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Determinants and consequences of the unification of dual-class shares

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  • Pajuste, Anete

Abstract

This paper explores the reasons why an increasing number of firms in continental Europe are unifying their shares into a single class, and analyzes the consequences of this restructuring. Interestingly, recent changes in corporate governance environment have created a situation when the reasons that once caused the introduction of dual-class shares, i.e., the need to issue new equity and to defend firm from a possible takeover, are the same that now motivate firms to switch back to one share-one vote. Meanwhile, higher value of control rights (e.g., high separation between control and cash flow rights) significantly reduces the likelihood of unification. Finally, the data show that firm value increases after the unification. JEL Classification: G32, G34

Suggested Citation

  • Pajuste, Anete, 2005. "Determinants and consequences of the unification of dual-class shares," Working Paper Series 465, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:2005465
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    File URL: https://www.ecb.europa.eu//pub/pdf/scpwps/ecbwp465.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Lauterbach, Beni & Yafeh, Yishay, 2011. "Long term changes in voting power and control structure following the unification of dual class shares," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 215-228, April.
    2. Bigelli, Marco & Mehrotra, Vikas & Rau, P. Raghavendra, 2011. "Why are shareholders not paid to give up their voting privileges? Unique evidence from Italy," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 1619-1635.
    3. At, Christian & Burkart, Mike & Lee, Samuel, 2011. "Security-voting structure and bidder screening," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 458-476, July.
    4. Cristina Mabel Scherrer & Marcelo Fernandes, 2016. "Disentangling the Effect of Private and Public Cash Flows on Firm Value," Working Papers 800, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    5. Cristina Mabel Scherrer & Marcelo Fernandes, 2016. "Disentangling the Effect of Private and Public Cash Flows on Firm Value," Working Papers 800, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    6. Riccardo Ferretti & Pierpaolo Pattitoni & Alex Castelli, 2019. "Security-voting structure and equity financing in the banking sector: ‘one head-one vote’ versus ‘one share-one vote’," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 23(4), pages 1063-1097, December.
    7. Alexander Muravyev, 2009. "Dual Class Stock in Russia: Explaining a Pricing Anomaly," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(2), pages 21-43, March.
    8. Sah, Nilesh B. & Banerjee, Anandi & Malm, James & More, Deepak G., 2022. "A risky affair: Dual class and FX hedging," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    9. Mike Burkart & Samuel Lee, 2008. "One Share - One Vote: the Theory," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 12(1), pages 1-49.
    10. Renée Adams & Daniel Ferreira, 2008. "One Share-One Vote: The Empirical Evidence," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 12(1), pages 51-91.
    11. Berezinets Irina & Ilina Yulia & Muravyev Alexander, 2011. "Owners, Boards, Managers and the Private Benefits of Control: A Study of Dual Class Stock Firms in an Emerging Market," EERC Working Paper Series 11/12e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    12. Alexander Muravyev, 2007. "Dual Class Stock in Russia: What Explains the Price Differential between Common and Preferred Shares?," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 680, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    13. Markus Schmid, 2009. "Ownership structure and the separation of voting and cash flow rights-evidence from Switzerland," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(18), pages 1453-1476.
    14. Berezinets, Irina & Ilina, Yulia & Muravyev, Alexander, 2011. "CEO and Board Characteristics as Determinants of Private Benefits of Control: Evidence from the Russian Stock Exchange," IZA Discussion Papers 6256, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. García-Kuhnert, Yamileh & Marchica, Maria-Teresa & Mura, Roberto, 2015. "Shareholder diversification and bank risk-taking," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 602-635.
    16. Caprio, Lorenzo & Croci, Ettore, 2008. "The determinants of the voting premium in Italy: The evidence from 1974 to 2003," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(11), pages 2433-2443, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corporate governance; dual-class shares; one share-one vote;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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