We propose and test a catering theory of nominal stock prices. The theory predicts that when investors place higher valuations on low-price firms, managers will maintain share prices at lower levels, and vice-versa. Using measures of time-varying catering incentives based on valuation ratios, split announcement effects, and future returns, we find empirical support for the predictions in both time-series and firm-level data. Given the strong cross-sectional relationship between capitalization and nominal share price, an interpretation of the results is that managers may be trying to categorize their firms as small firms when investors favor small firms.
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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number
13762.
Length: Date of creation: Jan 2008 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:13762
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Find related papers by JEL classification: G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance
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Malcolm Baker & Jeffrey Wurgler, 2004.
"A Catering Theory of Dividends,"
Journal of Finance,
American Finance Association, vol. 59(3), pages 1125-1165, 06.
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