Strategic News Releases in Equity Vesting Months

51 Pages Posted: 25 Sep 2014

See all articles by Alex Edmans

Alex Edmans

London Business School - Institute of Finance and Accounting; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Luis Goncalves-Pinto

University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Yanbo Wang

Sungkyunkwan University (SKK) Graduate School of Business

Moqi Groen-Xu

Queen Mary University of London

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 2014

Abstract

We show that CEOs strategically time corporate news releases to coincide with months in which their equity vests. These vesting months are determined by equity grants made several years prior, and thus unlikely driven by the current information environment. CEOs reallocate news into vesting months, and away from prior and subsequent months. They release 5% more discretionary news in vesting months than prior months, but there is no difference for non-discretionary news. These news releases lead to favourable media coverage, suggesting they are positive in tone. They also generate a temporary run-up in stock prices and market liquidity, potentially resulting from increased investor attention or reduced information asymmetry. The CEO takes advantage of these effects by cashing out shortly after the news releases.

Keywords: CEO Incentives, Equity Vesting, News., Voluntary Disclosure

JEL Classification: G14, G34

Suggested Citation

Edmans, Alex and Goncalves-Pinto, Luis and Wang, Yanbo and Groen-Xu, Moqi, Strategic News Releases in Equity Vesting Months (September 2014). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP10144, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2501627

Alex Edmans (Contact Author)

London Business School - Institute of Finance and Accounting ( email )

Sussex Place
Regent's Park
London NW1 4SA
United Kingdom

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

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

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) ( email )

London
United Kingdom

Luis Goncalves-Pinto

University of New South Wales (UNSW) ( email )

Kensington
High St
Sydney, NSW 2052
Australia

HOME PAGE: http://luis.goncalvespinto.com/

Yanbo Wang

Sungkyunkwan University (SKK) Graduate School of Business ( email )

53 Myeongnyun-dong 3-ga Jongno-ju
Guro-gu
Seoul, 110-745
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

Moqi Groen-Xu

Queen Mary University of London ( email )

Mile End Road
London, London E1 4NS
United Kingdom

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