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Political uncertainty and institutional herding

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  • Gavriilidis, Konstantinos
  • Kallinterakis, Vasileios
  • Montone, Maurizio

Abstract

Political uncertainty represents a key determinant of corporate investment decisions. In this paper, we study the relation between political uncertainty and investment from the perspective of institutional investors. Using U.S. equity holdings data from 13F filings, we find that institutional investors herd during politically uncertain times. This trading behavior is stronger when U.S. presidents are unpopular, due to their proclivity for controversial policies, and among riskier stocks. We also find that this mechanism, despite generating some excess trading, helps incorporate a risk premium into stock prices. Overall, the findings unveil a new channel through which political uncertainty affects financial markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Gavriilidis, Konstantinos & Kallinterakis, Vasileios & Montone, Maurizio, 2024. "Political uncertainty and institutional herding," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:88:y:2024:i:c:s0929119924000890
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2024.102627
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Herding; Institutional investors; Political uncertainty; Presidential popularity; Stock returns;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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