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Information flows among rivals and corporate investment

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  • Bernard, Darren
  • Blackburne, Terrence
  • Thornock, Jacob

Abstract

Using a novel pairwise measure of firms’ acquisition of rivals’ disclosures, we show that investment opportunities drive interfirm information flows. We find that these flows predict subsequent mergers and acquisitions as well as how and how much firms invest, relative to rivals. Moreover, firms’ use of rivals’ information often hinges on the similarities of their products. Our results suggest that rivals’ public information, far from being unusable, helps facilitate investment and product decisions, including acquisitions and product differentiation strategies. The findings also support a learning mechanism that could partly underlie the emerging literature on peer investment effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernard, Darren & Blackburne, Terrence & Thornock, Jacob, 2020. "Information flows among rivals and corporate investment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(3), pages 760-779.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:136:y:2020:i:3:p:760-779
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2019.11.008
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    2. Zhaohui Yan & Mingli Wang & Yumeng Sun & Zihui Nan, 2023. "The Impact of Research and Development Investment on Total Factor Productivity of Animal Husbandry Enterprises: Evidence from Listed Companies in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-21, September.
    3. Ahçi, Mustafa, 2023. "Essays on corporate disclosures, innovation, and investments," Other publications TiSEM 0dddb5f7-17e1-41ba-97da-0, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Yanrong Jia & Ananth Seetharaman & Yan Sun & Xu Wang, 2023. "Relative Performance Goals and Management Earnings Guidance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(4), pages 1045-1071, April.
    5. Onur Bayar & Emre Kesici, 2024. "The impact of social media on venture capital financing: evidence from Twitter interactions," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 62(1), pages 195-224, January.
    6. Bernard, Darren & Kaya, Devrimi & Wertz, John, 2021. "Entry and capital structure mimicking in concentrated markets: The role of incumbents’ financial disclosures," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2).
    7. Stephen Glaeser & James D. Omartian, 2022. "Public Firm Presence, Financial Reporting, and the Decline of U.S. Manufacturing," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(3), pages 1085-1130, June.
    8. Sorabh Tomar, 2023. "Greenhouse Gas Disclosure and Emissions Benchmarking," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(2), pages 451-492, May.
    9. Allee, Kristian D. & Do, Chuong & Sterin, Mikhail, 2021. "Product market competition, disclosure framing, and casting in earnings conference calls," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1).
    10. Callen, Jeffrey L. & Fang, Xiaohua & Zhang, Wenjun, 2020. "Protection of proprietary information and financial reporting opacity: Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    11. Kim, Jinhwan & Valentine, Kristen, 2023. "Public firm disclosures and the market for innovation," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(1).
    12. Danjue Clancey-Shang, 2022. "Information Spillovers Prior to M&A Announcements," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-21, October.
    13. Pinto, Jedson, 2023. "Mandatory disclosure and learning from external market participants: Evidence from the JOBS act," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(1).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Information acquisition; Information flows; Rivalry; Investment; M&A;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure

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