Impact of liquidity and information on the mispricing of newly public firms

We test whether the mispricing of newly public firms is affected by liquidity and information during the quiet period, from the end of the quiet period until the lock-up expiration date, and post lock-up. Liquidity is affected by the underwriter’s stabilization efforts during the quiet period and the founder’s ability to sell shares in the post-lockup period. Based on a sample of winner and loser events for more than 2,600 newly public firms during 1992–2001, the degree of under-or overreaction is conditioned on the period within the aftermarket following the IPO. We attribute the results to different liquidity and information effects among the three periods.     

Why Does Performance Persistence Vary Among Closed-End Funds?

This study extends the research on closed-end fund performance persistence by investigating whether the persistence of both net asset value (NAV) and market price returns of U.S. registered closed-end funds is related to various fund characteristics. The sample consists of 505 closed-end funds, which are investigated over the period from January 1976 to December 1996. The analysis tests whether persistence is related to the fund characteristics size, goal, management fees, turnover, fund family membership, fund experience, and the exchange on which a fund is traded. The results vary across holding periods used to calculate persistence but are similar with respect to the NAV and market price returns. Funds with lower expense ratios and funds traded on the NYSE show more persistence of strong NAV and market price performance.     

Valuation effects of foreign divestitures

This study assesses announcement period valuation effects of foreign divestitures and explains why these valuation effects vary among firms. Significant positive valuation effects are observed. The valuation effects of foreign divestitures are positive and are similar in magnitude to those of a matched control group of domestic divestitures. Results of a cross-sectional analysis suggest that valuation effects are positively related to the relative size of the divested unit. Valuation effects are more favorable when divestitures are for strategic reorganization purposes and/or to raise cash, and valuation effects are more favorable for foreign divestitures in industrialized host countries. Several important managerial implications emerge from the results of this study. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Pricing of IPOs Post-Sarbanes-Oxley

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) imposes new requirements for firms going public. Many provisions of SOX should improve the transparency of U.S. firms going public and therefore reduce the uncertainty surrounding their valuation. We find that initial returns of initial public offerings (IPOs) in the United States have declined since SOX. Furthermore, the aftermarket performance of IPOs since SOX is significantly higher. While the expense of public reporting has increased in the United States because of SOX, the valuations of newly public firms at the time of the IPO are subject to less uncertainty and smaller aftermarket corrections.     

Influence of economic factors on the valuation effects of debt offerings

The obejective of this paper is to determine whether the share price responses to debt offerings are influenced cross-sectially by economic factors. We develop hypotheses that share price responses are inversely related to nominal interest rates, and to the issuing firm's stock price level relative to the market, and positively related to economic growth. After controlling for firm-specific characteristics used in previous studies, we find that the share price responses to straight debt offerings are not significantly related to the nominal interest rates or to the issuing firm's relative stock price level, but are positively related to the economic growth. We also find that share price responses to convertible debt offerings are significantly related to the nominal interest rates, the issuing firm's relative stock price level, and economic growth in the manner hypothesized. These results imply that the signal emitted by a firm's debt offering can be influecnced not only by firm-specific characteristics, but also by prevailing economic conditions.     

Price Performance Following Share‐Repurchase Announcements by Closed‐End Funds

We investigate the price performance of closed‐end funds that announce share‐repurchase programs. Closed‐end funds experience positive average stock‐price reactions to the announcements. The long‐run buy‐and‐hold abnormal returns of repurchasing funds over the subsequent three years are significantly higher than a nonrepurchasing control sample matched by size, type, investment style and geographic diversification. Funds with larger discounts, international funds, equity funds, and funds that announce larger repurchases or frequently announce repurchases, experience more positive stock‐price reactions. Except for larger repurchases, the same characteristics are associated with more positive long‐run buy‐and‐hold returns.     

Intra-industry and inter-country effects of European mergers

We empirically test the valuation effects of European M&A announcements on rivals within the target's country (intra-industry effects) and on other European rivals (inter-country effects), for the period of 1996 to 1999. We find evidence of inter-country effects that has not previously been documented, suggesting that the ongoin integration of European economies, supported by the introduction of the euro, facilitates the transmission of private information across country boundaries in Europe. We also conduct a cross-sectional analysis to isolate potential sources of intra-industry and inter-country effects. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A00DH017 00007     

Consolidation in the financial services industry: Are there industry gains for acquisitions of security firms?

We examine the revaluation of target security firms, their respective acquirers, both banks and non-banks, and their corresponding rivals before and after the major consolidation wave of 1994 to 1997. We find that target security firms as well as their respective acquirers are favorably revalued at the time of their acquisitions. The valuation effects are more favorable for non-bank acquirers and for acquirers with more growth potential and a lower degree of financial leverage. This suggests that investors expect greater synergies for mergers by better capitalized, faster growing, non-bank acquirers. In contrast to previous merger studies that generally find negative wealth effects for acquiring firms, cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) are on average positive for acquirers, targets, and portfolios of competing security firms, with the highest positive CARs for targets.     

Reference Point Theory and Pursuit of Deals

Target and bidder reference points have separate and joint effects on merger deals. A firm whose stock price is more distant from its 52‐week high reference point is less likely to attract bids but has a greater likelihood of being acquired by its own managers (vs unaffiliated bidders). Firm propensity to submit a bid increases if its prevailing stock price is closer to its 52‐week high. When both parties’ reference points are close to their current stock prices, they are more willing to complete a deal. Hostile deals result when the bidder's stock price is closer to its reference point.     

Market Signals Associated with REIT IPOs

Previous studies have found significant but time-varying valuation effects associated with real estate investment trusts initial public offerings (REIT IPOs). Because REIT IPOs may disclose relevant information about real estate market conditions, they may serve to revalue existing real estate securities. To determine whether REIT IPOs signal information that is impounded into the share prices of other real estate securities, we assess the returns on rival portfolios of existing real estate securities upon the issuance of the IPO. On average, the rival portfolios experience insignificant effects on the REIT IPO filing date, but negative and significant abnormal returns around the issue date. A cross-sectional analysis of combined effects at the time of the filing date and issue date shows that the negative effects on the rival portfolios are more pronounced when (1) the size of the REIT IPO is larger, (2) market conditions are relatively weak, (3) more REIT IPOs come to market, and (4) the IPO is not associated with an umbrella partnership REIT.