IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/apfinm/v28y2021i1d10.1007_s10690-020-09310-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Financial Astrology and Behavioral Bias: Evidence from India

Author

Listed:
  • Ashish Mahendra

    (Pondicherry University)

  • Shiba Prasad Mohanty

    (Indian Institute of Management Nagpur)

  • S. Sudalaimuthu

    (Pondicherry University)

Abstract

Purpose of the study is to analyse the retrograde effect of mercury on Indian stock indices, i.e., Nifty50 and BSE Sensex. This paper presents and probes, whether the usually described phenomenon of the retrogratory effect of planets in Indian astrology persists in Indian stock indices. This research utilizes secondary data retrieved from Bloomberg from 1998 through 2018 of Nifty50 and BSE Sensex on a daily closing basis. Further, the study employs EGARCH (1,1) models to inspect the leverage effect in the market returns and the impact of the retrogratory movement of mercury on market returns. The interdisciplinary studies relating to Indian astrological concepts and financial trading strategy are very scant, wherefore, this study helps to unearth an anomaly-based trading strategy for the individual and institutional investors in the capital market. The study culminates that Indian stock indices observe the presence of asymmetry or the leverage effect during the retrogratory movement of Mercury, and a positive impact of Mercury retrograde movement on market returns. The scope of the study is limited to major stock indices of India and considers only the retrogratory movement of mercury to trace the evidence of behavioral bias in the financial market. This paper furnishes a unique empirical approach to investigate the influence of cultural variable on behavioral bias in Indian stock indices under the influence of the retrograde movement of mercury inciting asymmetric information and market anomaly.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashish Mahendra & Shiba Prasad Mohanty & S. Sudalaimuthu, 2021. "Financial Astrology and Behavioral Bias: Evidence from India," Asia-Pacific Financial Markets, Springer;Japanese Association of Financial Economics and Engineering, vol. 28(1), pages 3-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:apfinm:v:28:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10690-020-09310-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10690-020-09310-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10690-020-09310-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10690-020-09310-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stulz, Rene M. & Williamson, Rohan, 2003. "Culture, openness, and finance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 313-349, December.
    2. Dowling, Michael & Lucey, Brian M., 2008. "Robust global mood influences in equity pricing," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 145-164, April.
    3. Bollerslev, Tim, 1986. "Generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 307-327, April.
    4. Yuan, Kathy & Zheng, Lu & Zhu, Qiaoqiao, 2006. "Are investors moonstruck? Lunar phases and stock returns," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 1-23, January.
    5. De Bondt, Werner F M & Thaler, Richard, 1985. "Does the Stock Market Overreact?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 40(3), pages 793-805, July.
    6. Barry Eichengreen & Ricardo Hausmann, 1999. "Exchange rates and financial fragility," Proceedings - Economic Policy Symposium - Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, pages 329-368.
    7. Gärling, Tommy & Kirchler, Erich & Lewis, Alan & van Raaij, Fred, 2009. "Psychology, Financial Decision Making, and Financial Crises," Sustainable Investment and Corporate Governance Working Papers 2009/7, Sustainable Investment Research Platform.
    8. Russ Wermers, 1999. "Mutual Fund Herding and the Impact on Stock Prices," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(2), pages 581-622, April.
    9. Sushil Bikhchandani & David Hirshleifer & Ivo Welch, 1998. "Learning from the Behavior of Others: Conformity, Fads, and Informational Cascades," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 151-170, Summer.
    10. Werner F. M. De Bondt & Richard H. Thaler, 1994. "Financial Decision-Making in Markets and Firms: A Behavioral Perspective," NBER Working Papers 4777, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Alt, Raimund & Fortin, Ines & Weinberger, Simon, 2011. "The Monday effect revisited: An alternative testing approach," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 447-460, June.
    12. Aurora MURGEA, 2016. "Mercury retrograde effect in capital markets: truth or illusion?," Timisoara Journal of Economics and Business, West University of Timisoara, Romania, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 9(1), pages 49-61, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stracca, Livio, 2004. "Behavioral finance and asset prices: Where do we stand?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 373-405, June.
    2. Michael McAleer & Kim Radalj, 2013. "Herding, Information Cascades and Volatility Spillovers in Futures Markets," Journal of Reviews on Global Economics, Lifescience Global, vol. 2, pages 307-329.
    3. Michael J. Seiler & David M. Harrison, 2011. "Perceived Versus Actual Susceptibility to Normative Influence in the Presence of Defaulting Landlords," Review of Behavioral Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 3(2), pages 55-77, September.
    4. Zamri Ahmad & Haslindar Ibrahim & Jasman Tuyon, 2017. "Institutional investor behavioral biases: syntheses of theory and evidence," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 40(5), pages 578-603, May.
    5. Wang, Peiwen & Chen, Minghua & Wu, Ji & Yan, Yuanyun, 2023. "Do peer effects matter in bank risk? Some cross-country evidence," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    6. Siganos, Antonios & Vagenas-Nanos, Evangelos & Verwijmeren, Patrick, 2014. "Facebook's daily sentiment and international stock markets," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 107(PB), pages 730-743.
    7. David M. Frankel, 2008. "Adaptive Expectations And Stock Market Crashes," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 49(2), pages 595-619, May.
    8. Nikolaos Antonakakis & Ioannis Chatziantoniou & David Gabauer, 2021. "The impact of Euro through time: Exchange rate dynamics under different regimes," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 1375-1408, January.
    9. Yafeh, Yishay & Kandel, Eugene & Hamdani, Assaf & Mugerman, Yevgeny, 2015. "Incentive Fees and Competition in Pension Funds: Evidence from a Regulatory Experiment in Israel," CEPR Discussion Papers 10911, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Paul Handro & Bogdan Dima, 2024. "Analyzing Financial Markets Efficiency: Insights from a Bibliometric and Content Review," Journal of Financial Studies, Institute of Financial Studies, vol. 16(9), pages 119-175, May.
    11. Daglis, Theodoros & Konstantakis, Konstantinos N. & Michaelides, Panayotis G. & Papadakis, Theodoulos Eleftherios, 2020. "The forecasting ability of solar and space weather data on NASDAQ’s finance sector price index volatility," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    12. Daniel, Kent & Hirshleifer, David & Teoh, Siew Hong, 2002. "Investor psychology in capital markets: evidence and policy implications," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 139-209, January.
    13. Huerta, Daniel & Egly, Peter V. & Escobari, Diego, 2015. "The Liquidity Crisis, Investor Sentiment, and REIT Returns and Volatility," EconStor Preprints 123499, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    14. Lucena, Pierre & Figueiredo, Antonio Carlos & Lachtermacher, Gerson, 2008. "Critérios de formação de carteiras de ativos através de hierarchical clusters [Criteria of portfolio formation of stocks through hierarchical clusters]," MPRA Paper 38105, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Eric Hillebrand, 2003. "The Effects of Japanese Foreign Exchange Intervention: GARCH Estimation and Change Point Detection," Departmental Working Papers 2003-10, Department of Economics, Louisiana State University.
    16. Konstantinos Drakos, 2010. "Terrorism activity, investor sentiment, and stock returns," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(3), pages 128-135, August.
    17. Iqbal, Muhammad Sabeeh & Salih, Aslihan & Akdeniz, Levent, 2021. "The Price Impact of Same- and Opposing-Direction Herding by Institutions with Different Investment Horizons," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    18. Mehmet F. Dicle, 2019. "Increasing return response to changes in risk," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(1), pages 197-215, January.
    19. Goddard, John & Onali, Enrico, 2012. "Self-affinity in financial asset returns," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 1-11.
    20. Shachar Kariv, 2005. "Overconfidence and Informational Cascades," Levine's Bibliography 122247000000000406, UCLA Department of Economics.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:apfinm:v:28:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10690-020-09310-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.