Country herding in the global market

Abstract

Using the tick-by-tick transaction data for 41 stock markets, the authors examine whether investors follow each other into and out of the same countries, dubbed country herding. Empirical evidence is sought to substantiate the existence of country herding in international markets regardless of retail and institutional investors. Additional tests suggest that country herding is not simply a reflection of stock herding, industry herding, and market co-movements. Finally, the findings demonstrate that country herding may be partly driven by investigative herding, market stresses, and investor sentiments.