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Place Your Bets? The Value of Investment Research on Reddit’s Wallstreetbets

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  • Daniel Bradley
  • Jan Hanousek
  • Russell Jame
  • Zicheng Xiao

Abstract

We examine the value of due diligence recommendations on Reddit’s Wallstreetbets (WSB) platform. Before the Gamestop (GME) short squeeze, recommendations are significant predictors of returns and cash-flow news. This predictability is eliminated post-GME. Post-GME, the fraction of reports emphasizing price-pressure or attention-grabbing stocks dramatically increases, and the decline in informativeness is concentrated in these reports. Similarly, retail trade informativeness is particularly strong following DD reports in the pre-GME period, but not post-GME. Our findings are consistent with the view that the Gamestop event altered the culture of WSB, leading to a deterioration in investment quality that adversely affected smaller investors.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Bradley & Jan Hanousek & Russell Jame & Zicheng Xiao, 2024. "Place Your Bets? The Value of Investment Research on Reddit’s Wallstreetbets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 37(5), pages 1409-1459.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:rfinst:v:37:y:2024:i:5:p:1409-1459.
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    Keywords

    G20; G23;

    JEL classification:

    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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