Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine how psychological factors affect shareholders and investors, and see which gender differences there are in their investment decisions. Method: The survey was based on a quantitative method with elements of qualitative aspects in form of a questionnaire. The questionnaire were answered by investors and shareholders at various websites for stock investor. The survey consisted of a total of 13 questions with both open and closed answers. Theory: The survey focused on four elements within behavioral finance. These factors are overconfidence, herd behavior, anchoring and familiarity bias. The efficient market hypothesis suggests full rationality which is the opposite of what behavioral finance advocates. Conclusion: Psychological factors affect investors and shareholders in their investment decisions. More men than women considered themselves to be better than average which indicates that they have a stronger overconfidence. In terms of herd behavior the respondents did not show that they follow the group when they have their own information, however, the opposite appeared when they had imperfect information. Women were affected by herd behavior more than men were. Women were affected more than men regarding familiarity bias. Anchoring also proved that the factor had an influence on the respondents but it was not a major difference between men and women.

We investigate the effect of house money on individual investors. Our empirical evidence suggests that house money effect shows up in real-world financial markets, not just in artificial laboratory experiments. The results reveal a strong house money effect and show that investors tend to buy up trend stocks once they have experienced a prior gain. Only when a significant gain is being considered, does an individual become more inclined to take a risk. When the influence of a significant gain gradually depreciates over time, the greater tendency to take risk also diminishes. We find that individual investors exhibit the disposition effect— reluctant to realize losses and more willing to realize gains. They frequently realize small gains and less frequently take large losses, such a behavior may hurt their wealth because their gains are lower than their losses. Analyses of portfolio holdings reveal that individual investors hold relatively few different stocks and focus on a small number of stocks with which they are familiar. Their investment choice is driven by familiarity bias which diminishes the strength of the house money effect. When evaluate an investment gain, investors’ reference points adapt over time and the currently-salient reference point is the highest stock price attained some time ago.

Cette thèse met en exergue les spécificités de la gouvernance des banques coopératives et du comportement financier de leurs parties prenantes (clients/employés). Le premier chapitre montre que les banques coopératives européennes (Allemagne, Autriche, Danemark, France, Italie) ont un pouvoir de marché plus faible que les banques commerciales. Les différences s’expliquent par des prix plus faibles pour les banques coopératives. Ces résultats suggèrent que les banques coopératives contribuent à améliorer la concurrence et le bien-Être des clients.Le second chapitre montre que les clients des banques coopératives (Allemagne, France et Italie) supportent des « switching costs » moins élevés que les clients des banques non-Coopératives. Ces résultats corroborent la spécificité de la gouvernance des banques coopératives. Cette étude montre que les « switching costs » ont un effet négatif sur la concurrence bancaire. Le troisième chapitre trouve que les motifs financiers expliquent l’achat des parts sociales. Ces résultats contredisent les « explications officielles » avancées par les instances représentatives des banques coopératives qui indiquent que les parts sociales sont achetées par les clients dans un but non-financier.Le quatrième chapitre montre que les employés des banques coopératives sont sujets au biais de familiarité et investissent dans les actifs financiers de leur banque (actions, parts sociales, obligations). Nos résultats suggèrent que la connaissance financière ne réduit pas ce biais comportemental. / This dissertation deals with the characteristics of cooperative banks’ governance and the financial behavior of their stakeholders (clients/employees). Chapter 1 shows that European cooperative banks (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, and Italy) have a lower market power than commercial banks. Differences are explained by lower prices for cooperative banks. These results suggest that cooperative banks contribute to enhance competition and customers’ welfare.Chapter 2 stressed that clients of cooperative banks (France, Germany, and Italy) have on average lower switching costs than clients of commercial banks. This result is in line with the governance of cooperative banks. In addition, this study shows that switching costs impact negatively banking competition.Chapter 3 shows that financial motives explain cooperative member shares purchases. These results contradict the official reasons given by the representative institutions of cooperative banks which indicate that non-Financial motives dominate when clients decide to become member of their cooperative bank. Chapter 4 shows that employees of cooperative banks are prone to familiarity bias and invest in financial assets of their own bank (Bonds, member shares, stocks). Our results suggest that financial literacy does not reduce familiarity bias.

Bakgrund: I Sverige finns det ett stort intresse för privat fondsparande. De svenska storbankerna erbjuder ett flertal fonder och utgör den huvudsakliga andelen av den svenska fondmarknaden. Fondförvaltares mål med en aktiv fond är att generera en högre avkastning jämfört med dess jämförelseindex, men tidigare forskning har visat att de svenska storbankernas aktiva fonder sällan presterar bättre än jämförelseindex. Syfte: Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka varför privatpersoner behåller fondinnehav i de svenska storbankernas aktiva fonder trots att tidigare studier visar att dessa fonder ofta har högre avgifter, men inte bättre avkastning jämfört med exempelvis indexfonder. Metod: Hypotesprövning har tillämpats med en kvantitativ ansats deriverad utifrån befintlig teori. Empiriska primärdata har samlats in med en fysisk enkätundersökning som 174 studenter vid Linköpings universitet har besvarat. I denna studie har ett icke-sannolikhetsurval med ett bekvämlighetsurval tillämpats. Bivariat och multivariat analys av studiens empiriska data har genomförts med logistisk regressionsanalys. Resultat: Nollhypotesen förkastas för den oberoende variabeln byteskostnader (p <0,1). För de oberoende variablerna finansiell kunskap och familjär-bias förkastas nollhypotesen tills vidare (p <0,1). Resultatet av beta-koefficientens riktning är negativ för byteskostnader avseende avgifter och andra finansiella kostnader, men positiv för relationskostnader, finansiell subjektiv och objektiv kunskap samt familjär-bias. Slutsats: De oberoende variabler som kan förklara varför privatpersoner i studiens urval behåller fondinnehav i de svenska storbankernas aktiva fonder är byteskostnader, finansiell kunskap och familjär-bias. Studiens resultat genererar ett kunskapsbidrag som kan öka kundrörligheten på fondmarknaden. / Background: In Sweden, there is a great interest in private fund savings. The major banks in Sweden offer several funds and constitute the majority of the Swedish fund market. Fund managers' goal with an active fund is to generate a higher return compared to its benchmark index, but previous research has shown that active funds rarely outperform the benchmark index. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate why individuals retain fund holdings in the Swedish major banks’ active funds, although previous studies show that these funds often have higher fees, but not better returns than for example index funds. Methodology: Hypothesis testing has been applied with a quantitative approach derived from existing theory. Empirical primary data has been collected with a physical survey answered by 174 students at Linköping University. In this study, a non-probability sample with a convenience sample has been used. Bivariate and multivariate analysis of the study's empirical data was conducted with logistic regression analysis. Results: The null hypothesis is rejected for the independent variable switching costs (p <0.1). For the independent variables financial knowledge and familiarity bias, the null hypothesis is rejected for the time being (p <0.1). The result of the beta coefficient's direction is negative for switching costs regarding fees and other financial costs, but positive for relationship costs, financial subjective and objective knowledge, and familiarity bias. Conclusions: The independent variables, which might explain why private individuals in this study's sample retain fund holdings in the Swedish major banks' active funds, are switching costs, financial knowledge, and familiarity bias. The results of this study generate a knowledge contribution which might increase customer mobility in the fund market.

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