the COVID-19 First Wave," Bulletin of Applied Economics, Risk Market Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 133-146.
    19. Karlsson, Martin & Nilsson, Therese & Pichler, Stefan, 2012. "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger? The Impact of the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic on Economic Performance in Sweden," Working Paper Series 911, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    20. Reveley Callum & Shanaev Savva & Bin Yu & Panta Humnath & Ghimire Binam, 2023. "Analyst herding—whether, why, and when? Two new tests for herding detection in target forecast prices," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 9(4), pages 25-55, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:isacfm:v:28:y:2021:i:3:p:173-181. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/1099-1174/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.