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CEO Stock Options and Equity Risk Incentives

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  • Melissa A. Williams
  • Ramesh P. Rao

Abstract

We test the hypothesis that the risk incentive effects of CEO stock option grants motivate managers to take on more risk than they would otherwise. Using a sample of mergers we document that the ratio of post‐ to pre‐merger stock return variance is positively related to the risk incentive effect of CEO stock option compensation but this relationship is conditioned on firm size, with firm size having a moderating effect on the risk incentive effect of stock options. Using a broader time‐series cross‐sectional sample of firms we find a strong positive relationship between CEO risk incentive embedded in the stock options and subsequent equity return volatility. As in the case of the merger sample, this relationship is stronger for smaller firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Melissa A. Williams & Ramesh P. Rao, 2006. "CEO Stock Options and Equity Risk Incentives," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(1‐2), pages 26-44, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jbfnac:v:33:y:2006:i:1-2:p:26-44
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5957.2006.01357.x
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    Cited by:

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    2. Samira Demaria & Dominique Dufour, 2007. "Les choix d'options comptables lors de la transition aux normes IAS/IFRS : quel rôle pour la prudence ?," Post-Print halshs-00266104, HAL.
    3. Preet Singh & Chitra Singla, 2016. "Executive Stock Options: Will it Work as a Good Governance Mechanism in all Scenarios?," Working Papers id:10985, eSocialSciences.
    4. Michael Mayberry, 2020. "Good for managers, bad for society? Causal evidence on the association between risk‐taking incentives and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(9-10), pages 1182-1214, October.
    5. Mehdi Bouras & Mohamed Imen Gallali, 2017. "Earnings Management, Equity-based Compensation, Economic Conjuncture and Governance Mechanisms: A Comparative Study between France and the United States," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(2), pages 585-600.
    6. Niklas Kreilkamp & Sascha Matanovic & Maximilian Schmidt & Arnt Wöhrmann, 2023. "How executive incentive design affects risk-taking: a literature review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(7), pages 2349-2374, October.
    7. Yoon K. Choi, 2020. "Does executive compensation reflect corporate productivity?," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(7-8), pages 1012-1033, July.
    8. Durongkadej, Isarin & Wei, Siqi & Rao, Ramesh, 2021. "Shareholder litigation and the risk incentive effect of executive compensation: A re-examination," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    9. Lin, Hai-Fen & Su, Jing-Qin & Higgins, Angela, 2016. "How dynamic capabilities affect adoption of management innovations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 862-876.
    10. Feng, Harry & Rao, Ramesh P., 2018. "Cash holdings and CEO risk incentive compensation: Effect of CEO risk aversion," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 162-176.
    11. Yu Flora Kuang, 2008. "Performance‐vested Stock Options and Earnings Management," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(9‐10), pages 1049-1078, November.
    12. Ekici, Emrah & Ruseva, Marina Y., 2022. "Do stock options and stock awards provide managers different incentives for corporate disclosure?," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    13. Susana Álvarez-Díez & J. Baixauli-Soler & María Belda-Ruiz, 2014. "Are we using the wrong letters? An analysis of executive stock option Greeks," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 22(2), pages 237-262, June.
    14. Atif, Muhammad & Huang, Allen & Liu, Benjamin, 2020. "The effect of say on pay on CEO compensation and spill-over effect on corporate cash holdings: Evidence from Australia," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    15. Sonja Olhoft Rego & Ryan Wilson, 2012. "Equity Risk Incentives and Corporate Tax Aggressiveness," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(3), pages 775-810, June.
    16. Hui Liang James, 2020. "CEO age and tax planning," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(2), pages 275-299, April.
    17. Burney, Robert B. & James, Hui Liang & Wang, Hongxia, 2021. "Working capital management and CEO age," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).
    18. Wei Zhang & Steven F. Cahan, 2010. "Nonrecurring Accounting Transactions and Stock Option Grants," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1‐2), pages 93-129, January.

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