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Stock liquidity and stock price crash risk

  • Xin Chang*
  • , Yangyang Chen*
  • , Leon Zolotoy*
  • *Corresponding author for this work

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

Abstract

We find that stock liquidity increases stock price crash risk. To identify the causal effect, we use the decimalization of stock trading as an exogenous shock to liquidity. This effect is increasing in a firm’s ownership by transient investors and nonblockholders. Liquid firms have a higher likelihood of future bad earnings news releases, which are accompanied by greater selling by transient investors, but not blockholders. Our results suggest that liquidity induces managers to withhold bad news, fearing that its disclosure will lead to selling by transient investors. Eventually, accumulated bad news is released all at once, causing a crash.


Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1605-1637
JournalJournal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis
Volume52
Issue number4
Online published25 Jul 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2017
Externally publishedYes

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