Optimizing stock market returns during global pandemic using regression in the context of Indian stock market

Stock markets around the world experienced a massive collapse during the first wave of COVID-19. Roughly in the month of January 2021, the second wave of COVID-19 struck in India, reaching its peak in May, and by the end of May, the active cases started to decline. A third wave is again predicted by the end of 2021, and as such, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have become a periodic phenomenon over the last couple of years. Therefore, the study of the behavior of the stock market as well as that of the investors becomes very interesting and crucial in this highly volatile and vulnerable market trend. Motivated by these facts, in the present paper, the researcher develops a model for portfolio management, using curve-fitting techniques and shows that this model can encounter the market volatility efficiently in the context of the Indian stock market. The portfolio is designed based on data taken from the National Stock Exchange (NSE), India, during 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020. The performance of the portfolio in real-life situation during 1 January 2021 to 21 May 2021 is examined, assuming investments are made according to the proposed model.