This paper examines the link between disclosure and the cost of capital. We exploit an exogenous cost of capital shock created by the Enron scandal in Fall 2001 and analyze firms’ disclosure responses to this shock. These tests are opposite to the typical research design that analyzes cost of capital responses to disclosure changes. In reversing the tests and using an exogenous shock, we mitigate concerns about omitted variables in traditional cross-sectional disclosure studies. We estimate shocks to firms’ betas around the Enron events and the ensuing transparency crisis. Our analysis shows that these beta shocks are associated with increased disclosure. Firms expand the number of pages of their annual 10-K filings, notably the sections containing the financial statements and footnotes. The increase in disclosure is particularly pronounced for firms that have positive cost of capital shocks and larger financing needs. We also find that firms respond with additional interim disclosures (e.g., 8-K filings) and that these disclosures are complementary to the 10-K disclosures. Finally, we show that firms’ disclosure responses reduce firms’ costs of capital and hence the impact of the transparency crisis.
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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number
14897.
Length: Date of creation: Apr 2009 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14897
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Find related papers by JEL classification: G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting - - Accounting - - - Accounting M42 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting - - Accounting - - - Auditing
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