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Insider Trading and Option Grant Timing in Response to Fire Sales (and Purchases) of Stocks by Mutual Funds

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  • ASHIQ ALI
  • KELSEY D. WEI
  • YIBIN ZHOU

Abstract

Mutual funds experiencing large outflows (inflows) tend to decrease (expand) their positions, creating downward (upward) price pressure in the stocks held in common by them (Coval and Stafford [2007]). This study shows that corporate insiders exploit the resulting mispricing by buying (selling) their company's stock if it is subject to such fire sales (purchases) by funds. We also show that the likelihood of option grants is greater for stocks that are subject to mutual fund fire sales. Finally, we show that both the insider trading and the option granting activities help speed up the correction of the flow‐driven mispricing. Overall, this study illustrates that insiders enhance personal benefits by trading on their personal account and influencing the timing of option grants in response to mispricing due to flow‐driven fund trading. Moreover, these activities help improve the informational efficiency of stock price.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashiq Ali & Kelsey D. Wei & Yibin Zhou, 2011. "Insider Trading and Option Grant Timing in Response to Fire Sales (and Purchases) of Stocks by Mutual Funds," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(3), pages 595-632, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:49:y:2011:i:3:p:595-632
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-679X.2011.00406.x
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    2. Foucault , Thierry & Dessaint , Olivier & Frésard, Laurent & Matray, Adrien, 2015. "Ripple Effects of Noise on Corporate Investment," HEC Research Papers Series 1127, HEC Paris.
    3. Gao, Pengjie & Lou, Dong, 2013. "Cross-market timing in security issuance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 119036, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Tor‐Erik Bakke & Hamed Mahmudi & Ashley Newton, 2020. "Performance peer groups in CEO compensation contracts," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 49(4), pages 997-1027, December.
    5. Hodgson, Allan & Da Lim, Wei & Mi, Lin, 2018. "Insider sales vs. short selling: Negative information trading in Australia," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 72-83.
    6. Travis Dyer & Eunjee Kim, 2021. "Anonymous Equity Research," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(2), pages 575-611, May.
    7. Steven Chong Xiao, 2020. "Do Noisy Stock Prices Impede Real Efficiency?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(12), pages 5990-6014, December.
    8. Derrien, François & Frésard, Laurent & Slabik, Victoria & Valta, Philip, 2023. "Industry asset revaluations around public and private acquisitions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(1), pages 243-269.
    9. Lambe, Brendan & Li, Zhiyong & Qin, Weiping, 2022. "Uncertain times and the insider perspective," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. Fu, Xudong & Kong, Lei & Tang, Tian & Yan, Xinyan, 2020. "Insider trading and shareholder investment horizons," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    11. Pengjie Gao & Dong Lou, "undated". "Cross-Market Timing in Security Issuance," FMG Discussion Papers dp718, Financial Markets Group.
    12. Alexakis, Christos & Dasilas, Apostolos & Grose, Chris, 2013. "Asymmetric dynamic relations between stock prices and mutual fund units in Japan. An application of hidden cointegration technique," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 1-8.
    13. Doron Israeli & Ron Kaniel & Suhas A. Sridharan, 2022. "The Real Side of the High-Volume Return Premium," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(2), pages 1426-1449, February.
    14. Johan Sulaeman & Kelsey D. Wei, 2019. "Sell-Side Analysts and Stock Mispricing: Evidence from Mutual Fund Flow-Driven Trading Pressure," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(11), pages 5427-5448, November.
    15. Olivier Dessaint & Jacques Olivier & Clemens A Otto & David Thesmar, 2021. "CAPM-Based Company (Mis)valuations [Credit lines as monitored liquidity insurance: Theory and evidence]," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(1), pages 1-66.

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