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Why are firms with more managerial ownership worth less?

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  • Fabisik, Kornelia
  • Fahlenbrach, Rüdiger
  • Stulz, René M.
  • Taillard, Jérôme P.

Abstract

Using more than 50,000 firm-years from 1988 to 2015, we show that the empirical relation between a firm's Tobin's q and managerial ownership is systematically negative. When we restrict our sample to larger firms, as in the prior literature, we confirm earlier findings of an increasing and concave relation between q and managerial ownership. We show that cumulative past performance and liquidity can explain these seemingly contradictory results. Better performing firms have more liquid equity, which enables firms and insiders to more easily sell shares after the IPO, and they also have a higher Tobin's q.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabisik, Kornelia & Fahlenbrach, Rüdiger & Stulz, René M. & Taillard, Jérôme P., 2021. "Why are firms with more managerial ownership worth less?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(3), pages 699-725.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:140:y:2021:i:3:p:699-725
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2021.02.008
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    8. Maria Boutchkova & Diego Cueto & Angelica Gonzalez, 2022. "Test power properties of within-firm estimators of ownership and board-related explanatory variables with low time variation," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1215-1269, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Managerial ownership; Tobin's q; Firm value; Liquidity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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