The Influence of Intuition on the Decision-Making of Investment Analysts

Abstract

Recent research has demonstrated that many professionals, including some financial professionals, use intuition as an important element of the decision-making process. However, scholars have yet to examine the potential use of intuition by traders. In this paper, we do exactly that, and look at whether the type of trader (fundamental vs. technical) as well as the traders’ experience, influences their use of intuition in trading decisions. Using content analysis to analyze data gathered by Schwager (2003), our preliminary observations suggest that indeed technical traders do rely on intuition much more than do fundamental traders, and that reliance on intuition increases with experience.