Paying Attention: Overnight Returns and the Hidden Cost of Buying at the Open

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis
Year: 2012
Volume: 47
Issue: 4
Pages: 715-741

Authors (4)

Berkman, Henk (University of Auckland) Koch, Paul D. (not in RePEc) Tuttle, Laura (Government of the United State...) Zhang, Ying Jenny (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We find a strong tendency for positive returns during the overnight period followed by reversals during the trading day. This behavior is driven by an opening price that is high relative to intraday prices. It is concentrated among stocks that have recently attracted the attention of retail investors, it is more pronounced for stocks that are difficult to value and costly to arbitrage, and it is greater during periods of high overall retail investor sentiment. The additional implicit transaction costs for retail traders who buy high-attention stocks near the open frequently exceed the effective half spread.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:cup:jfinqa:v:47:y:2012:i:04:p:715-741_00
Journal Field
Finance
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-24