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Family control and idiosyncratic volatility: Evidence from listed firms in Hong Kong

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

Abstract

Family control of listed firms in Hong Kong is substantively different and materially higher than in the US which could offer different insights into the effects of family ownership on corporate transparency. Using a sample of listed Hong Kong firms and idiosyncratic volatility as a proxy for firm-specific stock price informativeness, we find that family firms exhibit higher idiosyncratic volatility of stock prices than similar non-family firms. Further, the relation between family ownership and idiosyncratic volatility is weaker for firms with higher leverage but stronger in periods before equity issues. Additionally, we find that family firms disclose more information, particularly related to operations, than nonfamily firms in annual reports. These results are consistent with the argument that family firms disclose more information than their nonfamily peers to reassure skeptical outside investors that they are not expropriating their investment. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)39-52
JournalJournal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2012

Research Keywords

  • Disclosures
  • Equity issue
  • Family firms
  • Hong Kong
  • Transparency

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