This paper investigates whether the business press serves as an information intermediary. The press potentially shapes firms' information environments by packaging and disseminating information, as well as by creating new information through journalism activities. We find that greater press...

Recent work presents evidence that certain groups of institutional investors are able to trade profitably based on private information about earnings and returns. We contribute to this literature in three ways. First, we test whether certain private information proxies are consistent with the...

Many small firms face significant challenges in improving visibility and attracting investors to their stock. One response to these challenges is to initiate an investor relations (IR) program. Through interviews and surveys with IR professionals, we learn that the IR process focuses on...

This paper examines the relation between accounting method choice and investment by US institutional investors in non-US firms. Such a relation could be driven by two factors. First, home bias in US investment could result in preferences for accounting practices familiar to US investors. The use...

This paper investigates the effect of regulation that mandates open access to information on managers' disclosure choices and investors' reactions to disclosures. The recently passed Regulation FD (Reg FD) requires firms to make material disclosures broadly available. Using a sample of firms...

This paper examines the economic consequences of a regulatory change mandating OTCBB firms to comply with reporting requirements under the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. This change substantially increases mandated disclosures for firms previously not filing with the SEC. We document that the...

Recent advances in information technology allow firms to provide broader access to their disclosures. We examine the determinants and effects of the decision to provide unlimited real-time access to conference calls (i.e., quot;openquot;conference calls). Our evidence suggests that the decision...

Critics often argue that institutional investors have an excessive focus on short-term firm performance that leads corporate managers to make decisions to boost short-term earnings at the expense of long-run value. This paper examines whether institutional investors exhibit preferences for...

This paper investigates whether the quality of a firm's disclosure practices affects the composition of a firm's institutional investor base and whether this association has implications for a firm's stock return volatility. The findings indicate that firms with higher disclosure quality, as...

This paper examines the influence of institutional investors on the incentives of corporate managers to alter long-term investment for earnings management purposes. Many critics argue that the short-term focus of institutional investors encourages managers to sacrifice long-term investment to...