Investor attention, market sentiment, and the performance of China's low-altitude economy stocks

Purpose This study aims to explore the behavioral drivers of stock performance in the low-altitude economy sector, a strategic emerging industry in China. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzes market data from 70 low-altitude economy companies using a two-way fixed effects model, incorporating investor attention measured by Baidu search index and market sentiment measured by emotions extracted from forum posts to assess their combined impact on stock performance. Findings Empirical research indicates that increased investor attention is significantly associated with higher stock returns and greater return volatility. Market sentiment has an asymmetric effect on stock valuation, with positive sentiment leading to stronger upward movements in stock prices compared to the downward pressure from negative sentiment. Additionally, quantile regression reveals that the influence of investor attention varies across different levels of stock returns, with medium to high-yield stocks being more positively impacted. Robustness checks and heterogeneity analyses confirm the reliability of the findings. Practical implications The findings provide valuable implications for investors and policymakers. Investors can use insights from investor attention and market sentiment to better predict stock returns and volatility. Policymakers can leverage these findings to develop strategies for fostering investor confidence and optimizing market dynamics in the low-altitude economy sector. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding of stock price formation in the emerging low-altitude economy sector, an area that has not been extensively explored. It offers insights into how behavioral factors, specifically investor attention and market sentiment, drive stock performance in this rapidly growing industry.