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To protect or to hide-an investigation on corporate redacted disclosure motives under new FAST act regulation

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  • Ma, Yan
  • Mao, Qian
  • Hu, Nan

Abstract

China adopted amendments allowing companies to redact filings without prior approval in 2016. Leveraging this change as a quasi-nature experiment, we explore whether managers utilize redacted information to withhold bad information in the more lenient regulatory environment. Our investigation uncovers a significant shift in managerial behavior: Since 2016, managers incline to employ redactions to obscure negative news rather than safeguarding proprietary data. Furthermore, we find that the poorer firm performance and a higher cost of equity are associated with the redacted disclosures after 2016, suggesting that investors perceive an increase in firm-specific risk attributed to withholding bad news through redactions.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Yan & Mao, Qian & Hu, Nan, 2024. "To protect or to hide-an investigation on corporate redacted disclosure motives under new FAST act regulation," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ememar:v:60:y:2024:i:c:s1566014124000396
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ememar.2024.101144
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