Psychology of Indian Stock Market: An Evidence of Seasonal Affected Disorder

Abstract

This article examines the association between daylight hours as a proxy for the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and stock market return. Past studies have documented different decision-making mechanisms induced by investors’ cognition mainly influenced by greed and fear. However, this study appears to be different from evidence where investors’ mood is affected by seasonality, which plays a vital role in risk-taking propensity. Data have been taken from three indexes of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), for the period between April 2003 and December 2016. The impact of SAD on stock market return was examined by using naïve ordinary least square (OLS) model. This study reports a negative relationship between daylight hours and pattern of midcap as well as smallcap indexes, which are in alignment with mood maintenance hypothesis (MMH). The result of negative correlation suggests a summer-type SAD, which is an addition to the findings of the existing literature.