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Happiness and Gold Prices

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  • Byström, Hans

Abstract

We use the Twitter-based Hedonometer happiness index to study the link between happiness and gold price changes. We find no significant correlation between the two when we look at correlations across the entire distributions. However, turning to an extreme value theory (EVT) modeling of the tails of the non-normally distributed happiness distribution we find that during particularly depressing days the gold price often goes up. In a sense, gold is found to serve as a happiness-related safe haven, i.e. as a hedge against extreme unhappiness.

Suggested Citation

  • Byström, Hans, 2020. "Happiness and Gold Prices," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:35:y:2020:i:c:s1544612320301781
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2020.101599
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dirk G. Baur & Brian M. Lucey, 2010. "Is Gold a Hedge or a Safe Haven? An Analysis of Stocks, Bonds and Gold," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 45(2), pages 217-229, May.
    2. Zhao, Ruwei, 2020. "Quantifying the cross sectional relation of daily happiness sentiment and stock return: Evidence from US," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 538(C).
    3. McNeil, Alexander J. & Frey, Rudiger, 2000. "Estimation of tail-related risk measures for heteroscedastic financial time series: an extreme value approach," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 7(3-4), pages 271-300, November.
    4. Zhang, Wei & Li, Xiao & Shen, Dehua & Teglio, Andrea, 2016. "Daily happiness and stock returns: Some international evidence," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 460(C), pages 201-209.
    5. You, Wanhai & Guo, Yawei & Peng, Cheng, 2017. "Twitter's daily happiness sentiment and the predictability of stock returns," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 58-64.
    6. Shen, Dehua & Liu, Lanbiao & Zhang, Yongjie, 2018. "Quantifying the cross-sectional relationship between online sentiment and the skewness of stock returns," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 490(C), pages 928-934.
    7. Ciner, Cetin & Gurdgiev, Constantin & Lucey, Brian M., 2013. "Hedges and safe havens: An examination of stocks, bonds, gold, oil and exchange rates," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 202-211.
    8. Zhao, Ruwei, 2020. "Quantifying the cross sectional relation of daily happiness sentiment and return skewness: Evidence from US industries," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    9. McNeil, Alexander J., 1997. "Estimating the Tails of Loss Severity Distributions Using Extreme Value Theory," ASTIN Bulletin, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(1), pages 117-137, May.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Twitter; happiness; Hedonometer; gold price; tail; extreme value theory;

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets
    • G50 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - General
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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