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Testing Behavioral Finance Theories Using Trends and Sequences in Financial Performance

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  • Chan, Wesley
  • Frankel, Richard
  • Kothari, S.P.

Abstract

Models based on psychological biases can explain momentum and reversal in stock returns, but risk overfitting of theory to data. We examine a central psychological bias, representativeness, which underlies many behavioral-finance theories. According to this bias, individuals form predictions about future outcomes based on how closely past outcomes fit certain categories. To produce out-of sample tests, we use accounting performance to identify these categories and test the idea that investors misclassify firms and thus make biased forecasts. We find evidence of short-term accounting momentum, consistent with the idea that investors fail to immediately incorporate new information, but find no support for long-term reversal related to accounting performance. Contrary to theory, we find little evidence that the consistency of past accounting performance is related to future returns

Suggested Citation

  • Chan, Wesley & Frankel, Richard & Kothari, S.P., 2002. "Testing Behavioral Finance Theories Using Trends and Sequences in Financial Performance," Working papers 4375-02, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    • Handle: RePEc:mit:sloanp:1765
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    Cited by:

    1. Francis, Jennifer & LaFond, Ryan & Olsson, Per & Schipper, Katherine, 2003. "Accounting Anomalies and Information Uncertainty," SIFR Research Report Series 13, Institute for Financial Research.
    2. Lect. Aurora Murgea Ph. D, 2010. "Classical Lassical And Behavioural Finance In Investor Decision," Annals of University of Craiova - Economic Sciences Series, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 2(38), pages 1-12, May.
    3. Jing Chen, 2005. "Information Theory and Market Behavior," Finance 0503009, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    Keywords

    Behavioral Finance; Behavioral-finance;

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