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Limited attention, salient anchor, and the modified MAX effect: Evidence from Taiwan’s stock market

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  • Wang, Zi-Mei
  • Lien, Donald

Abstract

The literature documents that investors overweighing the right-tail probability pursue positively skewed assets, leading to lottery-like stocks overpriced. We find that the lottery anomaly primarily exists among stocks further away from their 52-week high prices. After attention-grabbing events with gambling features, inattentive retail investors become aware of certain stocks’ gambling traits and then net buy more lottery-like stocks, which further promotes the lottery anomaly. However, when such stocks are near their 52-week high price, retail investors tend to place little weight on the likelihood that the stock price will rise beyond the 52-week high, thereby reducing the skewness preference. Overall, our findings suggest that the perception of the 52-week high price as a price ceiling influences skewness preference, and that investor attention is the main determinant of whether anchoring bias affects skewness preference.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Zi-Mei & Lien, Donald, 2023. "Limited attention, salient anchor, and the modified MAX effect: Evidence from Taiwan’s stock market," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecofin:v:67:y:2023:i:c:s106294082300027x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.najef.2023.101904
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Anchoring bias; Investor attention; Modified MAX effect; Recency bias; 52-week high;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • 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

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