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Online social networks and corporate investment similarity

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  • Jing, Wei
  • Zhang, Xueyong

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationship between online social networks and inter-firm investment similarity. Using mutual friendships of senior officers on Sina Weibo as proxies for online social connections, we find that companies, whose senior officers share online connections, exhibit more similar levels of capital investments. In addition, the baseline result is robust in subsamples of senior officers' first like on Weibo, and continue to hold for a battery of robustness and endogeneity tests. One possible underlying mechanism through which social networks influence corporate investment similarity is that senior officers learn privileged information from their social connections, which is supported by examining the interaction effect of analyst coverage and online social connections. We further show that this investment similarity is more pronounced in the condition that company pairs are connected by more reputable senior officers, or in the case of under-investing.

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  • Jing, Wei & Zhang, Xueyong, 2021. "Online social networks and corporate investment similarity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:68:y:2021:i:c:s0929119921000420
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2021.101921
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    2. Li, Wenqin & Benkraiem, Ramzi & Ding, Rong & Saadi, Samir & Zhang, Ziyang (John), 2024. "Board centrality and environmental disclosures: Evidence from the polluting Industries in China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    3. Lu, Jing & Chen, Rongze, 2023. "Do individual investors pay attention to the information acquisition activities of institutional investors?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    4. Dong, Jichang & Liu, Xiaoting & Ji, Kangxian & Li, Xiuting & Dong, Zhi, 2023. "Peer Effects in Financial Investment of Board-interlocked Firms: An Information Sharing Perspective," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1490-1508.
    5. Dong, Guangwu & Tian, Chengrun & Wang, Xining & Wang, Sanchuan, 2024. "Analyst coverage and corporate financing," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corporate investment; Online social networks; Information sharing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation

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