Game On: Social Networks and Markets

Lasse Heje Pedersen*

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

I present closed-form solutions for prices, portfolios, and beliefs in a model where four types of investors trade assets over time: naive investors who learn via a social network, “fanatics” possibly spreading fake news, and rational short- and long-term investors. I show that fanatic and rational views dominate over time, and their relative importance depends on their following by influencers. Securities markets exhibit social network spillovers, large effects of influencers and thought leaders, bubbles, bursts of high volume, price momentum, fundamental momentum, and reversal. The model sheds new light on the GameStop event, historical bubbles, and asset markets more generally.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Financial Economics
Volume146
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)1097-1119
Number of pages23
ISSN0304-405X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2022

Keywords

  • Networks
  • Influencers
  • Social media
  • Bubbles
  • Asset prices
  • Belief formation
  • Momentum
  • Reversal

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