IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/bstrat/v34y2025i8p10098-10117.html

Corporate Environmental Performance and Stock Price Synchronicity: Examining Industry Sensitivity and Disclosure Regimes in Stakeholder‐Oriented Markets

Author

Listed:
  • Ishwar Khatri
  • Phuong Bui
  • Khine Kyaw

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between corporate environmental performance (CEP) and stock price synchronicity, focusing on the roles of industry environmental sensitivity and nonfinancial disclosure regimes (voluntary vs. mandatory). Using data from 396 Nordic listed firms between 2010 and 2022, the findings show that higher CEP generally increases synchronicity, supporting the noise reduction hypothesis. However, under mandatory reporting, CEP decreases synchronicity, aligning with the idiosyncratic information view. The results are robust across IV‐2SLS, PSM, and Difference‐in‐Differences methods. Additional analysis highlights the firm's information environment as a crucial mechanism, with stronger environments—characterized by higher analyst coverage, institutional ownership, and ESG disclosures—enhancing stock price alignment with the market. Industry‐level analysis also confirms sectoral heterogeneity. This study contributes to the literature on ESG and market efficiency by offering a unique Nordic perspective, a developed market with a strong stakeholder orientation.

Suggested Citation

  • Ishwar Khatri & Phuong Bui & Khine Kyaw, 2025. "Corporate Environmental Performance and Stock Price Synchronicity: Examining Industry Sensitivity and Disclosure Regimes in Stakeholder‐Oriented Markets," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(8), pages 10098-10117, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:34:y:2025:i:8:p:10098-10117
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.70125
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70125
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/bse.70125?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jin, Li & Myers, Stewart C., 2006. "R2 around the world: New theory and new tests," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(2), pages 257-292, February.
    2. Amir Amel-Zadeh & George Serafeim, 2018. "Why and How Investors Use ESG Information: Evidence from a Global Survey," Financial Analysts Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 74(3), pages 87-103, July.
    3. Hans B. Christensen & Luzi Hail & Christian Leuz, 2021. "Mandatory CSR and sustainability reporting: economic analysis and literature review," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1176-1248, September.
    4. Barth, Mary E. & Cahan, Steven F. & Chen, Li & Venter, Elmar R., 2017. "The Economic Consequences Associated with Integrated Report Quality: Capital Market and Real Effects," Research Papers 3546, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    5. Liu, Jianxiang & Yi, Wenyu & Lin, Yajia, 2024. "How does the social responsibility preference of funds affect stock price synchronicity?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    6. Dasgupta, Sudipto & Gan, Jie & Gao, Ning, 2010. "Transparency, Price Informativeness, and Stock Return Synchronicity: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(5), pages 1189-1220, October.
    7. Wen He & Baljit Sidhu & Stephen Taylor, 2019. "Audit quality and properties of analysts’ information environment," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(3-4), pages 400-419, March.
    8. Lutfi Abdul Razak & Mansor H. Ibrahim & Adam Ng, 2023. "Environment, social and governance (ESG) performance and CDS spreads: the role of country sustainability," Journal of Risk Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(5), pages 585-613, July.
    9. Zhang, Dongyang & Lucey, Brian M., 2022. "Sustainable behaviors and firm performance: The role of financial constraints’ alleviation," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 220-233.
    10. Ng, Anthony C. & Rezaee, Zabihollah, 2020. "Business sustainability factors and stock price informativeness," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    11. Healy, Paul M. & Palepu, Krishna G., 2001. "Information asymmetry, corporate disclosure, and the capital markets: A review of the empirical disclosure literature," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 405-440, September.
    12. Chan, Kalok & Hameed, Allaudeen, 2006. "Stock price synchronicity and analyst coverage in emerging markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 115-147, April.
    13. Wolfgang Schultze & Ramona Trommer, 2012. "The concept of environmental performance and its measurement in empirical studies," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 375-412, January.
    14. H. F. Baklaci & O. Olgun & E. Can, 2011. "Noise traders: a new approach to understand the phantom of stock markets," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(11), pages 1035-1041.
    15. Gigante, Gimede & Manglaviti, Davide, 2022. "The ESG effect on the cost of debt financing: A sharp RD analysis," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    16. Ioannis Ioannou & George Serafeim, 2023. "What drives corporate social performance? The role of nation-level institutions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(1), pages 14-23, February.
    17. Silvia Romero & Silvia Ruiz & Belen Fernandez‐Feijoo, 2019. "Sustainability reporting and stakeholder engagement in Spain: Different instruments, different quality," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 221-232, January.
    18. Srikanth Potharla & Surya Kumari Turubilli & Mylavaram Chandra Shekar, 2024. "The Social Pillar of ESG: Exploring the Link Between Social Sustainability and Stock Price Synchronicity," Indian Journal of Corporate Governance, , vol. 17(1), pages 130-152, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Paulo Pereira Silva, 2025. "Non-financial disclosure and stock price informativeness: the role of country-level institutional factors," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 39(2), pages 225-258, June.
    2. Barth, Mary E. & Cahan, Steven F. & Chen, Li & Venter, Elmar R. & Wang, Ruili, 2025. "Textual dimensions of sustainability information, stock price informativeness, and proprietary costs: Evidence from integrated reports," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(3).
    3. Cai, Wenwu & Quan, Xiaofeng & Zhu, Zhenmei (Judy), 2023. "Rumors in the sky: Corporate rumors and stock price synchronicity," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    4. Hou, Deshuai & Meng, Qingbin & Zhang, Kai & Chan, Kam C., 2019. "Motives for corporate philanthropy propensity: Does short selling matter?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 24-36.
    5. Wang, Wei & Cheng, Sijia & Nahar, Shamsun & Alhaleh, Shadi Emad Areef & Wang, Hua, 2022. "Does mixed-ownership reform restrain stock price synchronicity? Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 390-404.
    6. Yanyi Wang & Xueyong Zhang, 2025. "OFDI and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 65(2), pages 1275-1308, June.
    7. Chue, Timothy K. & Gul, Ferdinand A. & Mian, G. Mujtaba, 2019. "Aggregate investor sentiment and stock return synchronicity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    8. Sudip Datta & Mai Iskandar‐Datta & Vivek Singh, 2014. "Opaque financial reports and R2: Revisited," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(1), pages 10-17, January.
    9. Liu, Xiangqiang & Yang, Qingqing & Wei, Kai & Dai, Peng-Fei, 2024. "ESG rating disagreement and idiosyncratic return volatility: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(PB).
    10. Fenghua Wen & Yujie Yuan & Wei‐Xing Zhou, 2021. "Cross‐shareholding networks and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from China," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 914-948, January.
    11. Lassaâd Mbarek & Dorra Mezzez Hmaied, 2012. "Bank informational opacity: evidence from the Tunisian stock market," Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 20(3), pages 278-292, July.
    12. Wang, Ruizhe & Chua, Wai Fong & Simnett, Roger & Zhou, Shan, 2024. "Is greater connectivity of financial and non-financial information in annual reports valued by market participants?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(6).
    13. Beuselinck, C.A.C. & Joos, P.P.M. & Khurana, I.K. & van der Meulen, S., 2010. "Mandatory IFRS Reporting and Stock Price Informativeness," Discussion Paper 2010-82, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    14. Soedarmono, Wahyoe & Tarazi, Amine, 2013. "Bank opacity, intermediation cost and globalization: Evidence from a sample of publicly traded banks in Asia," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 91-100.
    15. Hasan, Iftekhar & Song, Liang & Wachtel, Paul, 2014. "Institutional development and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 92-108.
    16. Kewei Hou & Lin Peng & Wei Xiong, 2013. "Is R-Squared a Measure of Market Inefficiency?," Working Papers 2013-8, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    17. Fenghua Wen & Yujie Yuan & Wei-Xing Zhou, 2019. "Cross-shareholding networks and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from China," Papers 1903.01655, arXiv.org.
    18. Castro, F. Henrique & Santana, Verônica, 2018. "Informativeness of stock prices after IFRS adoption in Brazil," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 47, pages 46-59.
    19. Joachim Gassen & Hollis A. Skaife & David Veenman, 2020. "Illiquidity and the Measurement of Stock Price Synchronicity," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(1), pages 419-456, March.
    20. Hoepner, Andreas G.F. & Schiemann, Frank & Schneider, Fabiola I. & Tietmeyer, Raphael, 2025. "ESG disclosure as advertisement of corporate bond issuances," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:34:y:2025:i:8:p:10098-10117. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0836 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.