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The Rationale for IPO Lockup Agreements: Agency or Signaling?

Author

Listed:
  • Fei Gao

    (Kelley College of Business, Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, TX 79698, USA)

  • Mazhar A. Siddiqi

    (College of Business, University of North Texas, USA)

Abstract

Most Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) feature share lockup agreements, which prohibit insiders and other pre-IPO shareholders from selling their shares for a specified period of time following IPO. We explore possible reasons why some IPO firms voluntarily agree to have a much longer lockup period than other firms. We find evidence that lockup agreements are used to control agency costs. Longer lockups are significantly related to inferior long-run returns and this relationship is stronger for firms that have less reputable underwriters. We find no evidence that lockup agreements are used to signal firm quality and we are unable to relate firm quality, as measured by long-run returns, to information asymmetry variables.

Suggested Citation

  • Fei Gao & Mazhar A. Siddiqi, 2012. "The Rationale for IPO Lockup Agreements: Agency or Signaling?," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(03), pages 1-18.
  • Handle: RePEc:wsi:rpbfmp:v:15:y:2012:i:03:n:s0219091512500130
    DOI: 10.1142/S0219091512500130
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Qi Deng & Zhong-guo Zhou, 2016. "The pricing of first day opening price returns for ChiNext IPOs," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 249-271, August.
    2. Beng Soon Chong & Zhenbin Liu, 2016. "CAR associated with SEO share lockups: Real or illusionary?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 513-541, October.
    3. Sahil Narang & Rudra P. Pradhan, 2021. "IPO lock-up: a review and assessment," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 48(3), pages 343-369, September.
    4. Monica Hussein & Zhong-guo Zhou & Qi Deng, 2020. "Does risk disclosure in prospectus matter in ChiNext IPOs’ initial underpricing?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 54(3), pages 957-979, April.
    5. Hon-Wei Leow & Wee-Yeap Lau, 2018. "The Impact of Global Financial Crisis on IPO Underpricing in Malaysian Stock Market," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(04), pages 1-17, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    IPO; lockup; agency; signaling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G1 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets
    • G2 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services
    • G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance

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