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Information-Based Stock Trading, Executive Incentives, and the Principal-Agent Problem

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  • Qiang Kang

    (School of Business Administration, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124)

  • Qiao Liu

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong)

Abstract

We examine the role of information-based stock trading in affecting the risk-incentive relation. By incorporating an endogenous informed trading into an optimal incentive contracting model, we analytically show that, apart from reducing incentives, a greater risk increases the level of information-based trading, which consequently enhances executive incentives and offsets the negative risk-incentive relation. We calibrate the model and find that the economic magnitude of this incentive-enhancement effect is significant. Our empirical test using real-world executive compensation data lends strong support to the model prediction. Our results suggest that principals (boards of directors) should consider underlying stock trading characteristics when structuring executive incentives.

Suggested Citation

  • Qiang Kang & Qiao Liu, 2010. "Information-Based Stock Trading, Executive Incentives, and the Principal-Agent Problem," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(4), pages 682-698, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:56:y:2010:i:4:p:682-698
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1090.1128
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    Cited by:

    1. Tse-Chun Lin & Qi Liu & Bo Sun, 2015. "Contracting with Feedback," International Finance Discussion Papers 1143, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    2. Calcagno, Riccardo & Heider, Florian, 2021. "Stock-based pay, liquidity, and the role of market making," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    3. Tse-Chun Lin & Qi Liu & Bo Sun, 2019. "Contractual Managerial Incentives with Stock Price Feedback," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(7), pages 2446-2468, July.
    4. Dow, James & Han, Jungsuk & Sangiorgi, Francesco, 2024. "The short-termism trap: Catering to informed investors with limited horizons," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    5. Heider, Florian & Calcagno, Riccardo, 2016. "Liquidity, Information Aggregation, and Market-Based Pay in an Efficient Market," CEPR Discussion Papers 11298, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Man Jin & Huiting Tian & Subal C. Kumbhakar, 2020. "How to survive and compete: the impact of information asymmetry on productivity," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 107-123, February.
    7. Kemme, David M. & McInish, Thomas H. & Zhang, Jiang, 2022. "Market fairness and efficiency: Evidence from the Tokyo Stock Exchange," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    8. Millicent Chang & Xiaolin Qian & Jing Yu & Yvonne See, 2017. "Does director trading change the information environment?," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 42(2), pages 205-229, May.

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