Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Applying the Industrial Engineering systems approach, this dissertation utilised the theories and propositions of previous studies to argue (model) the cause of financial herd behaviour and the subsequent momentum effect. From this, a hypothesis was postulated to test: whether momentum is a common attribute amongst top performing shares, whether technical analysis indicators can better identify the phenomenon, and whether the return from these shares would justify momentum as a viable investment strategy. A unique experiment derived from previous academic studies was adapted to explore the degree of the momentum phenomenon. This was done by ranking shares according to both technical analysis as well as pure price performance momentum criteria. Returns were translated as a rank in relation to the market as a whole, thereby minimising any effects that different market periods could have on a momentum return relationship. The degree of the relationship was evaluated by applying the alternative Spearman Rank Order Correlation Co-efficient in conjunction with a permutation test to determine the statistical significance of any trends. The viability of the phenomenon as an investment strategy was gauged by comparing annualised average returns against both the market capitalisation weighted JSE All Share Index as well as against an un-weighted representation of the market. The results revealed a seemingly unambiguous co-dependence between momentum and return with statistically significant trends being ever present. Applying the maximum taxes and trading costs revealed that the highest ranked momentum shares did indeed outperform both market benchmarks from the period of January 1990 to August 2009, suggesting the validity of the philosophy as an investment strategy. The outcome of the study in part rejected the null hypothesis, as technical indicators were unable to identify future top performing shares better, with price performance momentum measures delivering the superior returns. Future studies may include optimising the various technical indicators towards the JSE rather than using generic settings. Other interesting topics could include combining momentum with other investment strategies to investigate synergy and further pinpointing the source of the phenomenon. Over the past number of years, tighter controls and monitoring of investments has resulted in the documentation of the individual number of shareholders who are buying and selling shares. Utilising this data over the next number of years, an experiment could attempt to relate the number of individual investors trading in a particular share to herd behaviour and the subsequent momentum effect. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die verhandeling, binne die bedryfsingenieursstelsels benadering, gebruik teorieë en voorstelle van vorige studies om die gevolge van finansiële gedrag en die gevolglike momentum effek te bespreek. Uit die analise is ‘n voorstel saamgestel om die volgende te toets:Is momentum ‘n algemene verskynsel by aandele wat goed presteer, en kan tegniese analitiese indikatore die verskynsel beter verklaar, en dui die opbrengs van die aandele daarop dat momentum ‘n bruikbare beleggingsstrategie is. ‘n Unieke eksperiment uit vorige studies is aangepas om die aard van die momentum verskynsel te ondersoek. Dit was gedoen deur aandele volgens beide tegniese analise asook suiwer prestasie momentum kriteria te klassifiseer. Opbrengste is met die hele mark in konteks geplaas om sodoende enige impak van verskillende mark tye op die momentum opbrengs verhouding te elimineer. Die verband is opgestel deur die alternatiewe “Spearman Rank Order Correlation koëffisiënt” saam met permutasie toetse te gebruik om die statistiese belangrikheid van enige neigings uit te wys. Die geldigheid van die verskynsel as ‘n beleggingsstrategie is gemeet deur jaarlikse gemiddelde opbrengste teen beide die markkapitalisasie geweeg teen die JSE Alle Aandele Indeks sowel as ‘n ongeweegde verteenwoordiging van die mark te bepaal. Die resultate dui op ‘n interafhanklikheid tussen momentum en opbrengste met statistiese neigings altyd teenwoordig. Deur die maksimum belasting en verhandelingskoste toe te pas wys dit dat die hoogste momentum uitgewyste aandele die markriglyne uitpresteer het van Januarie 1990 tot Augustus 2009 wat die geldigheid van die benadering as ‘n beleggingsstrategie bevestig. Die studie verwerp die nul hipotese gedeeltelik in die sin dat dit nie toekomstige top presterende aandele kan uitwys nie, maar aan die ander kant gee prysprestasie momentum meting wel buitegewone opbrengs. Toekomstige studies mag die optimisering van verskeie tegniese indikatore van die JSE insluit, ‘n kombinasie van momentum met ander beleggingsstrategieë gebruik, en verder die bron van die verskynsel vas pen. Oor die afgelope aantal jare het beter beheer en die monitoring van beleggings die dokumentasie van individuele aandeelhouers moontlik gemaak. Hieride data sou kon gebruik word as ‘n toets om die korrelasie tussendie aantal aandeelhouers wat ‘n spesifieke aandeel verhandel en tropgedrag te bepaal en om dit te gebruik om die momentum effek beter te verklaar.