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Political Connections and the Informativeness of Insider Trades

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  • ALAN D. JAGOLINZER
  • DAVID F. LARCKER
  • GAIZKA ORMAZABAL
  • DANIEL J. TAYLOR

Abstract

We analyze the trading of corporate insiders at leading financial institutions during the 2007 to 2009 financial crisis. We find strong evidence of a relation between political connections and informed trading during the period in which Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds were disbursed, and that the relation is most pronounced among corporate insiders with recent direct connections. Notably, we find evidence of abnormal trading by politically connected insiders 30 days in advance of TARP infusions, and that these trades anticipate the market reaction to the infusion. Our results suggest that political connections can facilitate opportunistic behavior by corporate insiders.

Suggested Citation

  • Alan D. Jagolinzer & David F. Larcker & Gaizka Ormazabal & Daniel J. Taylor, 2020. "Political Connections and the Informativeness of Insider Trades," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(4), pages 1833-1876, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:75:y:2020:i:4:p:1833-1876
    DOI: 10.1111/jofi.12899
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    10. Hua Cheng & Kishore Gawande & Steven Ongena & Shusen Qi, 2020. "Get beyond policy uncertainty: Evidence from political connections," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 20-77, Swiss Finance Institute.
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    12. Ozlem Akin & Nicholas S. Coleman & Christian Fons‐Rosen & José‐Luis Peydró, 2021. "Political connections and informed trading: Evidence from TARP," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 50(3), pages 619-644, September.
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    14. El Ghoul, Sadok & Fu, Zhengwei & Guedhami, Omrane & Kim, Yongwon, 2024. "Do insiders profit from public environmental information? Evidence from insider trading," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    15. Liu, Hengxu & Zhao, Wenxi, 2023. "The role of political connections in bad times: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
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    17. Budi Wahyono, 2023. "Do political connections affect the market reaction to firms’ inclusion in or exclusion from the Sharia index?," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(4), pages 835-854, December.
    18. Zhang, Yun & Liu, Yun & Tang, Yicheng & Gao, Qun, 2024. "Large shareholders' stock selling and corporate performance: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
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    21. Liu, Hui & Chang, Yufan & Zuo, Man, 2023. "Key audit matters and insider trading profitability: Evidence from China," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(3).
    22. Wang, Daphne & Jory, Surendranath R. & Ngo, Thanh, 2020. "The cohabitation of institutional investors with the government: A case study of the TARP–CPP program," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    23. Budi Wahyono, 2022. "The value of political connections and Sharia compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(1), pages 1-28, March.
    24. Wang, Xiaonan & Wang, Yan, 2022. "Too cynical: why the stock market in China dimissed initial anticorruption signals," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 124863, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    25. Seil Kim & Seungjoon Oh, 2024. "Outside directors’ insider trading around board meetings," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 2617-2649, September.

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