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Capitalizing on Catastrophe: Short Selling Insurance Stocks Around Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

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  • Benjamin M. Blau
  • Robert A. Van Ness
  • Chip Wade

Abstract

We develop several hypotheses regarding short‐selling activity around Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We find that abnormal short selling does not increase until 2 trading days after the landfall of Katrina and that short‐selling activity is much more significant around Rita. We find a substantial increase in short‐selling activity in the trading days prior to the landfall of Rita and relatively less short‐selling activity in the trading days after landfall. There is little evidence that suggests that traders short insurance stocks with more potential exposure in the Gulf region than other insurance stocks in the days before landfall.

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  • Benjamin M. Blau & Robert A. Van Ness & Chip Wade, 2008. "Capitalizing on Catastrophe: Short Selling Insurance Stocks Around Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 75(4), pages 967-996, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jrinsu:v:75:y:2008:i:4:p:967-996
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6975.2008.00293.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Semir Ben Ammar, 2020. "Catastrophe Risk and the Implied Volatility Smile," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 87(2), pages 381-405, June.
    2. Chip Wade & Andre Liebenberg & Benjamin M. Blau, 2016. "Information and Insurer Financial Strength Ratings: Do Short Sellers Anticipate Ratings Changes?," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 83(2), pages 475-500, June.
    3. Ethan Watson & Mary C. Funck, 2012. "A cloudy day in the market: short selling behavioural bias or trading strategy," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 8(3), pages 238-255, June.
    4. Marc A. Ragin & Martin Halek, 2016. "Market Expectations Following Catastrophes: An Examination of Insurance Broker Returns," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 83(4), pages 849-876, December.
    5. Jassem Alokla & Arief Daynes & Paraskevas Pagas & Panagiotis Tzouvanas, 2023. "Solvency determinants: evidence from the Takaful insurance industry," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 48(4), pages 847-871, October.
    6. Yang, Chih-Yuan & Jhang, Ling-Jhen & Chang, Chia-Chien, 2016. "Do investor sentiment, weather and catastrophe effects improve hedging performance? Evidence from the Taiwan options market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 35-51.
    7. Fink, Jason D. & Fink, Kristin E., 2013. "Hurricane forecast revisions and petroleum refiner equity returns," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 1-11.
    8. Ben Ammar, Semir, 2016. "Pricing of Catastrophe Risk and the Implied Volatility Smile," Working Papers on Finance 1617, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.
    9. Godfrey, Keith R.L., 2016. "Detecting the great short squeeze on Volkswagen," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 40(PB), pages 323-334.
    10. Greppmair, Stefan & Jank, Stephan & Smajlbegovic, Esad, 2023. "On the importance of fiscal space: Evidence from short sellers during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    11. Seung Kyum Kim, 2020. "The Economic Effects of Climate Change Adaptation Measures: Evidence from Miami-Dade County and New York City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-19, February.

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