How different is Japanese corporate finance? An investigation of the information content of new security issues

This article studies the shareholder wealth effects associatedwith 875 new security issues in Japan from January 1, 1985,to May 31, 1991. The announcement of convertible debt issueshas a significant positive abnormal return of 1.05 percent.There is an abnormal return of 0.45 percent at the announcementof equity issues that is off-set by an abnormal return of 1.01percent on the issue day. Abnormal returns are negatively relatedto firm size, so that large Japanese firms have abnormal returnsless different from those of U.S. firms than small Japanesefirms. Our evidence is consistent with the view that Japanesemanagers decide to issue shares based on different considerationsthan American managers.