Using a sample of 2,189 firms from 21 countries we find that, on average, stricter insider trading regulations reduce private information trading. However, for firms with high agency costs, insider trading restrictions are less effective in deterring private information trading. We suggest that...

Using a sample of 2189 firms from 21 countries we find that, on average, stricter insider trading regulations reduce private information trading. However, for firms with high agency costs, insider trading restrictions are less effective in deterring private information trading. We suggest that...

Existing literature has shown that periods of high merger activity are correlated with high market valuations. Significantly more acquisitions occur when stock markets are booming than when markets are depressed. Using methodologies robust to recent criticism we show that viewed through an...

We study the ability of US firms to manage interest rate risk during changes in monetary policy. From annual reports we extract interest rate derivative positions and analyze how they change with the cyclical movements in interest rates. Our hand-collected data follows firms' year-end positions...

We show that partial equity ownership between rival firms has a significant impact on industry competition. Industry-level tests indicate that acquisitions of a minority stake in competing firms' equity are followed by higher output prices and higher price-cost margins, particularly in...

We show that divestitures accompanying horizontal mergers affect both the market power potential and the competitive efficiency of merging firms. Stock price reactions of customer firms are more positive (hence divestitures are more effective in mitigating the market power impact of the merger)...

We show that an increase in the cost of unskilled labor leads to more labor-saving innovation. Larger minimum wage increases are associated with larger increases in automation patent applications and citations received by automation patents. These findings are stronger in states with a higher...

We point out several methodological flaws in previous research that concludes that managers mislead shareholders into selling their stock for too cheap by releasing overly negative information before stock repurchases. In particular, this research relies primarily on measured market reaction to...

This paper demonstrates that a firm's need to hedge depends on the extent of hedging in its industry. When many firms in an industry experience common cost shocks, prices co-vary with costs providing firms with a 'natural hedge'. However, when hedging is widespread, prices do not offset cost...

This paper examines the impact of financial sponsor competition on corporate buyers. We find that corporate acquirers who purchase targets that financial buyers also bid on outperform corporate acquirers who buy targets bid on by corporate firms only. Deal characteristics, acquirer abilities,...