National pride, investor sentiment, and stock markets

This paper investigates the stock market reaction to an uplift in investor mood anticipating a country's independence day celebration. A cross-country analysis reveals a positive abnormal return on the trading day immediately prior to the country's independence day. This finding is robust to various event-study methods and to various benchmarks. This positive return is subsequently reversed. Further, we find a relation between the abnormal return of a country on its independence day and measures of national pride and social culture. Focusing on the United States, we find a decrease in economic uncertainty measures on its independence day. Overall, our evidence suggests that national pride leads to investor sentiment in capital markets.