The impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns on the US semiconductor equity market : A time series analysis in a sensitive and important sector before and after a shock

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of COVID-19 initial hit and the associated lockdowns effect on the semiconductor industry. The study emanates from factors of return on investment in the equity market using the CAPM model alongside the theories of EMH and behavioral finance. The semiconductor industry is represented by the SOX index, and the S&P 500 index representing the general markets. The mapping of movements in these indexes are done in a daily time series between 01/01/2018 to 29/11/2021 to find out the behavior of the market during a period of shock. The conclusion is that equity markets is affected by lockdowns, but also has other factors affecting the industry.