Using a large sample of 13,674 initial public offerings (IPOs) from 37 countries, we find that trading rules on market manipulation reduce IPO underpricing. The effect is weaker for IPOs certified by reputable intermediaries, in countries with greater shareholder rights protection, better...

We find a negative relation between democracy and initial public offering (IPO) underpricing for a sample of 23,050 IPOs across 45 countries. The effect of democracy on underpricing is weaker for IPOs audited by Big 4 auditing firms, backed by venture capital firms, and with better disclosure...

Using a large sample of 4,892 IPOs in the United States, we establish that the level of social capital in the county of the IPO firm’s headquarters is negatively associated with the level of IPO underpricing. The results hold for a range of robustness tests, including those addressing...

We provide evidence that anti-collusion leniency legislations around the world reduce IPO underpricing. The effect is amplified (mitigated) among IPOs with more prominent agency concerns (lower level of information asymmetry) and is mitigated in countries with stringent financial reporting...

Using a sample of 4,892 IPOs in the United States from 1990 to 2019, we establish that the level of social capital in the county of the IPO firm’s headquarters is negatively associated with the level of IPO underpricing. The relation holds for a range of robustness tests, including those...