This paper examines how the release of industry rivals' earnings news during the IPO book-building period affects a firm's process of going public. The aggregate effect of rivals' earnings news is measured by a signal-to-noise ratio. Higher signal-to-noise ratios indicate better rivals' earnings...

Using the records of several leading 19th century issuing houses, this paper analyses the transformation of underwriting practices in London's primary sovereign bond market from 1870 to 1914. It shows how underwriting risk developed from being a liability, which market intermediaries sought to...