IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v86y2025ipds1544612325019026.html

The unseen guardian: News co-mention and stock market manipulation

Author

Listed:
  • Huang, Yongjian
  • Li, Yilong
  • Li, Peiran
  • Zhang, Qianqian
  • Zhang, Yi

Abstract

Drawing on high-frequency trading data and media coverage gathered via distributed web crawlers, this study investigates the impact of news co-mention on stock market manipulation. The findings indicate that news co-mention can effectively curb stock market manipulation. Specifically, this effect is observed only in continuous trading price manipulation, rather than in closing or opening price manipulation. Moreover, news co-mention exerts its influence by enhancing corporate transparency and social responsibility, bolstering internal governance, and by increasing general media coverage, thereby reducing market manipulation. This effect is more pronounced in companies with CEOs who have financial backgrounds, fewer female leaders, overconfident CEOs, and those facing less external scrutiny.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Yongjian & Li, Yilong & Li, Peiran & Zhang, Qianqian & Zhang, Yi, 2025. "The unseen guardian: News co-mention and stock market manipulation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PD).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:86:y:2025:i:pd:s1544612325019026
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.108648
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612325019026
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2025.108648?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shouyu Yao & Tong Li & Ahmet Sensoy & Zhenming Fang & Feiyang Cheng, 2024. "Investor attention and environmental information disclosure quality: Evidence from heavy pollution industries in China," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 2971-2990, July.
    2. Ge, Shuyi & Li, Shaoran & Zheng, Hanyu, 2025. "Diamond cuts diamond: News co-mention momentum spillover prevails in China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    3. Allen, Franklin & Qian, Jun & Qian, Meijun, 2005. "Law, finance, and economic growth in China," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 57-116, July.
    4. Liu, Jie & Wu, Chonglin & Yuan, Lin & Liu, Jia, 2022. "Opening price manipulation and its value influences," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Kim, Do Yuon & Kim, Hye-Young, 2021. "Trust me, trust me not: A nuanced view of influencer marketing on social media," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 223-232.
    6. Chen, Hongtao & Fang, Xiumei & Xiang, Erwei & Ji, Xiaojia & An, Maolin, 2023. "Do online media and investor attention affect corporate environmental information disclosure？Evidence from Chinese listed companies," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1022-1040.
    7. Allen, Franklin & Gale, Douglas, 1992. "Stock-Price Manipulation," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 5(3), pages 503-529.
    8. Jinhua Cui & Hoje Jo & Haejung Na, 2018. "Does Corporate Social Responsibility Affect Information Asymmetry?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(3), pages 549-572, March.
    9. Robert J. Shiller, 2017. "Narrative Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(4), pages 967-1004, April.
    10. Alexander Dyck & Natalya Volchkova & Luigi Zingales, 2008. "The Corporate Governance Role of the Media: Evidence from Russia," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(3), pages 1093-1135, June.
    11. Grossman, Sanford J & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1980. "On the Impossibility of Informationally Efficient Markets," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(3), pages 393-408, June.
    12. Joshua Madsen & Marina Niessner, 2019. "Is Investor Attention for Sale? The Role of Advertising in Financial Markets," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 57(3), pages 763-795, June.
    13. Zheludev, Ilya & Smith, Robert & Aste, Tomaso, 2014. "When can social media lead financial markets?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 57376, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Ge, Shuyi & Li, Shaoran & Linton, Oliver, 2023. "News-implied linkages and local dependency in the equity market," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 235(2), pages 779-815.
    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. Jiang, Fuxiu & Shen, Yanyan & Xia, Xiaoxue, 2024. "The spillover effect of advertising on the capital market: Evidence from financial constraints111 Fuxiu Jiang acknowledges the financial support from the China National Natural Science Foundation (Nos. 72272144). Yanyan Shen acknowledges the financia," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    2. Liu, Jie & Zhang, Jingru & Chen, Zhenshan, 2025. "The effect of stock market manipulation on investor behavioral bias," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    3. Xiao, Zuoping & Zai, Jingjing & Su, Qiaoling, 2025. "Navigating through noise: Media's role in mitigating corruption's impact on bond markets in China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    4. REN, Fei & YI, Miaomiao & CHEN, Zhang-Hangjian & GAO, Xiang, 2026. "The effect of investor-driven information diffusion on excess comovement: Evidence from retail and institutional investors in China and the United States," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    5. Gao, Xin & Xu, Weidong & Li, Donghui, 2025. "Media coverage and managerial investment learning from stock markets: International evidence," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Qin, Wei & Liang, Quanxi & Jiao, Yan & Lu, Meiting & Shan, Yaowen, 2022. "Social trust and dividend payouts: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    7. Xihan Xiong & Zhipeng Wang & Tianxiang Cui & William Knottenbelt & Michael Huth, 2023. "Market Misconduct in Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Analysis, Regulatory Challenges and Policy Implications," Papers 2311.17715, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2024.
    8. Li, Minghui & Song, Yiran & Duan, Yuejiao, 2025. "Social dishonesty and local public firm’s loan spreads: A Chinese bank loan analysis," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    9. Pei‐Gi Shu & Sue‐Jane Chiang & Tian‐Yu Wu, 2024. "Board network and ESG performance: Evidence from China," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(6), pages 5709-5729, November.
    10. Hong, Ziyang & Liu, Qingfu & Tse, Yiuman & Wang, Zilu, 2023. "Black mouth, investor attention, and stock return," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    11. Yang, Shuai & Wu, Chao, 2021. "Do Chinese managers listen to the media?: Evidence from mergers and acquisitions," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    12. He, Feng & Guo, Xinyao & Yue, Pengpeng, 2024. "Media coverage and corporate ESG performance: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    13. Huixia Chen & Yurou Liu, 2026. "Is Mediation a Shortcut to Deter Financial Fraud? Evidence from the Mediation Scheme in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 203(3), pages 549-573, January.
    14. Muhammad Ansar Majeed & Irfan Ullah & Samia Tariq & Tanveer Ahsan, 2025. "Does brand capital improve stock liquidity? Evidence from China," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(1), pages 382-404, January.
    15. Li, Yi & Zhang, Wei & Wang, Pengfei & Goodell, John W., 2024. "Social media as an amplifier of insider trading profits," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    16. Li, Donghui & Li, Yuan & Yuan, Chun, 2025. "Broadband policy and bank loans," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    17. Jinyang Li & Jenny Jing Wang & Minggui Yu, 2023. "Government provided rating, alleviation of financial constraints, and corporate investment," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(4), pages 3763-3779, December.
    18. Chen, Jing & Gao, Jun & Chan, Kam C. & Liu, Xinghe & Xu, Cheng, 2024. "The guardians: Do hometown CEOs curb controlling shareholders' tunneling?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PA).
    19. Yuming Zhang & Fan Yang, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Responding to Investors’ Criticism on Social Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-27, July.
    20. Li, Bin & Guo, Fei & Xu, Lei & Meng, Siqi, 2024. "Fintech business and corporate social responsibility practices," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:eee:finlet:v:86:y:2025:i:pd:s1544612325019026. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    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.