A STUDY ON BEHAVIORAL FINANCE IN EQUITY MARKETS: AN ANALYSIS OF MARKET ANOMALIES SUCH AS THE JANUARY EFFECT AND MOMENTUM CRASH

Behavioral finance has emerged as a critical framework for understanding deviations from traditional financial theories that assume rational investor behavior and efficient markets. Despite the predictions of the Efficient Market Hypothesis, empirical evidence consistently highlights persistent anomalies such as the January Effect and momentum crashes in equity markets. This study investigates the behavioral underpinnings of these anomalies, focusing on investor psychology, cognitive biases, and market inefficiencies.

The primary objective of the study is to analyze the existence and persistence of the January Effect and momentum crash phenomena and to examine their implications on investment decision-making. The study adopts a quantitative research design using secondary data collected from major equity indices over a ten-year period. Statistical tools such as correlation and regression analysis are employed to test the relationship between behavioral factors and abnormal returns.

The findings suggest that the January Effect remains partially observable in small-cap stocks, while momentum strategies are vulnerable to sudden crashes due to herd behavior and overreaction. The study contributes to the growing body of behavioral finance literature by providing empirical insights into market inefficiencies and investor behavior patterns.