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Dissecting the lottery‐like anomaly: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Ming Gu
  • Yi Hu
  • Zhitao Xiong

Abstract

This paper dissects the lottery‐like anomaly in Chinese A‐share stocks by decomposing total stock returns into overnight and intraday returns. Our findings indicate that negative overnight returns are concentrated among lottery‐like stocks, and the lottery‐like anomaly is primarily driven by the overnight return component. Considering the unique institutional features of China, we further show that the lottery‐like anomaly induced by overnight returns is more pronounced in stocks with a high gambling preference among retail investors and high limits of arbitrage. Overall, our results suggest that investors' optimism and trading constraints have a substantial impact on market efficiency in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Ming Gu & Yi Hu & Zhitao Xiong, 2025. "Dissecting the lottery‐like anomaly: Evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 65(1), pages 883-911, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:65:y:2025:i:1:p:883-911
    DOI: 10.1111/acfi.13354
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