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Should information be sold separately? Evidence from MiFID II

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  • Guo, Yifeng
  • Mota, Lira

Abstract

Information production is key to the efficiency of financial markets. Does selling information separately improve its production? We investigate this question using MiFID II, a European regulation that unbundles research from transactions. We show that unbundling causes fewer research analysts to cover a firm. This decrease does not come from small- or mid-cap firms but is concentrated in large firms. Surprisingly, the reduction in analyst coverage is accompanied by a decrease in forecast error. Further analyses suggest that analyst competition enhancement could drive the results: inaccurate analysts drop out, and analysts who stay produce more accurate research.

Suggested Citation

  • Guo, Yifeng & Mota, Lira, 2021. "Should information be sold separately? Evidence from MiFID II," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(1), pages 97-126.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:142:y:2021:i:1:p:97-126
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2021.05.037
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    2. Zhongwei Huang & Thomas Jeanjean & Daphne Lui, 2023. "Analyst independence and earnings management," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(3-4), pages 598-621, March.
    3. Richard Thomas Watson & Kirk Plangger & Leyland Pitt & Amrit Tiwana, 2023. "A Theory of Information Compression: When Judgments Are Costly," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(3), pages 1089-1108, September.
    4. Marius Cristian Miloș & Laura Raisa Miloș & Flavia Barna & Claudiu Boțoc, 2021. "Impact of MiFID II on Romanian Stock Market Liquidity—Comparative Analysis with a Developed Stock Market," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-18, December.
    5. Paul J. Irvine & Egle Karmaziene, 2023. "Competing for Dark Trades," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 23-020/IV, Tinbergen Institute.
    6. Di Maggio, Marco & Egan, Mark & Franzoni, Francesco, 2022. "The value of intermediation in the stock market," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(2), pages 208-233.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Analyst research; Information production; MiFID II; Unbundling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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