International herding: Does it differ across sectors?

This paper investigates the existence of herding in the global equity market. We apply a methodology which utilises cross-country dispersion in index returns. An analysis of national indices world-wide unveils virtually no instances of global information cascades, as price patterns largely adhere to the predictions of the rational pricing models. However, some sector-specific indices reveal price patterns indicative of traders' irrationality, especially in basic materials, consumer services, and oil and gas. This can be driven by a group of investors following each other in and out of markets, overconfidence, or excessive flight to quality. These irrational patterns decline over time. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.