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Game changer? The impact of the VW emission-cheating scandal on the interrelation between large automakers’ equity and credit markets

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  • Griffin, Paul A.
  • Lont, David H.

Abstract

This paper investigates the change in the securities market pricing behavior of 16 large, global automakers following disclosure of the Volkswagen (VW) emission-cheating scandal on September 18, 2015, when the EPA issued a notice of violation to VW, stating that VW had intentionally circumvented the US clean air rules for diesel automobile emissions. We contend that this event unblocked an informational cascade, in that much of the information was already known to outside parties, yet no significant market response occurred until the September 18 EPA notice. We also find a significant change in the evolution of equity and credit default swap (CDS) prices in the automobile industry consistent with more-informed trading in the equity market. A test of economic significance further supports this finding by showing a decrease in the profitability of a trading rule based on a predictive relation between CDS spread changes and lagged equity returns.

Suggested Citation

  • Griffin, Paul A. & Lont, David H., 2018. "Game changer? The impact of the VW emission-cheating scandal on the interrelation between large automakers’ equity and credit markets," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 179-196.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jocaae:v:14:y:2018:i:2:p:179-196
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2018.05.004
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    Cited by:

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    2. Florian Barth & Christian Eckert & Nadine Gatzert & Hendrik Scholz, 2022. "Spillover Effects from the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal: An Analysis of Stock and Corporate Bond Markets," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(1), pages 37-76, March.
    3. Rong He & Le Luo & Abul Shamsuddin & Qingliang Tang, 2022. "Corporate carbon accounting: a literature review of carbon accounting research from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(1), pages 261-298, March.
    4. Yassin Denis Bouzzine & Rainer Lueg, 2020. "The contagion effect of environmental violations: The case of Dieselgate in Germany," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3187-3202, December.
    5. Paul A. Griffin & David H. Lont & Kurt Purdon, 2021. "Stock and Bond Return Comovement as a Different Way to Assess Information Content: The Case of Debt Covenant Violation Disclosures," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(1), pages 101-125, March.
    6. Brian W. Jacobs & Vinod R. Singhal, 2020. "Shareholder Value Effects of the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal on the Automotive Ecosystem," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 29(10), pages 2230-2251, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Market interrelation; Informational cascade; Credit default swap spreads; Equity returns; Market disruption; VW emission-cheating scandal;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • 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
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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