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The stock market effect of air pollution: evidence from China

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  • Q. Li
  • C.H. Peng

Abstract

In financial studies, environmental stimuli such as sunshine, temperature, and daylight are often used as proxies for people’s collective mood swings to test their effects on the stock market. China has experienced serious air pollution problems in recent years, and Chinese public awareness of air pollution has soared. In this paper, we use China as a natural experiment to investigate the effect on stock returns of depressed moods induced by air pollution. Daily air-pollution data from 2005 to 2014 are analysed and the results obtained from the empirical research show that a contemporaneous negative and a two-day lagged positive relationship exists between air pollution levels and stock returns over this time period. The relationship is mediated by the influence of air pollution on investment decisions. The results also indicate that the effect is weakened for companies that protect air quality, but no stronger effect is detected for polluting companies. The findings imply that air pollution is a behavioural factor with some connection to stock returns in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Q. Li & C.H. Peng, 2016. "The stock market effect of air pollution: evidence from China," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(36), pages 3442-3461, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:48:y:2016:i:36:p:3442-3461
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2016.1139679
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Anthony Heyes & Matthew Neidell & Soodeh Saberian, 2016. "The Effect of Air Pollution on Investor Behavior: Evidence from the S&P 500," NBER Working Papers 22753, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Yihao Zhang & Yu Jiang & Yongji Guo, 2017. "The effects of haze pollution on stock performances: evidence from China," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(23), pages 2226-2237, May.
    3. Matthew Muntifering, 2021. "Air pollution, investor sentiment and excessive returns," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(2), pages 110-119, March.
    4. Su, Yuandong & Lu, Xinjie & Zeng, Qing & Huang, Dengshi, 2022. "Good air quality and stock market returns," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    5. Ming, Yaxin & Deng, Huixin & Wu, Xiaoyue, 2022. "The negative effect of air pollution on people's pro-environmental behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 72-87.
    6. Wu, Qinqin & Chou, Robin K. & Lu, Jing, 2020. "How does air pollution-induced fund-manager mood affect stock markets in China?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    7. Vanessa Martins Valcanover & Igor Bernardi Sonza & Wesley Vieira da Silva, 2020. "Behavioral Finance Experiments: A Recent Systematic Literature Review," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(4), pages 21582440209, November.
    8. Zhang, Yihao & Tao, Lingfeng, 2019. "Haze, investor attention and China's stock markets: Evidence from internet stock forum," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    9. Xu, Minya & Wang, Yaqiong & Tu, Yundong, 2021. "Uncovering the invisible effect of air pollution on stock returns: A moderation and mediation analysis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    10. Xu, Alan, 2022. "Air pollution and mediation effects in stock market, longitudinal evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    11. Luo, Yue & Chen, Yangyang & Lin, Ji-Chai, 2022. "Does air quality affect inventor productivity? Evidence from the NOx budget program," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    12. Liu, Huajin & Zhang, Wei & Zhang, Xiaotao & Liu, Jia, 2021. "Temperature and trading behaviours," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    13. Jianhua Tan & Kam C. Chan & Yining Chen, 2022. "The impact of air pollution on the cost of debt financing: Evidence from the bond market," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 464-482, January.
    14. Chew, Soo Hong & Huang, Wei & Li, Xun, 2021. "Does haze cloud decision making? A natural laboratory experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 132-161.
    15. Soo Hong Chew & Haoming Liu & Alberto Salvo, 2021. "Adversity-hope hypothesis: Air pollution raises lottery demand in China," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 247-280, June.
    16. Kirk-Reeve, Samuel & Gehricke, Sebastian A. & Ruan, Xinfeng & Zhang, Jin E., 2021. "National air pollution and the cross-section of stock returns in China," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).
    17. Jingwen Liu & Peng Zou & Yu Ma, 2022. "The Effect of Air Pollution on Food Preferences," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 410-423, March.
    18. Zhuhua Jiang & Rangan Gupta & Sowmya Subramaniam & Seong-Min Yoon, 2021. "The Effect of Air Quality and Weather on the Chinese Stock: Evidence from Shenzhen Stock Exchange," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-20, March.
    19. Wu, Qinqin & Hao, Ying & Lu, Jing, 2018. "Air pollution, stock returns, and trading activities in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 342-365.
    20. Shen, Lihua & Lu, Xinjie & Luu Duc Huynh, Toan & Liang, Chao, 2023. "Air quality index and the Chinese stock market volatility: Evidence from both market and sector indices," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 224-239.

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