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Short-Selling Bans around the World: Evidence from the 2007-09 Crisis

Author

Listed:
  • Alessandro Beber

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Marco Pagano

    (Universita di Napoli Federico II, CSEF, EIEF and CEPR)

Abstract

Most stock exchange regulators around the world reacted to the 2007-2009 crisis byimposing bans or regulatory constraints on short-selling. Short-selling restrictions wereimposed and lifted at different dates in different countries, often applied to different sets ofstocks and featured different degrees of stringency. We exploit this considerable variationin short-sales regimes to identify their effects with panel data techniques, and find that bans(i) were detrimental for liquidity, especially for stocks with small market capitalization,high volatility and no listed options; (ii) slowed down price discovery, especially in bearmarket phases, and (iii) failed to support stock prices, except possibly for U.S. financialstocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Beber & Marco Pagano, 2010. "Short-Selling Bans around the World: Evidence from the 2007-09 Crisis," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 10-106/2/DSF 1, Tinbergen Institute.
  • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20100106
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    short selling; ban; crisis; liquidity; price discovery;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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