IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormnsc/v72y2026i2p1025-1053.html

Price Informativeness and Corporate Investment: A Model of Costly Manipulation and Share Repurchases

Author

Listed:
  • Murillo Campello

    (Warrington College of Business, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; and NBER, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138)

  • Rafael Matta

    (SKEMA Business School – Université Côte d’Azur, 06902 Sophia Antipolis, France)

  • Pedro A. C. Saffi

    (CUNEF Universidad, 28040 Madrid, Spain; and Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1AG, United Kingdom)

Abstract

We characterize how managers can curb manipulation by signaling information via stock repurchases in an environment with costly short selling and feedback effects from trading to firms’ access to capital. Without repurchases, manipulation coexists with informed trading at low shorting costs, reducing price informativeness and firm investment. Manipulation becomes less profitable as shorting costs increase, making prices more informative and boosting investment if speculators are less informed. Incentives to manipulate cease to exist at moderate short selling costs, but making shorting more costly reduces price informativeness and firm investment. Our model shows how contracts that precommit funding and condition future investment on stock prices can induce managers to eliminate manipulation through stock repurchases, facilitating optimal investment policies. An important policy implication is that when stock repurchases are allowed and shorting costs are low, short selling bans will typically reduce investment efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Murillo Campello & Rafael Matta & Pedro A. C. Saffi, 2026. "Price Informativeness and Corporate Investment: A Model of Costly Manipulation and Share Repurchases," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 72(2), pages 1025-1053, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:72:y:2026:i:2:p:1025-1053
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2024.05452
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2024.05452
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mnsc.2024.05452?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Roger B. Myerson, 2009. "Learning from Schelling's Strategy of Conflict," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(4), pages 1109-1125, December.
    2. Attari, Mukarram & Banerjee, Suman & Noe, Thomas H., 2006. "Crushed by a rational stampede: Strategic share dumping and shareholder insurrections," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(1), pages 181-222, January.
    3. Miller, Edward M, 1977. "Risk, Uncertainty, and Divergence of Opinion," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 32(4), pages 1151-1168, September.
    4. Dye, Ra, 1985. "Disclosure Of Nonproprietary Information," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(1), pages 123-145.
    5. Amy K Edwards & Adam V Reed & Pedro A C Saffi, 2024. "A Survey of Short-Selling Regulations," The Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 14(4), pages 613-639.
    6. Stephie Tsai, Hsin-Ju & Wu, Yuliang & Xu, Bin, 2021. "Does capital market drive corporate investment efficiency? Evidence from equity lending supply," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    7. Glosten, Lawrence R. & Harris, Lawrence E., 1988. "Estimating the components of the bid/ask spread," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 123-142, May.
    8. Khanna, Naveen & Mathews, Richmond D., 2012. "Doing battle with short sellers: The conflicted role of blockholders in bear raids," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(2), pages 229-246.
    9. Melissa Porras Prado & Pedro A. C. Saffi & Jason Sturgess, 2016. "Ownership Structure, Limits to Arbitrage, and Stock Returns: Evidence from Equity Lending Markets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(12), pages 3211-3244.
    10. Duffie, Darrell & Garleanu, Nicolae & Pedersen, Lasse Heje, 2002. "Securities lending, shorting, and pricing," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2-3), pages 307-339.
    11. Karl B. Diether & Kuan‐Hui Lee & Ingrid M. Werner, 2009. "It's SHO Time! Short‐Sale Price Tests and Market Quality," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(1), pages 37-73, February.
    12. Amihud, Yakov, 2002. "Illiquidity and stock returns: cross-section and time-series effects," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 31-56, January.
    13. Gustavo Grullon & Sébastien Michenaud & James P. Weston, 2015. "The Real Effects of Short-Selling Constraints," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 28(6), pages 1737-1767.
    14. Adam V. Reed & Pedro A. C. Saffi & Edward D. Van Wesep, 2021. "Short-Sales Constraints and the Diversification Puzzle," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(2), pages 1159-1182, February.
    15. Chemmanur, Thomas J. & Fulghieri, Paolo, 1997. "Why Include Warrants in New Equity Issues? A Theory of Unit IPOs," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(1), pages 1-24, March.
    16. Kerry Back & Kevin Crotty & Tao Li, 2018. "Identifying Information Asymmetry in Securities Markets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(6), pages 2277-2325.
    17. Bengt Holmstrom & Jean Tirole, 1998. "Private and Public Supply of Liquidity," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(1), pages 1-40, February.
    18. Malcolm Wardlaw, 2020. "Measuring Mutual Fund Flow Pressure as Shock to Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(6), pages 3221-3243, December.
    19. Huszár, Zsuzsa R. & Prado, Melissa Porras, 2019. "An analysis of over-the-counter and centralized stock lending markets," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 31-53.
    20. Jung, Wo & Kwon, Yk, 1988. "Disclosure When The Market Is Unsure Of Information Endowment Of Managers," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 146-153.
    21. Alessandro Beber & Marco Pagano, 2013. "Short-Selling Bans Around the World: Evidence from the 2007–09 Crisis," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(1), pages 343-381, February.
    22. Pedro A. C. Saffi & Kari Sigurdsson, 2011. "Price Efficiency and Short Selling," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(3), pages 821-852.
    23. Blocher, Jesse & Reed, Adam V. & Van Wesep, Edward D., 2013. "Connecting two markets: An equilibrium framework for shorts, longs, and stock loans," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(2), pages 302-322.
    24. Malcolm Baker & Jeremy C. Stein & Jeffrey Wurgler, 2003. "When Does the Market Matter? Stock Prices and the Investment of Equity-Dependent Firms," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(3), pages 969-1005.
    25. Massa, Massimo & Qian, Wenlan & Xu, Weibiao & Zhang, Hong, 2015. "Competition of the informed: Does the presence of short sellers affect insider selling?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(2), pages 268-288.
    26. Avanidhar Subrahmanyam & Sheridan Titman, 2001. "Feedback from Stock Prices to Cash Flows," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(6), pages 2389-2413, December.
    27. Deng, Xiaohu & Gupta, Vishal K. & Lipson, Marc L. & Mortal, Sandra, 2023. "Short-Sale Constraints and Corporate Investment," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 58(6), pages 2489-2521, September.
    28. Bond, Philip & Zhong, Hongda, 2016. "Buying high and selling low: stock repurchases and persistent asymmetric information," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 67011, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    29. Adam C. Kolasinski & Adam V. Reed & Matthew C. Ringgenberg, 2013. "A Multiple Lender Approach to Understanding Supply and Search in the Equity Lending Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(2), pages 559-595, April.
    30. H.S. Shin, 1994. "News Management and the Value of Firms," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 25(1), pages 58-71, Spring.
    31. Philip Bond & Hongda Zhong, 2016. "Buying High and Selling Low: Stock Repurchases and Persistent Asymmetric Information," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(6), pages 1409-1452.
    32. Hyun Song Shin, 2003. "Disclosures and Asset Returns," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(1), pages 105-133, January.
    33. Ernst-Ludwig von Thadden, 1995. "Long-Term Contracts, Short-Term Investment and Monitoring," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 62(4), pages 557-575.
    34. Sergiu Hart & Ilan Kremer & Motty Perry, 2017. "Evidence Games: Truth and Commitment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(3), pages 690-713, March.
    35. repec:oup:revfin:v:29:y:2016:i:12:p:3211-3244. is not listed on IDEAS
    36. Odders-White, Elizabeth R. & Ready, Mark J., 2008. "The probability and magnitude of information events," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 227-248, January.
    37. Easley, David, et al, 1996. "Liquidity, Information, and Infrequently Traded Stocks," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(4), pages 1405-1436, September.
    38. Goldstein, Itay & Ozdenoren, Emre & Yuan, Kathy, 2013. "Trading frenzies and their impact on real investment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(2), pages 566-582.
    39. Brav, Alon & Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R. & Michaely, Roni, 2005. "Payout policy in the 21st century," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(3), pages 483-527, September.
    40. Matta, Rafael & Rocha, Sergio H. & Vaz, Paulo, 2025. "Predation by stock price manipulation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    41. 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.
    42. Paul Milgrom & John Roberts, 1986. "Relying on the Information of Interested Parties," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 17(1), pages 18-32, Spring.
    43. Chague, Fernando & De-Losso, Rodrigo & De Genaro, Alan & Giovannetti, Bruno, 2017. "Well-connected short-sellers pay lower loan fees: A market-wide analysis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(3), pages 646-670.
    44. Schultz, Paul, 2023. "The Response to Share Mispricing by Issuing Firms and Short Sellers," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 58(3), pages 1078-1110, May.
    45. David De Angelis & Gustavo Grullon & Sébastien Michenaud, 2017. "The Effects of Short-Selling Threats on Incentive Contracts: Evidence from an Experiment," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(5), pages 1627-1659.
    46. Gao, Pingyang & Jiang, Xu & Lu, Jinzhi, 2025. "Manipulation, panic runs, and the short selling ban," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    47. Matthew T. Billett & Hui Xue, 2007. "Share Repurchases and the Need for External Finance," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 19(3), pages 42-55, June.
    48. Archishman Chakraborty & Bilge Yilmaz, 2011. "Adverse Selection and Convertible Bonds," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 78(1), pages 148-175.
    49. Tse-Chun Lin & Qi Liu & Bo Sun, 2019. "Contractual Managerial Incentives with Stock Price Feedback," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(7), pages 2446-2468, July.
    50. Owen A. Lamont, 2012. "Go Down Fighting: Short Sellers vs. Firms," The Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 2(1), pages 1-30.
    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. Chang, Eric C. & Lin, Tse-Chun & Ma, Xiaorong, 2019. "Does short-selling threat discipline managers in mergers and acquisitions decisions?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1).
    2. Dutordoir, Marie & Strong, Norman C. & Sun, Ping, 2022. "Does short-selling potential influence merger and acquisition payment choice?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(3), pages 761-779.
    3. Yang, Yung Chiang & Zhang, Bohui & Zhang, Chu, 2020. "Is information risk priced? Evidence from abnormal idiosyncratic volatility," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(2), pages 528-554.
    4. Stephie Tsai, Hsin-Ju & Wu, Yuliang & Xu, Bin, 2021. "Does capital market drive corporate investment efficiency? Evidence from equity lending supply," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    5. Dixon, Peter N. & Fox, Corbin A. & Kelley, Eric K., 2021. "To own or not to own: Stock loans around dividend payments," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(2), pages 539-559.
    6. Meng, Qingbin & Huang, Haozheng & Li, Xinyu & Wang, Song, 2023. "Short-selling and corporate default risk: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 398-417.
    7. Hvidkjær, Søren & Massa, Massimo & Rzeźnik, Aleksandra, 2023. "Co-illiquidity management," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    8. Melissa Porras Prado & Pedro A. C. Saffi & Jason Sturgess, 2016. "Ownership Structure, Limits to Arbitrage, and Stock Returns: Evidence from Equity Lending Markets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(12), pages 3211-3244.
    9. Bui, Dien Giau & Hasan, Iftekhar & Lin, Chih-Yung & Nguyen, Hong Thoa, 2023. "Short-selling threats and bank risk-taking: Evidence from the financial crisis," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    10. Matta, Rafael & Rocha, Sergio H. & Vaz, Paulo, 2025. "Short selling and product market competition," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    11. repec:oup:revfin:v:29:y:2016:i:12:p:3211-3244. is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Luo, Jinbo & Ni, Xiaoran & Tian, Gary Gang, 2020. "Short selling and corporate tax avoidance: Insights from a financial constraint view," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    13. Huszár, Zsuzsa R. & Prado, Melissa Porras, 2019. "An analysis of over-the-counter and centralized stock lending markets," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 31-53.
    14. Jank, Stephan & Roling, Christoph & Smajlbegovic, Esad, 2021. "Flying under the radar: The effects of short-sale disclosure rules on investor behavior and stock prices," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(1), pages 209-233.
    15. Jacobs, Heiko & Lauber, Alexander & Müller, Sebastian, 2025. "Bearish bets and the press: On the relation between short interest and media tone," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    16. Itay Goldstein, 2023. "Information in Financial Markets and Its Real Effects," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(1), pages 1-32.
    17. Francis, Bill B. & Samuel, Gilna & Wu, Qiang, 2023. "The impact of short selling on dividend smoothing," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    18. Antonio Gargano & Juan Sotes-Paladino & Patrick Verwijmeren, 2022. "Out of Sync: Dispersed Short Selling and the Correction of Mispricing," Working Papers 108, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
    19. Franzoni, Francesco & Di Maggio, Marco & Massa, Massimo & Tubaldi, Roberto, 2019. "Strategic Trading as a Response to Short Sellers," CEPR Discussion Papers 13812, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    20. Boulton, Thomas J. & Smart, Scott B. & Zutter, Chad J., 2020. "Worldwide short selling regulations and IPO underpricing," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    21. Blocher, Jesse & Zhang, Chi, 2022. "Who is buying and (not) lending when shorts are selling?," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 57(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:inm:ormnsc:v:72:y:2026:i:2:p:1025-1053. 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: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    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.