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Brand equity and the Covid-19 stock market crash: Evidence from U.S. listed firms

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  • Huang, Yuxuan
  • Yang, Shenggang
  • Zhu, Qi

Abstract

Brand equity has played an important role in firms’ stock performance, especially during the stock market crash provoked by Covid-19. Our manuscript investigates how brand equity impacts stock performance during the Covid-19 crash. Firms with top brands should be a particularly attractive "safe harbor" in the crash to investors since consumer loyalty and demand advantages brought by brand equity enable firms to retain stable cash flows and mitigate the macroeconomic shock. Based on U.S. listed firms, we find that firms with top brands experience higher stock returns, lower systematic risk and lower idiosyncratic risk in the Covid-19 crash than other firms. Moreover, our findings are used to distinguish the brand equity effect from the corporate social responsibility (CSR) effect on stock performance during the Covid-19 crash.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Yuxuan & Yang, Shenggang & Zhu, Qi, 2021. "Brand equity and the Covid-19 stock market crash: Evidence from U.S. listed firms," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:43:y:2021:i:c:s1544612321000222
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2021.101941
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    Cited by:

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    2. Yu-Yin Chang & Heng-Chiang Huang, 2021. "Exploring Patterns of Evolution for Successful Global Brands: A Data-Mining Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Silva, Thiago Christiano & Wilhelm, Paulo Victor Berri & Tabak, Benjamin Miranda, 2022. "The role of non-critical business and telework propensity in international stock markets during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    4. Wang, Kewen & Li, Jingqiang & Qiao, Yuanbo & Chang, Shilong, 2024. "Corporate social responsibility Feng Shui and firm value," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    5. Sanne Ichelle Dubbelink & Carolina Herrando & Efthymios Constantinides, 2021. "Social Media Marketing as a Branding Strategy in Extraordinary Times: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-21, September.
    6. Wang, Tianyu & Yang, Bo, 2023. "Corporate social responsibility, stakeholders’ governance and idiosyncratic risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    7. Uddin, Mohammad Riaz & Hasan, Mostafa Monzur & Abadi, Nour, 2022. "Do intangible assets provide corporate resilience? New evidence from infectious disease pandemics," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    8. Alam, Nurul & Boubaker, Sabri & Chen, Xiaomeng Charlene & Hasan, Mostafa Monzur, 2024. "Brand capital and debt choice," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    9. Rupika Khanna & Chandan Sharma & Abhay Pant, 2022. "COVID-19, firm characteristics and stock volatility: new evidence from the Indian tourism sector," International Journal of Emerging Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 19(6), pages 1563-1585, October.
    10. Iyer, Subramanian Rama & Simkins, Betty J., 2022. "COVID-19 and the Economy: Summary of research and future directions," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    11. Ahmad, Wasim & Kutan, Ali M. & Chahal, Rishman Jot Kaur & Kattumuri, Ruth, 2021. "COVID-19 Pandemic and firm-level dynamics in the USA, UK, Europe, and Japan," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    12. Ashraf, Badar Nadeem & Tabash, Mosab I. & Hassan, M. Kabir, 2022. "Are Islamic banks more resilient to the crises vis-à-vis conventional banks? Evidence from the COVID-19 shock using stock market data," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    13. Fasano, Francesco & Javier Sánchez-Vidal, F. & La Rocca, Maurizio, 2022. "The role of government policies for Italian firms during the COVID-19 crisis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    14. Rizwan, Muhammad Suhail & Ahmad, Ghufran & Ashraf, Dawood, 2022. "Systemic risk, Islamic banks, and the COVID-19 pandemic: An empirical investigation," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(PB).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Brand equity; Stock performance; The Covid-19 crash;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing

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