Covid-19 and herding in global equity markets

We investigate herding in ten equity markets during the COVID-19 pandemic using a methodology that considers movements in assets due to changes in fundamentals. We find heterogeneous patterns in herding across the ten countries during the pandemic, but overall, there is limited evidence of herding during this period, with only Italy, Sweden, and the United States displaying signs of herding. A cross-sectional analysis reveals that herding measures during the pandemic are negatively associated with stricter governmental actions that restrict mobility, and positively associated with economic support measures.