Skip to main content
Log in

Daily momentum profits with firm characteristics and investors’ optimism in the Taiwan market

  • Published:
Journal of Economics and Finance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we examine two different investing attitudes, being conservative sentiment which mitigates the momentum effect and, alternatively, the optimistic sentiment which strengthens such an effect. Where the stock market index levels close near a previous peak level, the impact of the index on momentum profits can assist in identifying such sentiments. In this study, we investigate the price and price-size momentum strategies in Taiwan of short formation periods of less than a month. The results indicate that investors adopt optimistic attitudes towards the 5-day and 20-day highs in the market index, whereas a conservative attitude is adopted at the 52-week high. Using the quantile regression model, the results indicate that the momentum effect is mitigated when the stock index price is relatively high for higher momentum profits. On the other hand, the momentum effect is strengthened when the stock index price is relatively high for lower momentum profits. However, the high point of the stock index is not found to have any impact on the price-B/M momentum effect.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barberis N, Shleifer A (2003) Style investing. J Financ Econ 68:161–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barberis N, Shleifer A, Vishny R (1998) A model of investor sentiment. J Financ Econ 107:797–817

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhojraj S, Swaminathan B (2006) Macromomentum: returns predictability in international equity indices. J Bus 79:429–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown GW, Cliff MT (2004) Investor sentiment and the near-term stock market. J Empir Finance 11:1–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown S, Du DY, Rhee SG, Zhang L (2008) The returns to value and momentum in Asian markets. Emerg Mark Rev 9:79–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bulkley G, Nawosah V (2009) Can the cross-sectional variation in expected stock returns explain momentum? J Financ Quant Anal 44:777–794

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen A (2000) Momentum does not matter consistently: the evidence from Taiwan stock returns. Working paper, SSRN

  • Chen YW, Rahman H (2008) Trading strategies and volume in Taiwan stock market. Bus Rev 11:76–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen YW, Wu H (2007) Investigation of the returns of contrarian and momentum strategies in the Taiwanese equity market. J Am Acad Bus 11:143–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Wang C, Lin F (2008) Do qualified foreign institutional investors herd in Taiwan’s securities market. Emerg Mkt Fin Trade 44:62–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel K, Titman S (1999) Market efficiency in an irrational world. Financ Anal J 55:28–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel K, Hirshleifer D, Subrahmanyam A (1998) Investor psychology and security market under-and overreactions. J Finance 53:1839–1885

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel K, Hirshleifer D, Subrahmanyam A (2001a) Overconfidence, arbitrage, and equilibrium asset pricing. J Finance 56:921–965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel K, Titman S, Wei KC (2001b) Explaining the cross-section of stock returns in Japan: factors or characteristics? J Finance 56:743–766

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeBondt WFM (1993) Betting on trends: intuitive forecasts of financial risk and return. Int J Forecast 9:355–371

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demir I, Muthuswamy J, Walter T (2004) Momentum returns in Australian equities: the influences of size, risk, liquidity and return computation. Pac Basin Finan J 12:143–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du D (2008) The 52-week high and momentum investing in international stock indexes. Quart Rev Econ Finan 48:61–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang H, Wong JY, Wang YC, Lu YC (2009) Information contents of QFIIs’ cascades in the Taiwan stock market. Working paper, SSRN

  • Figelman I (2007) Stock return momentum and reversal. J Portf Manage 34:51–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foerster S, Prihar A, Schmitz J (1995) Back to the future. Can Invest Rev 7:9–13

    Google Scholar 

  • George T, Hwang CY (2004) The 52-week high and momentum investing. J Finance 59:2145–2176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haugen R, Baker N (1996) Commonality in the determinants of expected stock returns. J Financ Econ 41:401–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong H, Stein JC (1999) A unified theory of under reaction, momentum trading, and overreaction in asset markets. J Finance 54:2143–2184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong H, Lim T, Stein JC (2000) Bad news travels slowly: size, analyst coverage, and the profitability of momentum strategies. J Finance 55:265–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huddart S, Langk M, Yetman MH (2009) Volume and price patterns around a stock’s 52-week highs and lows: theory and evidence. Manage Sci 55:16–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jegadeesh N (1990) Evidence of predictable behavior of security returns. J Finance 45:881–898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jegadeesh N, Titman S (1993) Returns to buying winners and selling losers: implications for stock market efficiency. J Finance 48:65–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jegadeesh N, Titman S (2001) Profitability of momentum strategies: an evaluation of alternative explanation. J Finance 56:699–720

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kan R, Krikos G (1996) Now you see them, then you don’t. Can Invest Rev 9:9–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenker R, Bassett G (1978) Regression quantiles. Econometrica 46:33–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann BN (1990) Fads, martingales, and market efficiency. Quart J Econ 105:1–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewellen J (2002) Momentum and autocorrelation in stock returns. Rev Financ Stud 15:533–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McInish TH, Ding DK, Pyun CS, Wongchoti U (2008) Short-horizon contrarian and momentum strategies in Asian markets: an integrated analysis. Int Rev Financ Analy 17:312–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKnight PJ, Hou TCT (2006) The determinants of momentum in the United Kingdom. Quart Rev Econ Finan 46:227–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mizrach B, Weerts S (2009) Experts online: an analysis of trading activity in a public internet chat room. J Econ Behav Organ 70:266–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naughton T, Truong C, Veeraraghavan M (2008) Momentum strategies and stock returns: Chinese evidence. Pac Basin Finance J 16:476–492

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patro D, Wu Y (2004) Predictability of short-horizon returns in international equity markets. J Empir Finance 11:553–584

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piotroski JD (2000) Value investing: the use of historical financial statement information to separate winners from losers. J Acc Res 38:1–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards AJ (1996) Winner-loser reversals in national stock market indices: can they be explained? J Finance 52:2129–2144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rouwenhorst GK (1998) International momentum strategies. J Finance 53:267–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slezak SL (2003) On the impossibility of weak-form efficient markets. J Financ Quant Anal 38:523–554

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sturm R (2008) The 52-week high strategy: momentum and overreaction in large firm stocks. J Invest 17:55–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Der Hart J, Slagter E, Van Dijk D (2003) Stock selection strategies in emerging markets. J Empir Finance 10:105–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verma R, Verma P (2008) Are survey forecasts of individual and institutional investor sentiments rational? Int Rev Financ Analy 17:1139–1155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang KY, Jiang CH, Huang YS (2009) Market states and the profitability of momentum strategies: evidence from the Taiwan stock exchange. Int J Bus Fin Res 3:89–102

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chiao-Yi Chang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chang, CY. Daily momentum profits with firm characteristics and investors’ optimism in the Taiwan market. J Econ Finan 37, 253–273 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12197-011-9182-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12197-011-9182-y

Keywords

JEL Classification

Navigation