Does Bond Liquidity Affect Equity Returns?
41 Pages Posted: 21 Sep 2012 Last revised: 28 Sep 2012
Date Written: September 20, 2012
Abstract
I investigate the causal relationship between bond liquidity and stock returns. An improvement in bond liquidity can positively impact stock returns by decreasing the cost of capital and improving profitability. To investigate this effect, I construct a natural experiment around the implementation of the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (TRACE). I find a 2.2% cumulative average abnormal equity return for firms that appeared in TRACE on the first dissemination date (July 1, 2002). Moreover, average abnormal returns are significantly related to the improvement in bond liquidity and probability of informed trading in the cross-section.
Keywords: Bond liquidity, Stock Returns, Cost of Capital, Liquidity, TRACE, Transparency
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