The role of anchoring on investors’ gambling preference: Evidence from China

This paper examines the anchoring effect of 52-week high price on the investors’ gambling preference in the Chinese A-share market. We document the gambling preference only exists among stocks valued much lower than their 52-week high prices. Specifically, using return skewness as a proxy for lottery stocks, we find that buying stocks in the lowest skewness quintile and selling the highest earns a significant risk-adjusted return of 0.85% per month for stocks far below their 52-week high prices. By contrast, it earns an insignificant return of 0.04% per month for stocks close to their 52-week high prices. Moreover, high arbitrage risk and investor sentiment strengthen the effect of anchoring on gambling preference. Our findings are robust after considering the effects of capital gains overhang, under-reaction to news, firm’s ownership status, and China’s non-tradable share reform. •We document significant gambling preference for lottery stocks in the Chinese stock market.•Such gambling preference exists only among stocks valued much lower than their 52-week high prices due to anchoring effect.•High arbitrage risk and investor sentiment strengthen the effect of anchoring on gambling preference.•Our findings are robust after considering the effects of capital gains overhang, underreaction to news, alternative lottery proxy, and China’s non-tradable share reform.