We examine the option-implied volatility of the three most liquid ETFs (Diamonds, Spiders, and Cubes) and their respective tracking indices (Dow 30, S&P 500, and NASDAQ 100). We find that volatility smiles for ETF options are more pronounced than for index options, primarily because...

Taxes and microstructure constraints are often cited as possible explanations for why stock prices drop by less than the dividend on their ex-dates. Using a sample of REITs, which have no significant correlation between dividend size and yield, we find that close-to-open ex-dividend price drops...

This paper provides new evidence that tax clienteles exist and that they influence ex-dividend stock price behavior. We test the tax model of ex-day pricing over a continuous sample period spanning all U.S. tax law changes since 1926. Our results indicate that actual ex-dividend price drop...

Stock investors who are charitable donors can minimize capital gains taxes and improve portfolio diversification by donating their most appreciated shares instead of cash, and then investing the freed-up cash in the portfolio's least-weighted stocks. The charity is indifferent to the donation...

PPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how recent capital gains affect ex-dividend stock pricing. Traditional models assume that investors are motivated to sell a stock before its ex-date to avoid paying higher taxes on dividends. However, if a stock has appreciated significantly,...

This study looks for the presence of rational speculative bubbles in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) using unit-root, variance ratio, duration dependence and regime switching regression tests. The regime switching method provides weak evidence of speculative bubble behaviour in both the...

Taxes and microstructure constraints are often cited as possible explanations for why stock prices drop by less than the dividend on their ex-dates. Using a sample of real estate investment trusts, which have no significant correlation between dividend size and yield, we find that...