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The trading response of individual investors to local bankruptcies

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  • Laudenbach, Christine
  • Loos, Benjamin
  • Pirschel, Jenny
  • Wohlfart, Johannes

Abstract

We use data from a German online brokerage and a survey to show that retail investors sharply reduce risk-taking in response to nearby firm bankruptcies, which are not predictive of returns. The e.ects on trading are spatially highly concentrated, immediate and not persistent. They seem to operate through more pessimistic expected returns and increased risk aversion and do not reflect wealth e.ects or changes in background risks. Investors learn about bankruptcies through immediate coverage in local newspapers. Our findings suggest that non-informative local experiences that make downside risks of stock investment more salient contribute to idiosyncratic short-term fluctuations in trading.

Suggested Citation

  • Laudenbach, Christine & Loos, Benjamin & Pirschel, Jenny & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2020. "The trading response of individual investors to local bankruptcies," SAFE Working Paper Series 272, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:safewp:272
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    3. Malmendier, Ulrike M. & Laudenbach, Christine & Niessen-Ruenzi, Alexandra, 2020. "The Long-lasting Effects of Experiencing Communism on Attitudes towards Financial Markets," CEPR Discussion Papers 14939, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Hanspal, Tobin & Weber, Annika & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2020. "Exposure to the COVID-19 stock market crash and its effect on household expectations," SAFE Working Paper Series 279, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    5. Bu, Di & Hanspal, Tobin & Liao, Yin & Liu, Yong, 2021. "Risk taking, preferences, and beliefs: Evidence from Wuhan," SAFE Working Paper Series 301, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Individual investors; risk-taking; trading; experiences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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