We show that merger announcement returns account for virtually all of the measured size premium. An empirical proxy for ex ante takeover exposure positively and robustly relates to cross-sectional expected returns. The relation between size and expected returns becomes positive or insignificant,...

This paper is concerned with the ability of marketing investments to convey information from the “black box” of the firm to participants in the financial markets. We focus on the context of sales force resizing announcements in the pharmaceutical industry because the sales force comprises...