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Do dividend initiations signal a reduction in risk? Evidence from the option market

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  • Jeffrey Jones
  • Jenny Gu
  • Pu Liu

Abstract

We investigate whether dividends convey information about the risk of a company by examining the reaction of implied volatility in the option market to the announcement of a dividend initiation. Implied volatility decreases after the announcement and the magnitude of the decline in volatility is positively related to both the magnitude of cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) in the equity markets and the size of the dividend. Additionally, firms with weaker (stronger) corporate governance experience larger (smaller) declines in implied volatility. Cross sectional analysis shows that a one-standard deviation decline in measures of risk increases the 2-day CAR by 74–137 basis points. Our results suggest that dividend initiations signal declining firm risk. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey Jones & Jenny Gu & Pu Liu, 2014. "Do dividend initiations signal a reduction in risk? Evidence from the option market," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 143-158, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:42:y:2014:i:1:p:143-158
    DOI: 10.1007/s11156-012-0337-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Xin Che & Andre P. Liebenberg & Ivonne A. Liebenberg & Brandon C. L. Morris, 2018. "The effect of growth opportunities on the market reaction to dividend cuts: evidence from the 2008 financial crisis," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 1-17, July.
    2. Michaely, Roni & Rossi, Stefano & Weber, Michael, 2021. "Signaling safety," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(2), pages 405-427.
    3. Jian Cao & Thomas R. Kubick & Adi N. S. Masli, 2017. "Do corporate payouts signal going-concern risk for auditors? Evidence from audit reports for companies in financial distress," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 49(3), pages 599-631, October.
    4. von Eije, Henk & Goyal, Abhinav & Muckley, Cal B., 2014. "Does the information content of payout initiations and omissions influence firm risks?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 183(2), pages 222-229.
    5. Chin-Sheng Huang & Chun-Fan You & Hsiao-Fen Hsiao, 2017. "Dividends and Subsequent Profitability: An Examination of a Dual Dividend Stock Market," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(01), pages 1-35, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dividends; Risk; Implied volatility; Initiations; G10; G14; G35;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G35 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Payout Policy

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