Liquidity and Governance

46 Pages Posted: 19 Nov 2013

See all articles by Kerry Back

Kerry Back

Rice University - Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business

Tao Li

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Department of Economics & Finance

Alexander Ljungqvist

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); Swedish House of Finance; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

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Date Written: November 2013

Abstract

Is greater trading liquidity good or bad for corporate governance? We address this question both theoretically and empirically. We solve a model consisting of an optimal IPO followed by a dynamic Kyle market in which the large investor's private information concerns her own plans for taking an active role in governance. We show that an increase in the liquidity of the firm's stock increases the likelihood of the large investor ‘taking the Wall Street walk.’ Thus, higher liquidity is harmful for governance. Empirical tests using three distinct sources of exogenous variation in liquidity confirm the negative relation between liquidity and blockholder activism.

Keywords: corporate governance, hedge funds, Kyle models, Liquidity, shareholder activism, shareholder proposals, Wall Street walk

JEL Classification: G23, G34

Suggested Citation

Back, Kerry and Li, Tao and Ljungqvist, Alexander and Ljungqvist, Alexander, Liquidity and Governance (November 2013). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP9739, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2356969

Kerry Back (Contact Author)

Rice University - Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business ( email )

6100 South Main Street
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, TX 77005-1892
United States

Tao Li

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Department of Economics & Finance ( email )

83 Tat Chee Avenue
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Alexander Ljungqvist

Swedish House of Finance ( email )

Drottninggatan 98
111 60 Stockholm
Sweden

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium

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