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The Sarbanes‐Oxley Act and the Choice of Bond Market by Foreign Firms

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  • Yu Gao

Abstract

This paper examines the economic impact of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act (SOX) by studying foreign firms’ choice of whether to issue bonds in the U.S. public bond market or elsewhere before and after the law's enactment in 2002. After controlling for firm characteristics, bond features, home‐country attributes, and market conditions, I find that foreign firms rely less on the U.S. public bond market after SOX. Additionally, some determinants of choosing the U.S. public bond market have changed since the passage of SOX: firms listing equities on U.S. stock exchanges, adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and doing large bond issuances are more likely to choose this market in the post‐SOX period than in the pre‐SOX period. Overall, these results are consistent with a shift in the expected costs and benefits of choosing the U.S. public bond market following SOX. This paper provides the first evidence about how SOX influences debt financing decisions and alters capital flows across international bond markets.

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  • Yu Gao, 2011. "The Sarbanes‐Oxley Act and the Choice of Bond Market by Foreign Firms," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(4), pages 933-968, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:49:y:2011:i:4:p:933-968
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-679X.2011.00416.x
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    6. Han, Song & Huang, Alan Guoming & Kalimipalli, Madhu & Wang, Ke, 2022. "Information and liquidity of over-the-counter securities: Evidence from public registration of Rule 144A bonds," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 59(PB).
    7. Filatotchev, Igor & Bell, R. Greg & Rasheed, Abdul A., 2016. "Globalization of Capital Markets: Implications for Firm Strategies," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 211-221.
    8. Moehrle, Stephen R. & Mintchik, Natalia & Mohrman, Mary Beth & Reynolds-Moehrle, Jennifer A. & Vargus, Mark, 2014. "Developments in accounting regulation: A synthesis and annotated bibliography of evidence and commentary in the 2011 academic literature," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 175-195.
    9. Luna Azahara Romo González, 2016. "The drivers of European banks’ US dollar debt issuance: opportunistic funding in times of crisis?," Working Papers 1611, Banco de España.
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    12. Song Han & Alan G. Huang & Madhu Kalimipalli & Ke Wang, 2018. "Information and Liquidity of OTC Securities : Evidence from Public Registration of Rule 144A Bonds," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2018-061, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    13. Wintoki, M. Babajide & Xi, Yaoyi, 2019. "Friendly directors and the cost of regulatory compliance," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 112-141.
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    15. Huang, Alan G. & Kalimipalli, Madhu & Nayak, Subhankar & Ramchand, Latha, 2019. "Risk mitigation by institutional participants in the secondary market: Evidence from foreign Rule 144A debt market," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 202-221.
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    18. Alberto Fuertes & Jose Maria Serena, 2016. "Insights from matched firm-bond level data: market of issuance and credit quality," IFC Bulletins chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Combining micro and macro data for financial stability analysis, volume 41, Bank for International Settlements.

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