Efficient Market Theory and Behavioural Finance Essay

The behaviour of markets and investors, the decision making in the market place and the dynamics of demand and supply in any given market cannot be determined with a hundred percent accuracy. However master minds in the past have designed various techniques and theories that help investors make a particular buying decision, or to make choices logically. These theories and techniques help today’s investors to peep into the future and make almost immaculate predictions regarding the future behaviour of the market and the ongoing trends. A lay man night view the decision making of an investor as being solely based upon speculation but in reality every move that an investor makes today in the market place is backed up by sound calculation and†¦show more content†¦So according to the Efficient Market Theory it is impossible for any investor to â€Å"beat the market† that is earn more profit or get more return than what the market is actually offering. Therefore the investor can only earn greater profits on his investment if the investment portfolio includes a high proportion of risky investments that is those with higher standard deviations and betas but with a good capability of yielding high returns as well (Stephens, C.R., 2010). On the other hand behavioural finance defines the market dynamics and movement in terms of psychology of the participants in the trading process. Behavioural finance proposes that the amount of information available in the market regarding the factors that determine the output or profitability of a particular investment actually serve to determine the movement and output of the market itself (Fama, E.F., 1998). It is believed that Efficient Market Theory is based upon some fallacies and it does not provide strong grounds of whatever that it proposes. More importantly the Efficient Market theory is perceived to be too subjective in its definition and details and because of this it is close to impossible to accommodate this theory into a meaningful and explicit financial model that can actually assist investors in making the investment decisions (Andresso-O’Callaghan, B., 2007). The basis of Efficient Market theory is considered to have a gap in theory and practice thatShow MoreRelatedKey Concepts And Explanations Of The Efficient Market Hypothesis915 Words   |  4 PagesConcepts and Explanations of the Efficient Market Hypothesis Overview Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) is a theory that states that it is impossible to beat the market due to the following reasons: †¢ Assumption that markets are efficient †¢ Investors make rational decisions †¢ Market participants are sophisticated †¢ Investors act quickly on information as it becomes available Since prices reflect all information there are no bargain prices. 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