We examine investors’ reaction and the audit market implications of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA), which threatens to delist Chinese issuers whose auditors are not subject to PCAOB inspection. We observe negative market returns for U.S.-listed Chinese issuers,...

We examine whether investors consider foreign component auditors when assessing the value of U.S. multinational corporations (MNCs) using two sets of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) international regulatory events. We find investors react negatively when the PCAOB is denied...

I examine whether the market's reaction to firms' earnings news varies with analysis (i.e., editorial content) produced by financial journalists. A series of restructuring events at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) suggests that WSJ articles improve price discovery and increase trading volume at...

We show meetings of investors and firms convey information about expected returns. Investors frequently travel to meet in-person with firms before investing, and we show firms with abnormally frequent meetings predictably outperform firms with abnormally infrequent meetings by roughly 70-to-100...

Using a sample that post-dates important regulatory changes in Europe, we show that a buy recommendation from an analyst on a “consensus sell” stock is, on average, sufficient to cause the stock to start to rise in value. Similarly, a sell recommendation on a “consensus buy” stock can...

Despite the importance of sell-side analysts in the capital markets, we know little about the effectiveness of routine monitoring of the sell-side industry. We examine the attributes of sell-side research issued by analysts before and after their brokerage faces regulatory sanctions. We find...

Despite the importance of sell-side analysts in the capital markets, we know little about the effectiveness of routine monitoring of the sell-side industry. We examine the attributes of sell-side research issued by analysts before and after their brokerage is subject to regulatory sanctions. We...

A dedicated investor relations (IR) function facilitates direct and ongoing dialogue between management and shareholders. This paper examines whether this form of engagement mitigates activism that relies upon support from other shareholders. We find that IR engagement is associated with...

Recent reviews of the academic literature indicate that little is known regarding how users evaluate the materiality levels auditors use or respond to quantitative materiality disclosure. Regulators around the world have taken different stances on whether materiality should, or should not, be...

This study examines the impact of the enhanced auditor's report (ISA 701) in New Zealand on audit effort (audit fees and audit delay); audit quality (absolute abnormal accruals); client disclosures (inventory) and investors (value relevance). ISA 701 requiries an enhanced auditor's report. A...