On the (In)efficiency of gold and bitcoin: impact of COVID-19

PurposeWe aim to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the efficiency of Gold and Bitcoin returns. In particular, our efficiency tests are based on the popular calendar anomaly, the turn-of-the-month (TOM) effect in these markets.Design/methodology/approachWe define the TOM days as the final trading day of a month and initial three trading days of the immediate next month. To understand the TOM effect, we estimate the typical Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model using the Heteroskedasticity and Autocorrelation Consistent (HAC) standard errors and covariances.FindingsThough in the full sample, a positive and significant TOM effect is observed only for Bitcoin, during COVID period, the TOM effect appears in Gold returns and becomes stronger for Bitcoin, implying that the considered securities become inefficient during COVID period.Practical implicationsBased on these results, we create a trading strategy which is found to surpass the buy-and-hold strategy for both the full sample as well as the COVID period for Bitcoin while only during the COVID period for Gold. Our results provide useful implications for investors and policymakers as the Gold and Bitcoin markets can be timed by taking positions especially based on the behavior of the TOM effect.Originality/valueWe examine the TOM effect in the two important securities - Gold and Bitcoin. Though, a few studies have examined this anomaly in currency, equity and cryptocurrency markets, however, they have not considered the Gold market. Additionally, no study has examined the impact of COVID-19 on the TOM effect in these markets, and hence, market efficiency. We believe that our study is the first to examine the TOM effect in these markets simultaneously.