Does investor sentiment affect the Indian stock market? Evidence from Nifty 500 and other selected sectoral indices

Investor sentiment is the result of irrational speculations about the future asset values driven by the market participants. Though scholarly works on investor sentiment are evolving in both developed and emerging markets, the literature in the Indian context is relatively modest. To fill this void, the study aims to examine sentiment-return relations based on a sectoral analysis framework. The study considered Nifty 500 and sectoral indices return such as Automobile, Information Technology, Metal, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, and Public Sector Undertakings. To measure investor sentiment a unique sentiment index (INDex) using seven indirect proxy sentiment indicators suitable for the Indian stock market is proposed. To test the framed hypothesis, the study employs Principal Component Analysis and OLS regression. The results uncover that there exists a strong significant positive sentiment effect on Nifty 500 and selected sectoral indices return. The findings assist academicians, practitioners, investors, and policymakers in enhancing their understanding of the sentiment-return nexus in the Indian stock market and thereby guide them to ensure caution while making investment decisions.