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Political Connections and the Informativeness of Insider Trades

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  • ALAN D. JAGOLINZER
  • DAVID F. LARCKER
  • GAIZKA ORMAZABAL
  • DANIEL J. TAYLOR

Abstract

We analyze the trading of corporate insiders at leading financial institutions during the 2007 to 2009 financial crisis. We find strong evidence of a relation between political connections and informed trading during the period in which Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds were disbursed, and that the relation is most pronounced among corporate insiders with recent direct connections. Notably, we find evidence of abnormal trading by politically connected insiders 30 days in advance of TARP infusions, and that these trades anticipate the market reaction to the infusion. Our results suggest that political connections can facilitate opportunistic behavior by corporate insiders.

Suggested Citation

  • Alan D. Jagolinzer & David F. Larcker & Gaizka Ormazabal & Daniel J. Taylor, 2020. "Political Connections and the Informativeness of Insider Trades," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(4), pages 1833-1876, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:75:y:2020:i:4:p:1833-1876
    DOI: 10.1111/jofi.12899
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    9. Liu, Hengxu & Zhao, Wenxi, 2023. "The role of political connections in bad times: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
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    11. Budi Wahyono, 2023. "Do political connections affect the market reaction to firms’ inclusion in or exclusion from the Sharia index?," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(4), pages 835-854, December.
    12. Das, Kuntal K. & Yaghoubi, Mona, 2023. "Stock liquidity and firm-level political risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    13. Wang, Xiaonan & Wang, Yan, 2022. "Too cynical: why the stock market in China dimissed initial anticorruption signals," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113696, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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