In inefficient stock markets payout policy may be directly relevant for stock prices, not only by way of announcement effects considered in signaling games. We show that paying out free cash flow, either as a dividend or via repurchasing shares, has in general a positive price impact and...

We question a deep-ingrained doctrine in asset pricing: if an empirical characteristic-return relation is consistent with investor “rationality,” the relation must be “explained” by a risk factor model. The investment approach changes the big picture of asset pricing. Factors formed on...

If investors perceive dividend changes as providing signals about specific firms' future prospects, it can be argued that the magnitude of stock price reactions to dividend change announcements will vary with the relative importance of the firms' specific information in their return dynamics. We...

We survey the theory and evidence of behavioral corporate finance, which generally takes one of two approaches. The market timing and catering approach views managerial financing and investment decisions as rational managerial responses to securities mispricing. The managerial biases approach...

Dividend reductions have long been considered a "last resort" action for firm managers. Managerial reluctance to reduce dividends emanates from the view that dividend drops signal managerial pessimism regarding future earnings. Contrary to expectations, studies show that earnings rebound...

A deep-ingrained doctrine in asset pricing says that if an empirical characteristic-return relation is consistent with investor “rationality,” the relation must be “explained” by a risk (factor) model. The investment approach questions the doctrine. Factors formed on characteristics are...

In this paper we analyze performance-based remuneration for risk-averse managers in a Black Scholes-type model. We assume that the firm's performance is influenced by an industry and a firm-specific risk. A relative performance compensation which rewards a manager relative to the exogenous...

Based on information signaling theory, this paper empirically shows that distribution effect matters for idiosyncratic volatility discount. Idiosyncratic volatility discount arises primarily among stocks with non-cash distributions. Such stocks show a significant idiosyncratic volatility...

This paper provides risk and information asymmetry-based explanations of the disappearing dividend puzzle first documented by Fama and French (2001). Dividends serve as signaling device and, under models of dividend signaling under information asymmetry, the cost of signaling increases with...

This paper examines the stock performance around initiation announcements of open market share repurchase programs, the price impact of repurchase trading and the long-run abnormal stock performance following the initiation announcements in a European regulatory framework. The study uses a...