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IQ from IP: Simplifying search in portfolio choice

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  • Chen, Huaizhi
  • Cohen, Lauren
  • Gurun, Umit
  • Lou, Dong
  • Malloy, Christopher

Abstract

Using a novel database that tracks web traffic on the Security Exchange Commission's EDGAR server between 2004 and 2015, we show that institutional investors gather information on a very particular subset of firms and insiders, and their surveillance is very persistent over time. This tracking behavior has powerful implications for their portfolio choice and its information content. An institution that downloaded an insider trading filing by a given firm last quarter increases its likelihood of downloading an insider trading filing on the same firm by more than 41.3 percentage points this quarter. Moreover, the average tracked stock that an institution buys generates annualized alphas of over 12% relative to the purchase of an average non tracked stock. We find that institutional managers tend to track top executives and to share educational and locational commonalities with the specific insiders they choose to follow. Collectively, our results suggest that the information in tracked trades is important for fundamental firm value and is only revealed following the information-rich dual trading by insiders and linked institutions.

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  • Chen, Huaizhi & Cohen, Lauren & Gurun, Umit & Lou, Dong & Malloy, Christopher, 2020. "IQ from IP: Simplifying search in portfolio choice," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(1), pages 118-137.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:138:y:2020:i:1:p:118-137
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2020.04.014
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    2. Chen, Yong & Kelly, Bryan & Wu, Wei, 2020. "Sophisticated investors and market efficiency: Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(2), pages 316-341.
    3. Paul Brockman & Dennis Y Chung & Neal M Snow, 2023. "Search-Based Peer Groups and Commonality in Liquidity," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(1), pages 33-77.
    4. Li, Frank Weikai & Sun, Chengzhu, 2022. "Information acquisition and expected returns: Evidence from EDGAR search traffic," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    5. Pungaliya, Raunaq S. & Wang, Yanbo, 2023. "Machine invasion: Automation in information acquisition and the cross-section of stock returns," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    6. Du, Kai & Song, Jinyuan, 2022. "The impact of geotargeting on household information acquisition: Evidence from a Google News redesign," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(10).
    7. Judson Caskey & Kanyuan Huang & Daniel Saavedra, 2023. "Noncompliance with SEC regulations: evidence from timely loan disclosures," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 126-163, March.
    8. Lohmann, Christian & Möllenhoff, Steffen, 2023. "Dark premonitions: Pre-bankruptcy investor attention and behavior," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    9. Ni, Xiaoran & Wang, Ye & Yin, David, 2021. "Does Modern Information Technology Attenuate Managerial Information Hoarding? Evidence from the EDGAR Implementation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    10. Xiong, Yan, 2022. "Comments on “Information acquisition and expected returns: Evidence from EDGAR search traffic,” by Weikai Li and Chengzhu Sun," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    11. Sean Shun Cao & Kai Du & Baozhong Yang & Alan L. Zhang, 2021. "Copycat Skills and Disclosure Costs: Evidence from Peer Companies’ Digital Footprints," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(4), pages 1261-1302, September.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tracked trades; Return predictability; Institutional trading; Insider trading;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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