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Short-sale constraints: Reductions in costs of capital or overvaluation? Evidence from Hong Kong

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  • Chang, Eric C.
  • Cheng, Joseph W.
  • Pinegar, J. Michael
  • Yu, Yinghui

Abstract

We examine the effects of short-sale constraints in Hong Kong where stocks can be shorted only if they are included on an official short-sale list. Using revisions to the list, we test two hypotheses — 1) that short-sale constraints lead to overvaluation and 2) that they lead to lower costs of capital. We find weak support for the Diamond and Verrecchia (1987) version of the overvaluation hypothesis, but more compelling evidence supporting the Xu (2007) version of the overvaluation hypothesis and the cost of capital hypothesis. We argue that in the context of our tests the Xu overvaluation hypothesis is actually a reformulation of the cost of capital hypothesis and that the bulk of our evidence, therefore, supports the notion that short-sale constraints reduce capital costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Chang, Eric C. & Cheng, Joseph W. & Pinegar, J. Michael & Yu, Yinghui, 2012. "Short-sale constraints: Reductions in costs of capital or overvaluation? Evidence from Hong Kong," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 506-520.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pacfin:v:20:y:2012:i:3:p:506-520
    DOI: 10.1016/j.pacfin.2011.12.005
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    Cited by:

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    2. Lensberg, Terje & Schenk-Hoppé, Klaus Reiner & Ladley, Dan, 2015. "Costs and benefits of financial regulation: Short-selling bans and transaction taxes," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 103-118.
    3. Lensberg, Terje & Schenk-Hoppé, Klaus Reiner & Ladley, Dan, 2012. "Costs and Benefits of Speculation," Discussion Papers 2012/12, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science.
    4. Cheng, Louis T.W. & Wang, Jacqueline Wenjie, 2021. "Equity ownership and corporate transparency: International evidence," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 143-165.
    5. Cui, Xin & Sensoy, Ahmet & Nguyen, Duc Khuong & Yao, Shouyu & Wu, Yiyao, 2022. "Positive information shocks, investor behavior and stock price crash risk," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 493-518.
    6. Zhang, Yan & Ikeda, Shin S., 2016. "A dynamic panel analysis of HKEx shorting ban’s impact on the relationship between disagreement and future returns," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 10-16.
    7. Randall Morck & Bernard Yeung & Wayne Yu, 2013. "R-squared and the Economy," NBER Working Papers 19017, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Benson, Karen & Faff, Robert & Smith, Tom, 2015. "Injecting liquidity into liquidity research," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(PB), pages 533-540.
    9. Kim, Dongcheol & Lee, Inro & Na, Haejung, 2019. "Financial distress, short sale constraints, and mispricing," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 94-111.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Short-sale constraints; Asymmetric changes in risk; Idiosyncratic skewness; Cost of capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • P34 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Finance

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