Compliance with prevailing accounting standards is induced if the expected disadvantage due to sanctions imposed if non-compliance is detected outweighs the advantage of non-compliant accounting choices.(...)

We explore the role of corporate insiders vs. firms as traders of last resort. We develop a simple model of insider trading in which insiders provide price support, as well as liquidity, in security markets. Consistent with the model predictions we find that in the US markets insiders’ trading...

In view of recent corporate scandals, it is argued that corporate governance can learn from public governance. Institutions devised to control and discipline the behaviour of executives in the political sphere can give new insights into how to improve the governance of firms. Some proposal such...

It is a widely held perception, although empirically contentious, that credit rationing is an important phenomenon in the UK small business sector. In response to this perception the UK government initiated a loan guarantee scheme (SFLGS) in 1981. In this paper we use a unique dataset comprised...

This paper studies the main effects of the short sales ban implemented in August 2011 in the Spanish stock market along two dimensions: financial stability and market performance. Regarding the first, we show that short positions were a significant determinant of the probability of default of...

We investigate the effectiveness of a well-known global regulatory agency, the Basel Committee, on a major sector of the US financial market. The Basel Committee's recommendations are implemented in the US following a plan set forth by the Federal Banking Agencies (FBAs). The information content...

Form S-1 is the first SEC filing in the initial public offering (IPO) process. The tone of the S-1, in terms of its definitiveness in characterizing the firm’s business strategy and operations, should affect investors’ ability to value the IPO. We find that IPOs with high levels of uncertain...

We explore the information content of counterparty identities and how their disclosure can be exploited by other investors in a post-trade transparent market. Using data from the Helsinki Stock Exchange, we form dynamic mean-variance strategies with daily rebalancing which condition on the net...

This paper examines the optimal design and consequences of financial disclosure regulation. Our model represents the regulation as creating a real option for an investor to delay investment until information is disclosed. We find conditions on investment opportunities that ensure that regulation...