Behavioral Finance - 3882 Words

Behavioral Finance Jay R. Ritter Cordell Professor of Finance University of Florida P.O. Box 117168 Gainesville FL 32611-7168 http://bear.cba.ufl.edu/ritter jay.ritter@cba.ufl.edu (352) 846-2837 Published, with minor modifications, in the Pacific-Basin Finance Journal Vol. 11, No. 4, (September 2003) pp. 429-437. Abstract This article provides a brief introduction to behavioral finance. Behavioral finance encompasses research that drops the traditional assumptions of expected utility maximization with rational investors in efficient markets. The two building blocks of behavioral finance are cognitive psychology (how people think) and the limits to arbitrage (when markets will be inefficient). The growth of behavioral†¦show more content†¦This is especially true when one is dealing with a large market, such as the Japanese stock market in the late 1980s or the U.S. market for technology stocks in the late 1990s. Arbitrageurs that attempted to short Japanese stocks in mid1987 and hedge by going long in U.S. stocks were right in the long run, but they lost huge amounts of money in October 1987 when the U.S. market crashed by more than the Japanese market (because of Japanese government intervention). If the arbitrageurs have limited funds, they would be forced to cover their positions just when the relative misvaluations were greatest, resulting in additional buying pressure for Japanese stocks just when they were most overvalued! 2. Cognitive Biases Cognitive psychologists have documented many patterns regarding how people behave. Some of these patterns are as follows: Heuristics Heuristics, or rules of thumb, make decision-making easier. But they can sometimes lead to biases, especially when things change. These can lead to suboptimal investment decisions. When faced with N choices for how to invest retirement money, many people allocate using the 1/N rule. If there are three funds, one-third goes into each. If two are stock funds, two-thirds goes into equities. If one of the threeShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Behavioral Finance2911 Words   |  12 Pagesthat there is a turning point of the modern finance by efficient market hypothesis. However, there had been a shift in the focus to the theory of behavioral finance (Shiller, 2003) recently. Behavioral finance is the financial structure which supplements various parts of finance (Gallagher, 2003). It is the module which supports and displays the behavior of the investment managers and assists in the overall process of management. Therefore, behavioral finance is a unique art which is required to be selectedRead MoreA Survey of Behavioral Finance Summary1332 Words   |  6 PagesA Survey of Behavioral Finance Nicholas Barberis and Richard Thaler In this handbook, Barberis and Thaler define the differences between traditional finance and behavioral finance. Traditional finance is rational.Rationality means two things; correct Bayesian Updating and choises consistent with expected utility. On the other hand behavioral finance assumes that market is not fully rational and analyzes the facts when the some of the princibles are loosen up. ThisRead MoreThe End of Behavioral Finance4700 Words   |  19 PagesCFA Institute The End of Behavioral Finance Author(s): Richard H. Thaler Source: Financial Analysts Journal, Vol. 55, No. 6, Behavioral Finance (Nov. - Dec., 1999), pp. 12-17 Published by: CFA Institute Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4480205 Accessed: 17/04/2009 10:10 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR s Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR s Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in partRead MoreEssay about Behavioral Finance Jp Morgan1428 Words   |  6 Pagesinstitutional and retail clients, including governments, corporations, endowments, foundations and individuals. The equities segment accounts for $370 bn1 AUM spread over a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches including $76 bn in Behavioral Finance (â€Å"BF†) strategies. Hence, BF represents 10% of the AUM of the group and is growing at a fast pace. In the United States, the BF AUM has increased from $100m to $20bn within a space of three years. How do they compete in managing and marketingRead MoreThe Behavioral Finance Paradigm And Its Derived Explanations Of Stock Market Bubbles And Crashes2940 Words   |  12 PagesM11EFA BEHAVIOURAL FINANCE COURSEWORK Name: Thi Thanh Van Mai Student ID: 6026628 What contribution can behavioural finance make to the explanation of stock market bubbles and crashes? Table of Contents I. Introduction 3 II. The behavioral finance paradigm and its derived explanations of the investors’ beliefs 3 III. Behavioral Theories used in the finance markets 4 IV. Empirical Evidences in the stock markets 6 V. Conclusion 7 VI. References 8 I. Introduction ThereRead MoreBehavioral Finance at Jpmorgan7541 Words   |  31 PagesBAKER ALDO SESIA JR. Behavioral Finance at JPMorgan Behavioral finance is the study of how investors make decisions—and how these decisions affect stock prices and broad market movements. Investors are human, and humans aren’t perfectly rational. When they buy on emotion, they not only jeopardize their own investment plans, but also create opportunities for others in the market.1 In the three years since a 2003 launch in the United States, JPMorgan’s behavioral finance products had attracted newRead MoreBehavioral Finance And Its Effects On The Economy1180 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Throughout the history of finance mankind has devised various ways to predict future costs, price changes, changes in supply and demand, and changes to bond and stock prices. We’ve created sophisticated models and formulas to help us make financial decisions. Although, we can’t always prepare for the inevitable depression, inflation, stock bubble bursts, long or short term shocks to the economy, and changes in taste, we can try our best to protect ourselves financially from our own irrationalRead MoreA Survey of Behavioral Finance Summary1322 Words   |  6 PagesA Survey of Behavioral Finance Nicholas Barberis and Richard Thaler In this handbook, Barberis and Thaler define the differences between traditional finance and behavioral finance. Traditional finance is rational.Rationality means two things; correct Bayesian Updating and choises consistent with expected utility. On the other hand behavioral finance assumes that market is not fully rational and analyzes the facts when the some of the princibles are loosen up. This essayRead MoreBehavioral Finance and Technical Analysis1899 Words   |  8 PagesBehavioral Finance and Technical Analysis (within Behavioral Finance): Introduction Behavioral Finance is more often referred to as Behavioral Economics (This area of enquiry is sometimes referred to as behavioral finance, but we call it behavioral economics. Behavioral economics combines the twin disciplines of psychology and economics to explain why and how people make seemingly irrational or illogical decisions when they spend, invest, save, and borrow money. Belsky and Gilovich (1999)) Read MoreEfficient Market Hypothesis and Behavioral Finance5921 Words   |  24 PagesEfficient market hypothesis and Behavioral finance Fall 2011 Teacher: Guà °rà ºn Johnsen V-780-BFIM Student: Rà ºnar Guà °nason SSN:1804784939 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3 1.1 Efficient market hypothesis .................................................................................................. 3 1.2 A criticism on the efficient market hypothesis ........