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Gauging the effects of stock liquidity on earnings management: Evidence from the SEC tick size pilot test

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  • Li, Dan
  • Xia, Ying

Abstract

This paper studies whether stock market liquidity has a causal effect on real earnings management. We introduce a new and cleaner identification of liquidity shock - the 2016 Tick Size Pilot Program - to show that firms with less liquid stocks are more likely to engage in real earnings management. We provide direct evidence that stock liquidity helps to deter real earnings management via enhancing governance by long-term institutional investors through trading and direct intervention, and via facilitating short selling to discipline managers. The effect is stronger in firms that do not pay dividends.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Dan & Xia, Ying, 2021. "Gauging the effects of stock liquidity on earnings management: Evidence from the SEC tick size pilot test," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:67:y:2021:i:c:s0929119921000250
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2021.101904
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    Cited by:

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    3. Hao, (Grace) Qing & Li, Keming, 2022. "Options trading and earnings management: Evidence from the penny pilot program," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    4. Ee, Mong Shan & Hasan, Iftekhar & Huang, He, 2022. "Stock liquidity and corporate labor investment11We are grateful to the editor (Heitor Almeida) and an anynmous reviewer for detailed and significant guidance and suggestions. We thank Huu Duong, Alvin," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    5. Szymon Stereńczak, 2021. "Minimum tick size reduction and stock liquidity: lessons from the Warsaw Stock Exchange," Bank i Kredyt, Narodowy Bank Polski, vol. 52(6), pages 545-576.
    6. Ye, Mao & Zheng, Miles Y. & Zhu, Wei, 2023. "The effect of tick size on managerial learning from stock prices," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(1).
    7. Liu, Benjamin & Johl, Shireenjit & Lasantha, Ruwan, 2023. "ESG scores and cash holdings: The role of disciplinary trading," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PA).

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