Semantic Analysis of Vaccine and Online Shopping-Related Stock Forums During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the stay-at-home and biotechnology economies played a big part in economic development. The major internet forums have received more attention and discussions concerning stocks related to biotechnology and the stay-at-home economy. When the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in a country rises, so does the positive or negative sentiment in stock commentaries. Whether stock forums can be a valuable source of information for investors has become a subject of academic research. This study used text mining and sentiment analysis to analyze stock forum articles, classify daily reports into emotion and investment orientation indicators, and correlate these indicators with the next-day 2019’s stock prices. The findings indicate a positive correlation between stock forum articles and stock prices. Additionally, this research enriched the case of sentiment analysis in the context of Chinese sentiment. This study contributes not only to academic reference and refinement but also to market investors’ judgment.