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Risk aversion and herd behavior in financial markets

Author

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  • LOVO, Stefano
  • DECAMPS, Jean-Paul

    (GREMAQ-IDEI Universite de Toulouse)

Abstract

We show that differences in investors risk aversion can generate herd behavior in stock markets where assets are traded sequentially. This in turn prevents markets from being efficient in the sense that financial market prices do not converge to the asset's fundamental value. The informational efficiency of the market depends on the distribution of the risky asset across risk averse agents. These results are obtained without introducing multidimensional uncertainty.

Suggested Citation

  • LOVO, Stefano & DECAMPS, Jean-Paul, 2002. "Risk aversion and herd behavior in financial markets," HEC Research Papers Series 758, HEC Paris.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebg:heccah:0758
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Décamps, Jean-Paul & Lovo, Stefano, 2003. "Market Informational Inefficiency, Risk Aversion and Quantity Grid," IDEI Working Papers 177, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse.
    2. Mr. Sunil Sharma & Sushil Bikhchandani, 2000. "Herd Behavior in Financial Markets: A Review," IMF Working Papers 2000/048, International Monetary Fund.
    3. Cipriani Marco & Guarino Antonio, 2008. "Herd Behavior and Contagion in Financial Markets," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-56, October.
    4. Avery, Christopher & Zemsky, Peter, 1998. "Multidimensional Uncertainty and Herd Behavior in Financial Markets," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(4), pages 724-748, September.
    5. Ho, Thomas & Stoll, Hans R., 1981. "Optimal dealer pricing under transactions and return uncertainty," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 47-73, March.
    6. Glosten, Lawrence R. & Milgrom, Paul R., 1985. "Bid, ask and transaction prices in a specialist market with heterogeneously informed traders," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 71-100, March.
    7. Bikhchandani, Sushil & Hirshleifer, David & Welch, Ivo, 1992. "A Theory of Fads, Fashion, Custom, and Cultural Change in Informational Cascades," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(5), pages 992-1026, October.
    8. Diamond, Douglas W. & Verrecchia, Robert E., 1987. "Constraints on short-selling and asset price adjustment to private information," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 277-311, June.
    9. Abhijit V. Banerjee, 1992. "A Simple Model of Herd Behavior," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(3), pages 797-817.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Décamps, Jean-Paul & Lovo, Stefano, 2003. "Market Informational Inefficiency, Risk Aversion and Quantity Grid," IDEI Working Papers 177, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse.
    2. Christophe Chamley, 2005. "Complementarities in Information Acquisition with Short-Term Trades," Boston University - Department of Economics - The Institute for Economic Development Working Papers Series dp-156, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    3. Maria Grazia Romano, 2007. "Learning, Cascades, and Transaction Costs," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 11(3), pages 527-560.
    4. J L Ford & David Kelsey & W Pang, 2005. "Ambiguity in Financial Markets: Herding and Contrarian Behaviour," Discussion Papers 05-11, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    5. Christophe Chamley, 2005. "Complementarities in Information Acquisition with Short-Term Trades," Boston University - Department of Economics - Working Papers Series WP2005-027, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    6. Lin, Mei-Chen, 2018. "The impact of aggregate uncertainty on herding in analysts' stock recommendations," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 90-105.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    herd behavior; stock markets; efficiency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading

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