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Consumer sentiment inequality, relative performance of firms, and the market

delete2026-04-08
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OA
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H
Husna Memon
A
Amir Rubin *
DOI:10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2026.103004delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
This paper introduces Sentiment Inequality (SI), the difference in sentiment between high- and low-income consumers, and demonstrates its predictive power for firm performance, asset prices, and broader market performance. Using the restaurant industry as a case study, we show that changes in SI predict the relative performance of high-end firms (casual dining restaurants) versus low-end firms (fast-food chains). These findings extend beyond the restaurant sector, revealing that SI predicts the relative performance of high- versus low-end firms across the entire market. SI emerges as a critical proxy for business cycle fluctuations, providing incremental informational value over aggregate sentiment measures and established predictors.
Keywords:
Consumer confidence index
Inattention
Leading indicator
Index of consumer sentiment
Sentiment
Sentiment inequality
Stock market
Systematic risk
Volatility
D12
G10
G11
G14
G17
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Journal

Journal of Corporate Finance cover
Journal of Corporate Finance
IF:
5.9
Papers:
2.5K
Citations:
2.0W

Organization

R
Reichman University
Scholars:
1.0K
Papers: 1.1K
Citations: 5
N
New Mexico State University
Scholars:
84
Papers: 43
Citations: 5.6K
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