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Investor awareness or information asymmetry? Wikipedia and IPO underpricing

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Boulton
  • Bill B. Francis
  • Thomas Shohfi
  • Daqi Xin

Abstract

We use the presence of a Wikipedia article for initial public offering (IPO) firms to test theories of information asymmetry and investor awareness. Although we find limited support for the former, our results provide strong support for theories of investor awareness. Specifically, IPO firms with a Wikipedia article exhibit significantly higher underpricing and offer price revisions than do IPO firms without a Wikipedia article. Investor awareness has positive long‐term effects, including greater analyst following and institutional ownership for up to 3 years after the offering. The effect is robust to firm‐specific Google search volume, news coverage, retail trading intensity, social media activity, propensity score matching, and an instrumental variable approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Boulton & Bill B. Francis & Thomas Shohfi & Daqi Xin, 2021. "Investor awareness or information asymmetry? Wikipedia and IPO underpricing," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 56(3), pages 535-561, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:finrev:v:56:y:2021:i:3:p:535-561
    DOI: 10.1111/fire.12276
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    3. Patrick M. Corrigan, 2022. "Does an initial public offering (IPO) issuer's Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee calculation method predict pricing revisions and IPO underpricing?," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), pages 1114-1147, December.
    4. Mengqin Zhang & Yi He & Surui Zhang & Xiang Zhang & Stavros Sindakis & Saloome Showkat, 2024. "Stock Liquidity and Investment Efficiency: Evidence from the New Regulation of Insider Selling in China," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 8563-8587, June.
    5. James C. Brau & James Cicon & Stephen R. Owen, 2022. "A Textual Analysis of Logograms in Chinese IPO Roadshows: How Agreement between Investors and Management Relates to Pricing and Performance," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-24, April.
    6. Timo Lehmann & Matthias Weber, 2023. "Auctions versus bookbuilding: The effects of IPO regulation in Japan," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 58(1), pages 117-141, February.
    7. Dias, Ishanka K. & Fernando, J.M. Ruwani & Fernando, P. Narada D., 2022. "Does investor sentiment predict bitcoin return and volatility? A quantile regression approach," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    8. Justin Cox & Bonnie Van Ness & Robert Van Ness, 2022. "Stock splits and retail trading," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 57(4), pages 731-750, November.

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