Would Lehman Sisters Have Done It Differently?: An Empirical Analysis of Gender Differences in Investment Behavior

This study appraises the role of gender in the behavior of individuals who make risky investments. The analysis bases on real-life investment data collected at an online market for peer-to-peer lending. The aim is to find out whether male and female investors differ in propensity for risk taking and performance of investments. Contrary to most existing studies, I find no evidence for gender differences. Males and females exhibit similar levels of risk propensity and their portfolios perform equally good.