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Comparing the information in short sales and put options

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  • Benjamin Blau
  • Chip Wade

Abstract

Prior work shows that both short sales and put options contain information about future stock prices. In this study, we compare the return predictability in short sales to the return predictability in put options. The motivation for this comparison is based on the theoretical argument that informed traders can choose between short sales and put options when establishing short positions in a particular stocks. Results in this paper suggest that the underperformance of stocks with high short-selling activity is approximately four times larger than the underperformance of stocks with high put-option activity. While stocks that are most likely to face binding short-sale constraints drive the underperformance caused by put-option activity, we still find that short sales are generally more informative about future prices. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Blau & Chip Wade, 2013. "Comparing the information in short sales and put options," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 41(3), pages 567-583, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:41:y:2013:i:3:p:567-583
    DOI: 10.1007/s11156-013-0377-5
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    2. Godfrey, Keith R.L., 2016. "Detecting the great short squeeze on Volkswagen," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 40(PB), pages 323-334.
    3. Siu Kai Choy & Hua Zhang, 2019. "Public news announcements, short-sale restriction and informational efficiency," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 197-229, January.
    4. Switzer, Lorne N., 2023. "Circumventing SEC Rule 201 short sale restrictions with options," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).
    5. Yi‐Wei Chuang & Wei‐Che Tsai & Pei‐Shih Weng & Chi Yin, 2021. "Do put warrants unwind short‐sale restrictions? Further evidence from the Taiwan Stock Exchange," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 325-348, March.
    6. R. Jared DeLisle & Bong Soo Lee & Nathan Mauck, 2016. "The dynamic relation between options trading, short selling, and aggregate stock returns," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 645-671, October.
    7. Paulo Pereira da Silva, 2016. "Did Investors Seeking Short Exposure Move to the CDS Market after the 2011 Short-Sale Bans in European Financial Stocks?," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 66(4), pages 322-353, August.
    8. Lin, Zih-Ying & Chang, Chuang-Chang & Wang, Yaw-Huei, 2018. "The impacts of asymmetric information and short sales on the illiquidity risk premium in the stock option market," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 152-165.
    9. Alejandro Bernales & Thanos Verousis & Nikolaos Voukelatos & Mengyu Zhang, 2020. "What do we know about individual equity options?," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(1), pages 67-91, January.
    10. Nikolaos Voukelatos & Thanos Verousis, 2019. "Option‐implied information and stock herding," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(4), pages 1429-1442, October.
    11. Grundy, Bruce D. & Lim, Bryan & Verwijmeren, Patrick, 2012. "Do option markets undo restrictions on short sales? Evidence from the 2008 short-sale ban," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(2), pages 331-348.
    12. Chih-Hsiang Chang & Wen-Shan Chiang, 2014. "Conditioned Responses towards Measures Relating to the Capital Cost of Short Sellers: Evidence from Taiwan," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 17(03), pages 1-27.
    13. Adrian W. K. Cheung & Hung Wan Kot & Eric F. Y. Lam & Harry K. M. Leung, 2020. "Toward understanding short‐selling activity: demand and supply," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(3), pages 2203-2230, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Short selling; Put options; Informed trading; Bearish trading activity; Options; G12; G13; G14; G19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G13 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Contingent Pricing; Futures Pricing
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G19 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Other

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