Headline Risk

Headline risk is the possibility that a news story will adversely affect a stock's price. Headline risk can also impact the performance of a specific sector or the stock market as a whole. For example, news of a trade war between the United States and China created headline risk for the broader financial markets in 2018.

Headline risk can be mitigated through effective public relations campaigns. Successful public relations efforts can promote positive images of a company that can help counteract any negative stories as well as provide swift damage control if such a story is released. (To learn more, see: 6 Tips for Spinning a PR Nightmare.)

Individual investors can counteract headline risk by using a buy-and-hold investing strategy that ignores the short-term changes in the market that are triggered by headlines. For instance, instead of focusing on day-to-day stock price fluctuations, investors should asses the performance of their portfolios at the end of each quarter and make any necessary changes accordingly.

A 24-hour news cycle means investors are continuously exposed to headlines that may negatively impact their investments. Instead of reading every financial news story, investors should focus on just a few credible news sources that provide reliable information or conduct their own research. There is a plethora of free information online for investors to learn the basics of financial and technical analysis. (For more, see: The Basics of a Financial Analysis Report.)

Suppose a pharmaceutical company releases a new drug called “Cholestride” that dramatically reduces a person’s cholesterol levels.

In response to the drug, a competitor organizes for a study that finds a possible but not conclusive link between the new cholesterol medication and liver damage. This creates a headline risk for Cholestride's makers that must be managed to prevent it from having a material impact on the company's stock price. (See also: 10 Risks that Every Stock Faces.)

In the aftermath of the 2007–2010 subprime lending crisis, mortgage lenders such as Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup faced significant headline risk from other financial institutions collapsing or coming under severe financial pressure.

After the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the bailout of prominent financial institutions including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2008, investors had little confidence in the stability of the financial system, and any negative headline relating to the financial sector had the potential to spark a stock selloff in financial stocks. (See also: The Collapse of Lehman Brothers: A Case Study.)