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Insider trading and shareholder investment horizons

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  • Fu, Xudong
  • Kong, Lei
  • Tang, Tian
  • Yan, Xinyan

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of shareholder investment horizons on insider trading. We find that insiders are less likely to trade on private information and the profitability of insider trades is lower when shareholder investment horizons are longer. We further examine two channels through which shareholders with longer investment horizons can impede insider trading: direct monitoring and better information environment. Consistent with the direct monitoring channel, we show that insiders in firms with longer shareholder investment horizons are more likely to shift trades from the month right before earnings announcements to the month right after earnings announcements. Moreover, the impact of investment horizons are stronger in firms with higher ex ante litigation risk, with lower corporate governance quality, and that are not targets of hedge fund activists. Consistent with the information environment channel, we show that longer shareholder investment horizons increase the frequencies of information disclosure and insiders in firms with longer shareholder investment horizons are more likely to trade in an isolated manner rather than in sequences.

Suggested Citation

  • Fu, Xudong & Kong, Lei & Tang, Tian & Yan, Xinyan, 2020. "Insider trading and shareholder investment horizons," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:62:y:2020:i:c:s0929119919301580
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2019.101508
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    Cited by:

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    4. Weiwei Gao & Jiarui Yang & Zhen Huang, 2022. "Does feedback effect exist in firms' investment decisions? From the perspective of equity liquidity," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(6), pages 2225-2236, September.
    5. Neupane, Biwesh & Thapa, Chandra & Marshall, Andrew & Neupane, Suman, 2021. "Mimicking insider trades," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    6. Goldman, Nathan C. & Ozel, Naim Bugra, 2023. "Executive compensation, individual-level tax rates, and insider trading profits," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(1).
    7. Chemmanur, Thomas J. & Hu, Gang & Wei, K.C. John, 2021. "The role of institutional investors in corporate and entrepreneurial finance," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
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    9. Dinis Santos & Paulo Gama, 2021. "Is Insider Trading Successful? An Extensive Analysis with Buying and Selling Evidence," Proceedings of Economics and Finance Conferences 12513376, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Insider trading; Shareholder investment horizons; Monitoring; Information environment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

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