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Do Option-like Incentives Induce Overvaluation? Evidence from Experimental Asset Markets

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  • Holmén, Martin

    (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)

  • Kirchler, Michael

    (University of Innsbruck and University of Gothenburg)

  • Kleinlercher, Daniel

    (University of Innsbruck)

Abstract

One potential reason for bubbles evolving prior to the financial crisis was excessive risk taking stemming from option-like incentive schemes in financial institutions. By running laboratory asset markets, we investigate the impact of option-like incentives on price formation and trading behavior. We observe (i) that option-like incentives induce significantly higher market prices than linear incentives. We further find that (ii) option-like incentives provoke subjects to behave differently and to take more risk than subjects with linear incentives. We finally show that (iii) trading at inflated prices is rational for subjects with option-like incentives since it increases their expected payout.

Suggested Citation

  • Holmén, Martin & Kirchler, Michael & Kleinlercher, Daniel, 2012. "Do Option-like Incentives Induce Overvaluation? Evidence from Experimental Asset Markets," Working Papers in Economics 540, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics, revised 21 Nov 2012.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0540
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/30294
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    Cited by:

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    2. Stéphane Robin & Kateřina Strážnická & Marie Claire Villeval, 2021. "Bubbles and incentives: an experiment on asset markets," Economic and Political Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 68-89, January.
    3. Sascha Baghestanian & Paul Gortner & Baptiste Massenot, 2017. "Compensation schemes, liquidity provision, and asset prices: an experimental analysis," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 20(2), pages 481-505, June.
    4. Te Bao & Edward Halim & Charles N. Noussair & Yohanes E. Riyanto, 2021. "Managerial incentives and stock price dynamics: an experimental approach," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 24(2), pages 617-648, June.
    5. Fang, Dawei & Holmén, Martin & Kleinlercher, Daniel & Kirchler, Michael, 2017. "How tournament incentives affect asset markets: A comparison between winner-take-all tournaments and elimination contests," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1-27.
    6. Michael Kirchler & Florian Lindner & Utz Weitzel, 2018. "Rankings and Risk‐Taking in the Finance Industry," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 73(5), pages 2271-2302, October.
    7. Füllbrunn, Sascha & Luhan, Wolfgang J., 2020. "Responsibility and limited liability in decision making for others – An experimental consideration," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    8. Annalisa Fabretti & Tommy Gärling & Stefano Herzel & Martin Holmen, 2017. "Convex incentives in financial markets: an agent-based analysis," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 40(1), pages 375-395, November.
    9. Baghestanian, Sascha & Gortner, Paul & Massenot, Baptiste, 2015. "Compensation schemes, liquidity provision, and asset prices: An experimental analysis," SAFE Working Paper Series 108, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    10. Kleinlercher, Daniel & Huber, Jürgen & Kirchler, Michael, 2014. "The impact of different incentive schemes on asset prices," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 137-150.
    11. Angerer, Martin & Szymczak, Wiebke, 2019. "The impact of endogenous and exogenous cash inflows in experimental asset markets," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 216-238.
    12. Owen Powell & Natalia Shestakova, 2017. "Experimental asset markets: behavior and bubbles," Chapters, in: Morris Altman (ed.), Handbook of Behavioural Economics and Smart Decision-Making, chapter 21, pages 375-391, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Yang, Xiaolan & Gao, Mei & Wu, Yun & Jin, Xuejun, 2018. "Performance evaluation and herd behavior in a laboratory financial market," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 45-54.
    14. Breaban, A.G., 2014. "Behavior and asset markets : Individual decisions, emotions and fundamental value trajectories," Other publications TiSEM a20e6a40-f15e-4331-83cb-c, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    15. Kirchler, Michael & Bonn, Caroline & Huber, Jürgen & Razen, Michael, 2015. "The “inflow-effect”—Trader inflow and price efficiency," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 1-19.
    16. Palan, Stefan & Stöckl, Thomas, 2017. "When chasing the offender hurts the victim: The case of insider legislation," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 104-129.
    17. Gortner, Paul & Massenot, Baptiste, 2020. "Leverage and Bubbles: Experimental Evidence," SAFE Working Paper Series 239, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE, revised 2020.
    18. Stefan Palan & Thomas Stöckl, 2014. "When chasing the offender hurts the victim: Collateral damage from insider legislation," Working Paper Series, Social and Economic Sciences 2014-03, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz.
    19. Kleinlercher, Daniel & Stöckl, Thomas, 2021. "Thou shalt not trade—An analysis of the violations of no-trade predictions in experimental asset markets," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).
    20. Cui, Xuegang & Feltovich, Nick & Zhang, Kun, 2022. "Incentive schemes, framing, and market behaviour: Evidence from an asset-market experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 301-324.
    21. Daniel Kleinlercher & Thomas Stöckl, 2018. "On the provision of incentives in finance experiments," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 21(1), pages 154-179, March.

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    Keywords

    mispricing; incentives; market efficiency; experimental finance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)

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