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Should Insider Trading be Prohibited when Share Repurchases are Allowed?

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  • Andrea Buffa
  • Giovanna Nicodano

Abstract

This paper considers share repurchases as the way long-term shareholders preserve their ability to use corporate information for speculative purposes when insider trading regulation is enforced. This use of corporate information increases the adverse selection losses of short-term shareholders. Thus, buy-back programs reduce their incentive to invest in stocks that back the most productive technology, leading to a socially inefficient equilibrium. It follows that insider trading should not be banned when share repurchases are allowed.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Buffa & Giovanna Nicodano, 2006. "Should Insider Trading be Prohibited when Share Repurchases are Allowed?," Carlo Alberto Notebooks 16, Collegio Carlo Alberto.
    • Handle: RePEc:cca:wpaper:16
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Geng, Xiaoxu & He, Muyuan & He, Chengying & Jiang, Yuexiang, 2025. "Does improving stock market information efficiency promote firms’ high-quality development?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    3. George Drymiotes & Konduru Sivaramakrishnan, 2021. "Strategic Director Appointments," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(4), pages 1303-1347, September.
    4. Kumar, Praveen & Langberg, Nisan & Oded, Jacob & Sivaramakrishnan, K., 2017. "Voluntary disclosure and strategic stock repurchases," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 207-230.
    5. Ilona Babenko & Yuri Tserlukevich & Pengcheng Wan, 2020. "Is Market Timing Good for Shareholders?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(8), pages 3542-3560, August.
    6. Steinberg, Nadav & Wohl, Avi, 2024. "Market timing in open market bond repurchases," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    7. Fabio C. Bagliano & Carlo A. Favero & Giovanna Nicodano, 2011. "Insider Trading, Traded Volume and Returns," Working papers 26, Former Department of Economics and Public Finance "G. Prato", University of Torino.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    insider trading; share repurchase; liquidity; securities regulation; corporate information;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law

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