Illiquidity and the Measurement of Stock Price Synchronicity

55 Pages Posted: 7 Mar 2014 Last revised: 23 Mar 2019

See all articles by Joachim Gassen

Joachim Gassen

Humboldt University of Berlin - School of Business and Economics; TRR 266 Accounting for Transparency

Hollis Ashbaugh Skaife

Graduate School of Management, UC-Davis

David Veenman

University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam Business School (ABS)

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: March 2019

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that measures of stock price synchronicity based on market model R2s are predictably biased downwards as a result of stock illiquidity, and that previously-employed remedies to correct market model betas for measurement bias do not fix R2. Using a large international sample of firm-years, we find strong negative and nonlinear relations between illiquidity and R2 across countries, across firms, and over time. Because variables of interest frequently relate to illiquidity as well, we illustrate the consequences of not controlling for illiquidity in synchronicity research. More generally, we demonstrate the importance of using nonlinear control variable methods. Overall, we conclude that the illiquidity-driven measurement bias in R2 provides an explanation for why prior research finds low-R2 firms to have weak information environments, and suggest future research carefully evaluate the sensitivity of its results to nonlinear controls for illiquidity.

Keywords: Stock price synchronicity; Price informativeness; Illiquidity; Zero returns; Corporate transparency; Sell-side analysts; Control variables; Fixed effects; Nonlinearity

JEL Classification: G12, G14, G15, M40, N20

Suggested Citation

Gassen, Joachim and Skaife, Hollis Ashbaugh and Veenman, David, Illiquidity and the Measurement of Stock Price Synchronicity (March 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2405465 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2405465

Joachim Gassen

Humboldt University of Berlin - School of Business and Economics ( email )

Spandauer Str. 1
Berlin, D-10099
Germany
+49 30 2093 5764 (Phone)
+49 30 2093 5670 (Fax)

TRR 266 Accounting for Transparency

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Paderborn, 33098
Germany

Hollis Ashbaugh Skaife

Graduate School of Management, UC-Davis ( email )

Graduate School of Management
1 Shields Ave
Davis, CA 95616
United States

David Veenman (Contact Author)

University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam Business School (ABS) ( email )

Roetersstraat 18
Amsterdam, 1018WB
Netherlands

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