We propose new methods for estimating the bid-ask spread from observed transaction prices alone. Our methods are based on the empirical characteristic function instead of the sample autocovariance function like the method of Roll (1984). As in Roll (1984), we have a closed form expression for...

This paper identifies, and then examines, whether institutional structures can be used to explain the occurrence of accounts manipulation. Specifically, it investigates whether legal origin, level of corruption, the extent of press freedom, State's ownership of enterprises, and the State's...

We investigate the relationship between private firms’ disclosures and the demand for the equity of their publicly traded peers. Using data on the global movement of public equity, we find that a one standard deviation increase in private firm disclosure transparency – proxied by the number...

We investigate the relationship between private firms’ disclosures and the demand for the equity of their publicly traded peers. Using data on the global movement of public equity, we find that a one standard deviation increase in private firm disclosure transparency – proxied by the number...

The notion of a global currency is a debate set aside in the past decade as the abstraction saw little potential for realization in a world with heterogeneous governments unwilling to sacrifice seigniorage for optimal design. The technical capability of creating digital currencies, independent...

In this paper, we examine the monitoring role of government customers in emerging markets, a setting where public procurement is significant but the procurement institutions are weak. In these countries, financial statements certification could be an important mechanism for a private firm to...

We use supervised Latent Dirichlet Allocation (sLDA) to measure differences in the content of the Chinese and English translations of the annual reports of Chinese firms. We find systematic differences in content across languages that are not the mechanical effects of translation and that vary...

Research Question/Issue: We examine the association between institutional ownership and climate change disclosure quality from 2006 to 2018 across 34 countries. Research Findings/Insights: We find that firms with a higher level of foreign institutional ownership demonstrate better quality...

A stream of literature shows that human attention constraints affect asset pricing in predictable ways. When traders are distracted, stock prices tend to initially underreact to earnings news and then gradually incorporate the news over subsequent weeks. In modern markets, however, the majority...

The worldwide landscape of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity has changed dramatically in the past decade. Acquirers, acquisition trends, and the strategies behind those transactions now differ dramatically. Acquisition success rates also appear to be different, with recent research...