IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/riibaf/v76y2025ics0275531925001187.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Media coverage and managerial investment learning from stock markets: International evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Gao, Xin
  • Xu, Weidong
  • Li, Donghui

Abstract

Employing a large sample of 26,819 firms over a 20-year period, our study investigates the correlation between media coverage and investment-to-price sensitivity through OLS regression. The findings reveal a noteworthy positive impact of media coverage on investment-to-price sensitivity, remaining robust even after controlling for various factors. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that the positive influence of media coverage on managerial investment learning operates through channels related to information asymmetry and corporate governance. We also find that retail investor attention can strengthen the positive relationship between media coverage and investment-to-price sensitivity. Moreover, our analysis of news sources and content highlights the significant role of internationally renowned sources, business channels, positive sentiment, and stock-related coverage in enhancing investment-to-price sensitivity. These insights provide valuable guidance for firms to optimize their use of media for decision-making, offer investors a means to identify opportunities through media-disseminated information, and call for policy-makers to support the healthy development of media in the capital market while addressing potential negative impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • 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).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:76:y:2025:i:c:s0275531925001187
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102862
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0275531925001187
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102862?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. Zoran Ivković & Scott Weisbenner, 2005. "Local Does as Local Is: Information Content of the Geography of Individual Investors' Common Stock Investments," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(1), pages 267-306, February.
    2. Gao, Xin & Xu, Weidong & Li, Donghui & Xing, Lu, 2021. "Media coverage and investment efficiency," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 270-293.
    3. Graham, John R. & Li, Si & Qiu, Jiaping, 2008. "Corporate misreporting and bank loan contracting," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 44-61, July.
    4. Dow, James & Gorton, Gary, 1997. "Stock Market Efficiency and Economic Efficiency: Is There a Connection?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(3), pages 1087-1129, July.
    5. Joel Peress, 2014. "The Media and the Diffusion of Information in Financial Markets: Evidence from Newspaper Strikes," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(5), pages 2007-2043, October.
    6. Foucault, Thierry & Fresard, Laurent, 2014. "Learning from peers' stock prices and corporate investment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(3), pages 554-577.
    7. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1997. "A Survey of Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 737-783, June.
    8. 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.
    9. Jin, Li & Myers, Stewart C., 2006. "R2 around the world: New theory and new tests," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(2), pages 257-292, February.
    10. Nguyen, Bang Dang & Nielsen, Kasper Meisner, 2010. "The value of independent directors: Evidence from sudden deaths," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(3), pages 550-567, December.
    11. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    12. Lof, Matthijs & van Bommel, Jos, 2023. "Asymmetric information and the distribution of trading volume," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    13. Ji Sun & Yi Zhou & Jiaguo (George) Wang & Jie (Michael) Guo, 2020. "Influence of media coverage and sentiment on seasoned equity offerings," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(S1), pages 557-585, April.
    14. Lamont, Owen, 1997. "Cash Flow and Investment: Evidence from Internal Capital Markets," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(1), pages 83-109, March.
    15. Blanchard, Olivier Jean & Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Shleifer, Andrei, 1994. "What do firms do with cash windfalls?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 337-360, December.
    16. Dang, Tung Lam & Moshirian, Fariborz & Zhang, Bohui, 2015. "Commonality in news around the world," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 82-110.
    17. Sudarshan Jayaraman & Joanna Shuang Wu, 2019. "Is Silence Golden? Real Effects of Mandatory Disclosure," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(6), pages 2225-2259.
    18. Zhi Da & Joseph Engelberg & Pengjie Gao, 2011. "In Search of Attention," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(5), pages 1461-1499, October.
    19. Thierry Foucault & Laurent Frésard, 2012. "Cross-Listing, Investment Sensitivity to Stock Price, and the Learning Hypothesis," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(11), pages 3305-3350.
    20. Chen, Yangyang & Goyal, Abhinav & Veeraraghavan, Madhu & Zolotoy, Leon, 2020. "Media Coverage and IPO Pricing around the World," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 55(5), pages 1515-1553, August.
    21. Jiaxing You & Bohui Zhang & Le Zhang, 2018. "Who Captures the Power of the Pen?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(1), pages 43-96.
    22. Jensen, Michael C, 1986. "Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 323-329, May.
    23. Diego García, 2013. "Sentiment during Recessions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(3), pages 1267-1300, June.
    24. Edward I. Altman, 1968. "Financial Ratios, Discriminant Analysis And The Prediction Of Corporate Bankruptcy," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 23(4), pages 589-609, September.
    25. Qi Chen & Itay Goldstein & Wei Jiang, 2007. "Price Informativeness and Investment Sensitivity to Stock Price," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 20(3), pages 619-650.
    26. Yihui Pan & Stephan Siegel & Tracy Yue Wang, 2020. "The Cultural Origin of CEOs’ Attitudes toward Uncertainty: Evidence from Corporate Acquisitions," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(7), pages 2977-3030.
    27. Alex Frino & Riccardo Palumbo & Pierangelo Rosati, 2023. "Does information asymmetry predict audit fees?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 2597-2619, June.
    28. Chen, Tao & Xie, Lingmin & Zhang, Yuanyuan, 2017. "How does analysts' forecast quality relate to corporate investment efficiency?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 217-240.
    29. Jingoo Kang & Andy Y. Han Kim, 2017. "The Relationship Between CEO Media Appearances and Compensation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(3), pages 379-394, June.
    30. Zingales, Luigi & Dyck, Alexander, 2002. "The Corporate Governance Role of the Media," Working Papers 184, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    31. Brian J. Bushee & John E. Core & Wayne Guay & Sophia J.W. Hamm, 2010. "The Role of the Business Press as an Information Intermediary," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 48(1), pages 1-19, March.
    32. Alexander Dyck & Adair Morse & Luigi Zingales, 2010. "Who Blows the Whistle on Corporate Fraud?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(6), pages 2213-2253, December.
    33. Darren T. Roulstone, 2003. "Analyst Following and Market Liquidity," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(3), pages 552-578, September.
    34. Alexander Dyck & Luigi Zingales, 2002. "The Corporate Governance Role of the Media," NBER Working Papers 9309, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    35. Chung, Kee H. & Zhang, Hao, 2011. "Corporate Governance and Institutional Ownership," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(1), pages 247-273, February.
    36. Brad M. Barber & Terrance Odean, 2008. "All That Glitters: The Effect of Attention and News on the Buying Behavior of Individual and Institutional Investors," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 21(2), pages 785-818, April.
    37. Liu, Baixiao & McConnell, John J., 2013. "The role of the media in corporate governance: Do the media influence managers' capital allocation decisions?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(1), pages 1-17.
    38. Yangyang Chen & Jeffrey Ng & Xin Yang, 2021. "Talk Less, Learn More: Strategic Disclosure in Response to Managerial Learning from the Options Market," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 59(5), pages 1609-1649, December.
    39. Mooweon Rhee & Pamela R. Haunschild, 2006. "The Liability of Good Reputation: A Study of Product Recalls in the U.S. Automobile Industry," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(1), pages 101-117, February.
    40. Paul C. Tetlock & Maytal Saar‐Tsechansky & Sofus Macskassy, 2008. "More Than Words: Quantifying Language to Measure Firms' Fundamentals," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(3), pages 1437-1467, June.
    41. Gregory S. Miller, 2006. "The Press as a Watchdog for Accounting Fraud," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(5), pages 1001-1033, December.
    42. John M. Griffin & Nicholas H. Hirschey & Patrick J. Kelly, 2011. "How Important Is the Financial Media in Global Markets?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(12), pages 3941-3992.
    43. Core, John E. & Guay, Wayne & Larcker, David F., 2008. "The power of the pen and executive compensation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(1), pages 1-25, April.
    44. Michael S. Drake & Jacob R. Thornock & Brady J. Twedt, 2017. "The internet as an information intermediary," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 543-576, June.
    45. Kenneth R. Ahern & Denis Sosyura, 2014. "Who Writes the News? Corporate Press Releases during Merger Negotiations," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(1), pages 241-291, February.
    46. Avanidhar Subrahmanyam & Sheridan Titman, 1999. "The Going‐Public Decision and the Development of Financial Markets," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(3), pages 1045-1082, June.
    47. Gao, Haoyu & Wang, Junbo & Wang, Yanchu & Wu, Chunchi & Dong, Xi, 2020. "Media Coverage and the Cost of Debt," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 55(2), pages 429-471, March.
    48. Lili Dai & Jerry T. Parwada & Bohui Zhang, 2015. "The Governance Effect of the Media's News Dissemination Role: Evidence from Insider Trading," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 53(2), pages 331-366, May.
    49. Guariglia, Alessandra & Yang, Junhong, 2016. "A balancing act: Managing financial constraints and agency costs to minimize investment inefficiency in the Chinese market," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 111-130.
    50. Emre Ozdenoren & Kathy Yuan, 2008. "Feedback Effects and Asset Prices," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(4), pages 1939-1975, August.
    51. Paul C. Tetlock, 2007. "Giving Content to Investor Sentiment: The Role of Media in the Stock Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(3), pages 1139-1168, June.
    52. Yang, Bo & Sun, Ji & Guo, Jie (Michael) & Fu, Jiayi, 2019. "Can financial media sentiment predict merger and acquisition performance?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 121-129.
    53. Lili Dai & Rui Shen & Bohui Zhang, 2021. "Does the media spotlight burn or spur innovation?," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 343-390, March.
    54. Joe, Jennifer R. & Louis, Henock & Robinson, Dahlia, 2009. "Managers’ and Investors’ Responses to Media Exposure of Board Ineffectiveness," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(3), pages 579-605, June.
    55. Liu, Jun & Wu, Kai & Zhou, Ming, 2023. "News tone, investor sentiment, and liquidity premium," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 167-181.
    56. An, Zhe & Chen, Chen & Naiker, Vic & Wang, Jun, 2020. "Does media coverage deter firms from withholding bad news? Evidence from stock price crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    57. Aiyesha Dey, 2008. "Corporate Governance and Agency Conflicts," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 46(5), pages 1143-1181, December.
    58. Yuanzhi Luo, 2005. "Do Insiders Learn from Outsiders? Evidence from Mergers and Acquisitions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(4), pages 1951-1982, August.
    59. Lily Fang & Joel Peress, 2009. "Media Coverage and the Cross‐section of Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(5), pages 2023-2052, October.
    60. Philip Bond & Alex Edmans & Itay Goldstein, 2012. "The Real Effects of Financial Markets," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 4(1), pages 339-360, October.
    61. repec:bla:jfinan:v:53:y:1998:i:2:p:673-699 is not listed on IDEAS
    62. Xie, Lingmin & Chen, Zhian & Li, Donghui & Tan, Hongping, 2022. "Foreign analysts and managerial investment learning from stock markets," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    63. Alex Edmans & Itay Goldstein & Wei Jiang, 2012. "The Real Effects of Financial Markets: The Impact of Prices on Takeovers," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 67(3), pages 933-971, June.
    64. 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.
    65. Tor-Erik Bakke & Toni M. Whited, 2010. "Which Firms Follow the Market? An Analysis of Corporate Investment Decisions," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(5), pages 1941-1980.
    66. Dang, Tung Lam & Dang, Man & Hoang, Luong & Nguyen, Lily & Phan, Hoang Long, 2020. "Media coverage and stock price synchronicity," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    67. Lemmon, Michael & Roberts, Michael R., 2010. "The Response of Corporate Financing and Investment to Changes in the Supply of Credit," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(3), pages 555-587, June.
    68. Liang, Chuchu, 2024. "Advertising rivalry and discretionary disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1).
    69. Robert Stoumbos, 2023. "The Growth of Information Asymmetry Between Earnings Announcements and Its Implications for Reporting Frequency," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(3), pages 1901-1928, March.
    70. Umit G. Gurun & Alexander W. Butler, 2012. "Don't Believe the Hype: Local Media Slant, Local Advertising, and Firm Value," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 67(2), pages 561-598, April.
    71. Ellul, Andrew & Panayides, Marios, 2018. "Do Financial Analysts Restrain Insiders’ Informational Advantage?," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(1), pages 203-241, February.
    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. Gao, Xin & Xu, Weidong & Li, Donghui & Xing, Lu, 2021. "Media coverage and investment efficiency," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 270-293.
    2. Gao, Xin & Xu, Weidong & Li, Donghui, 2022. "Media coverage and corporate risk-taking: International evidence," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    3. Dang, Tung Lam & Dang, Man & Hoang, Luong & Nguyen, Lily & Phan, Hoang Long, 2020. "Media coverage and stock price synchronicity," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    4. Xu, Weidong & Luo, Zijun & Li, Donghui, 2024. "Investor–firm interactions and corporate investment efficiency: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    5. Peña-Martel, Devora & Díaz-Díaz, Nieves L. & Pérez-Alemán, Jerónimo & Santana-Martín, Domingo J., 2024. "Are the media drivers of R&D?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    6. Dang, Tung Lam & Dang, Viet Anh & Moshirian, Fariborz & Nguyen, Lily & Zhang, Bohui, 2019. "News media coverage and corporate leverage adjustments," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    7. Tung L. Dang & Thi H. H. Huynh & Manh T. Nguyen, 2021. "Media attention and firm value: International evidence," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 21(3), pages 865-894, September.
    8. Jia, Zhehao & Li, Donghui & Shi, Yukun & Xing, Lu, 2023. "Firm-level media news, bank loans, and the role of institutional environments," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    9. Ma, Pengfei & Dong, Siying, 2025. "How do online media affect cash dividends? Evidence from China∗," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    10. Lili Dai & Rui Shen & Bohui Zhang, 2021. "Does the media spotlight burn or spur innovation?," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 343-390, March.
    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. Mariem Khalifa & Ali Sheikhbahaei & Mohammed Aminu Sualihu, 2024. "The power of the business media: Evidence from firm‐level productivity," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(1-2), pages 5-44, January.
    13. Gao, Xin & An, Zhe & Li, Donghui & Xu, Weidong, 2024. "Does media affect the rival response to acquisition targets?," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    14. Liu, Qigui & Tang, Jinghua & Li, Donghui & Xing, Lu, 2023. "The role of bad-news coverage and media environments in crash risk around the world," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 488-509.
    15. Hossain, Md Miran & Javakhadze, David, 2020. "Corporate media connections and merger outcomes," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    16. Wu, Chunying & Xiong, Xiong & Gao, Ya, 2022. "The role of different information sources in information spread: Evidence from three media channels in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 327-341.
    17. An, Zhe & Chen, Chen & Naiker, Vic & Wang, Jun, 2020. "Does media coverage deter firms from withholding bad news? Evidence from stock price crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    18. Baloria, Vishal P. & Heese, Jonas, 2018. "The effects of media slant on firm behavior," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(1), pages 184-202.
    19. Matthias M M Buehlmaier & Josef Zechner, 2021. "Financial Media, Price Discovery, and Merger Arbitrage [Who writes the news? Corporate press releases during merger negotiations]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 25(4), pages 997-1046.
    20. Siddiqui, Sayla & Shams, Syed, 2023. "Media coverage and patent trolls: A study on US high-tech firms," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading

    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:riibaf:v:76:y:2025:i:c:s0275531925001187. 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/ribaf .

    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.