We examine how political, institutional, and economic factors are related to a country's decision to privatize state-owned banks. Using a comprehensive panel of 101 countries from 1982 to 2000, we find that the determinants of this decision differ markedly between OECD and non-OECD nations....

In 2001, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) required market centers to publish monthly execution-quality reports in an effort to spur competition for order flow between markets. Using samples of stocks trading on several markets, we investigate whether past execution quality affects...

In 2001, the SEC required market centers to publish monthly execution-quality reports in an effort to spur competition for order flow between markets. Using samples of stocks trading on several markets, we investigate whether past execution quality affects order-routing decisions and whether the...

In 2001, the SEC required market centers to publish monthly execution-quality reports in an effort to spur competition for order flow between markets. Using samples of stocks trading on several markets, we investigate whether past execution quality affects order-routing decisions and whether the...

The percentage of U.S. equity held by institutional investors has quadrupled in the past four decades, and a prominent share of trading activity is due to institutions. Yet we know little about how institutions affect the informational efficiency of share prices, one important dimension of...

Using a broad panel of NYSE-listed stocks between 1983 and 2004, we study the relation between institutional shareholdings and the relative informational efficiency of prices, measured as deviations from a random walk. Stocks with greater institutional ownership are priced more efficiently and...

This paper investigates an important feature of market design: pre-trade transparency, defined as the availability of information about pending trading interest in the market. We look at how the NYSE s introduction of OpenBook, which enables traders off the exchange floor to observe depth in the...

Easley et al. (1996) have proposed an empirical methodology to estimate the probability of informed trading (PIN). This approach has been employed in a wide range of applications in market microstructure, corporate finance, and asset pricing. To estimate the model, a researcher only needs the...

Easley et al. (1996) have proposed an empirical methodology to estimate the probability of informed trading (PIN). This approach has been employed in a wide range of applications in market microstructure, corporate finance, and asset pricing. To estimate the model, a researcher only needs the...

We analyze allocations to institutional and retail investors in 441 initial public offerings (IPOs). In addition to the well known favorable first-day returns, we show that institutions also obtain more allocations in IPOs with better long-term performance. We find that initial institutional...