Conference calls and information asymmetry

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Brown, S; Hillegeist, SA; Lo, K
• 署名单位: Northwestern University; Emory University; University of British Columbia
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING & ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0165-4101
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2004.02.001
• 发表日期: 2004
• 关键词: EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS; DISCLOSURE LEVEL; stock-prices; cost; equilibrium; liquidity; MARKET; volume; equity; TRADE

摘要

We hypothesize that conference calls are voluntary disclosures that lead to long-term reductions in information asymmetry among equity investors. Cross-sectional and time-series tests show that information asymmetry is negatively associated with conference call activity. Firms initiating a policy of regularly holding conference calls experience statistically and economically significant and sustained reductions in information asymmetry, in contrast to one-time callers, who experience no significant decline in asymmetry. Since prior work shows that the cost of equity capital is increasing in the level of information asymmetry, our results suggest that firms that hold conference calls more frequently have lower costs of capital. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.