The economic consequences of GASB financial statement disclosure

We examine whether changes in how items are reported on GASB financial statements have real economic consequences for local governments. We generate identification using financial reporting differences that existed prior to adoption of GASB 68, a standard focused on the reporting of defined benefit pension obligations. These differences were eliminated by GASB 68, and were not discretionary. They arose based on whether the local government participated in either a shared or agency pension plan. Using a broad sample of municipalities and a difference-in-differences (DD) research design, we find that the new disclosure of a pension obligation leads to reduced expenses through changes to wages, benefits and employee headcount. We find the opposite result for pension assets, and stronger results for larger pension obligations. In addition, we find that the effects of disclosing pension obligations are stronger for those municipalities accessing debt markets, suggesting that credit markets may be contributing to the effects we document

Representations and Warranties Insurance in Mergers and Acquisitions

To mitigate information asymmetry in acquisitions, the seller makes contractual representations and warranties (referred to as “R&W” or “reps”) about the state of the target, such as attesting to the accuracy of the target’s financial statements. While seller indemnities allow buyers to impose costs due to breaches in the reps discovered after the deal’s close, these indemnities involve significant contracting costs. To mitigate these costs, the acquisition parties have increasingly turned to purchasing representations and warranties insurance. Using a proprietary and novel sample of R&W insurance policies issued worldwide for acquisitions of non-public targets, we find that the demand for R&W insurance, the premium charged for it, and the likelihood of a claim being filed are correlated with industry metrics for valuation uncertainty, the type of acquirer and seller, and the target’s legal regime. In particular, we find higher demand for R&W insurance and a higher R&W insurance premium charged when the target belongs to an industry with weaker internal controls. We also find that a higher premium is charged when the target is in an industry with relatively high levels of R&D to sales, indicating that the insurance company expects unrecognized intangible assets to have a greater risk of future claims. Our study adds to our understanding of how parties reduce target valuation uncertainty and the role of disclosures and R&W insurance policies in private mergers and acquisitions transactions

Molecular communication: An acid tale of prion formation

Some bacteria use lactic acid to communicate with yeast cells

When does the bond price reaction to earnings announcements predict future stock returns?

In this paper I show that the bond price reaction to earnings announcements has predictive power for post-announcement stock returns and that this predictive ability is driven by the bonds of non-investment grade firms. I find that bonds’ predictive ability is more pronounced in firms that have a lower level of institutional shareholder ownership and whose bonds are more liquid. This paper enhances our understanding of the relation between the stock and bond markets and complements the literature which documents whether, and under what circumstances, various accounting-based measures and financial statement components predict post-announcement stock returns

Can the Bond Price Reaction to Earnings Announcements Predict Future Stock Returns?

In this paper I show that the bond price reaction to earnings announcements has predictive power for post-announcement stock returns and that it is incremental to previously documented accounting-related anomalies. I find that bonds' predictive ability is driven by non-investment grade bonds, for which earnings releases provide more value-relevant information. It is also stronger in firms with a lower proportion of institutional shareholders and for bonds whose trading is more heavily dominated by sophisticated investors. This suggests that the greater level of investor sophistication in the bond market relative to the stock market is what gives bond returns the ability to predict future stock returns. By demonstrating that a firm's bond price reaction to an earnings announcement can predict future stock returns, this paper adds to the literature which documents that various earnings components also have predictive ability for post-announcement stock returns

When does the bond price reaction to earnings announcements predict future stock returns?

In this paper I show that the bond price reaction to earnings announcements has predictive power for post-announcement stock returns and that this predictive ability is driven by the bonds of non-investment grade firms. I find that bonds’ predictive ability is more pronounced in firms that have a lower level of institutional shareholder ownership and whose bonds are more liquid. This paper enhances our understanding of the relation between the stock and bond markets and complements the literature which documents whether, and under what circumstances, various accounting-based measures and financial statement components predict post-announcement stock returns

Stress&Worldview

ניסוי במסגרת הקורס פסיכולוגיה ניסויית תשע"

Are SPAC Revenue Forecasts Informative?

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the informativeness of special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) revenue forecasts. We document a positive association between the compound annual growth rate in revenue forecasts and abnormal returns, retail trading, and Twitter activity in the five-day window surrounding the disclosure of a merger announcement. By contrast, we find limited evidence that institutional investors and traditional information intermediaries respond to SPAC revenue forecasts. We also find evidence that SPAC revenue forecasts positively predict future operating underperformance, stock underperformance, and class action lawsuits. Overall, our results affirm the SEC’s concerns about the attractiveness of aggressive revenue projections to retail investors. JEL Classifications: G34; G32; M40; M48