Investor reaction to extreme price shocks in stock markets: A cross country examination

Abstract

This study attempts to investigate the presence of post event over- or under-reaction in stock markets of the top 10 countries by market capitalisation. An event is defined as an extreme price movement beyond a pre-defined threshold. Intra-day stock returns at 10-minute frequency starting from June 2009 till May 2016 have been analysed using average cumulative returns (ACR) and average cumulative abnormal returns (ACAR) for a 6-day duration after the event. It appears that there is presence of over- or under-reaction in 8 out of a total of 10 countries, and investors display psychological biases which lead to profit making opportunities. Keywords: Over and under reaction, Stock markets, Abnormal returns, Efficient market hypothesis, Price shocks