IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/rqfnac/v59y2022i4d10.1007_s11156-022-01078-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comment letters and stock price synchronicity: evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Longhao Xu

    (Central South University
    Saunders College of Business, Rochester Institute of Technology)

  • Zhijian James Huang

    (Saunders College of Business, Rochester Institute of Technology)

  • Fenghua Wen

    (Central South University
    Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance)

Abstract

This paper studies the effectiveness of comment letters by exploring the relationship between comment letters and stock price synchronicity. Using a unique dataset from China, we find that the issuance of comment letters is negatively correlated with stock price synchronicity. The results are robust to a battery of tests. Further analysis indicates that the negative relationship between comment letters and stock price synchronicity is more prominent for non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) than SOEs. Then, we explore what channels comment letters affect the stock price synchronicity. Our evidence shows that firms receiving comment letters (1) have a high negative skewness indicating more negative information released, and (2) are more likely to amend their annual financial reports, leading to less stock price synchronicity. Overall, the evidence indicates that the comment letter process can help increase the firm information incorporated in the stock price.

Suggested Citation

  • Longhao Xu & Zhijian James Huang & Fenghua Wen, 2022. "Comment letters and stock price synchronicity: evidence from China," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 1387-1421, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:59:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s11156-022-01078-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11156-022-01078-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11156-022-01078-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11156-022-01078-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Miguel Duro & Jonas Heese & Gaizka Ormazabal, 2019. "The effect of enforcement transparency: Evidence from SEC comment-letter reviews," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 780-823, September.
    2. Scholes, Myron & Williams, Joseph, 1977. "Estimating betas from nonsynchronous data," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 309-327, December.
    3. Joseph D. Piotroski & T.J. Wong, 2012. "Institutions and Information Environment of Chinese Listed Firms," NBER Chapters, in: Capitalizing China, pages 201-242, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Joachim Gassen & Hollis A. Skaife & David Veenman, 2020. "Illiquidity and the Measurement of Stock Price Synchronicity," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(1), pages 419-456, March.
    5. Hutton, Amy P. & Marcus, Alan J. & Tehranian, Hassan, 2009. "Opaque financial reports, R2, and crash risk," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 67-86, October.
    6. Chue, Timothy K. & Gul, Ferdinand A. & Mian, G. Mujtaba, 2019. "Aggregate investor sentiment and stock return synchronicity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    7. Xu, Nianhang & Chan, Kam C. & Jiang, Xuanyu & Yi, Zhihong, 2013. "Do star analysts know more firm-specific information? Evidence from China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 89-102.
    8. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 2015. "A five-factor asset pricing model," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 1-22.
    9. Artyom Durnev & Randall Morck & Bernard Yeung & Paul Zarowin, 2003. "Does Greater Firm‐Specific Return Variation Mean More or Less Informed Stock Pricing?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(5), pages 797-836, December.
    10. Jin, Li & Myers, Stewart C., 2006. "R2 around the world: New theory and new tests," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(2), pages 257-292, February.
    11. Andrew Ang & Robert J. Hodrick & Yuhang Xing & Xiaoyan Zhang, 2006. "The Cross‐Section of Volatility and Expected Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(1), pages 259-299, February.
    12. Bai, Ye & Chow, Darien Yan Pang, 2017. "Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect: An analysis of Chinese partial stock market liberalization impact on the local and foreign markets," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 182-203.
    13. Matthew Ege & Jennifer L. Glenn & John R. Robinson, 2020. "Unexpected SEC Resource Constraints and Comment Letter Quality†," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(1), pages 33-67, March.
    14. Bradshaw, Mark & Liao, Guanmin & Ma, Mark (Shuai), 2019. "Agency costs and tax planning when the government is a major Shareholder," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 255-277.
    15. Boubaker, Sabri & Mansali, Hatem & Rjiba, Hatem, 2014. "Large controlling shareholders and stock price synchronicity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 80-96.
    16. Yunsen Chen & Yilu Deng & Yufang Jin & Hetong Lou & Xin Zhang, 2020. "Political Connection and Regulatory Scrutiny through Comment Letters: Evidence from China," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 20(3), pages 789-798, September.
    17. Mitchell A. Petersen, 2009. "Estimating Standard Errors in Finance Panel Data Sets: Comparing Approaches," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(1), pages 435-480, January.
    18. repec:bla:jfinan:v:59:y:2004:i:1:p:65-105 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Baloria, Vishal P. & Heese, Jonas, 2018. "The effects of media slant on firm behavior," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(1), pages 184-202.
    20. Heese, Jonas & Khan, Mozaffar & Ramanna, Karthik, 2017. "Is the SEC captured? Evidence from comment-letter reviews," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 98-122.
    21. French, Kenneth R. & Schwert, G. William & Stambaugh, Robert F., 1987. "Expected stock returns and volatility," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 3-29, September.
    22. Li, Mingsheng & Liu, Desheng & Peng, Hongfeng & Zhang, Luxiu, 2020. "Does low synchronicity mean more or less informative prices? Evidence from an emerging market," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    23. Stephen V. Brown & Xiaoli (Shaolee) Tian & Jennifer Wu Tucker, 2018. "The Spillover Effect of SEC Comment Letters on Qualitative Corporate Disclosure: Evidence from the Risk Factor Disclosure," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(2), pages 622-656, June.
    24. Wen, Fenghua & Xu, Longhao & Ouyang, Guangda & Kou, Gang, 2019. "Retail investor attention and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    25. Gul, Ferdinand A. & Kim, Jeong-Bon & Qiu, Annie A., 2010. "Ownership concentration, foreign shareholding, audit quality, and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from China," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(3), pages 425-442, March.
    26. Jones Heese & Mozaffar Khan & Karthik Ramanna, 2017. "Is the SEC Captured? Evidence from Comment-Letter Reviews," Harvard Business School Working Papers 17-087, Harvard Business School.
    27. Joseph D. Piotroski & T. J. Wong & Tianyu Zhang, 2015. "Political Incentives to Suppress Negative Information: Evidence from Chinese Listed Firms," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 405-459, May.
    28. Michelle Lowry & Roni Michaely & Ekaterina Volkova & Francesca Cornelli, 2020. "Information Revealed through the Regulatory Process: Interactions between the SEC and Companies ahead of Their IPO," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(12), pages 5510-5554.
    29. Bing Li & Zhenbin Liu, 2017. "The oversight role of regulators: evidence from SEC comment letters in the IPO process," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1229-1260, September.
    30. French, Kenneth R., 1980. "Stock returns and the weekend effect," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 55-69, March.
    31. Ben-Nasr, Hamdi & Ghouma, Hatem, 2018. "Employee welfare and stock price crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 700-725.
    32. Rick Johnston & Reining Petacchi, 2017. "Regulatory Oversight of Financial Reporting: Securities and Exchange Commission Comment Letters," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(2), pages 1128-1155, June.
    33. Jeong†Bon Kim & Zheng Wang & Liandong Zhang, 2016. "CEO Overconfidence and Stock Price Crash Risk," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(4), pages 1720-1749, December.
    34. Li, Xiaorong & Wang, Steven Shuye & Wang, Xue, 2017. "Trust and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 74-91.
    35. Chan, Kalok & Hameed, Allaudeen, 2006. "Stock price synchronicity and analyst coverage in emerging markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 115-147, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Duan, Lini & Li, Lingyi & Park, Kyung-Hye & Wu, Di, 2023. "Muddy the waters to conceal information? Evidence from firms' inconsistent answers during Q&As," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wen, Fenghua & Xu, Longhao & Ouyang, Guangda & Kou, Gang, 2019. "Retail investor attention and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    2. Lu, Jing & Qiu, Yuhang, 2023. "Does non-punitive regulation diminish stock price crash risk?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    3. Chue, Timothy K. & Gul, Ferdinand A. & Mian, G. Mujtaba, 2019. "Aggregate investor sentiment and stock return synchronicity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Fenghua Wen & Yujie Yuan & Wei‐Xing Zhou, 2021. "Cross‐shareholding networks and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from China," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 914-948, January.
    5. Jiang, Kangqi & Du, Xinyi & Chen, Zhongfei, 2022. "Firms' digitalization and stock price crash risk," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Donghua Zhou & Yujie Zhao & Philip T Lin & Bin Li & Adrian (Waikong) Cheung, 2019. "Can microblogging information disclosure reduce stock price synchronicity? Evidence from China," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 44(2), pages 282-305, May.
    7. Joachim Gassen & Hollis A. Skaife & David Veenman, 2020. "Illiquidity and the Measurement of Stock Price Synchronicity," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(1), pages 419-456, March.
    8. Rao, Lanlan & Zhou, Liyun, 2019. "The role of stock price synchronicity on the return-sentiment relation," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 119-131.
    9. Xiang Zhang & Han Zhou, 2020. "Leverage structure and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(7), pages 1-15, July.
    10. Li, Qinyang & Liu, Xiangqiang & Chen, Jing & Wang, Huaixin, 2022. "Does stock market liberalization reduce stock price synchronicity? —Evidence from the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 25-38.
    11. Wei Hao & Andrew Prevost & Udomsak Wongchoti, 2018. "Are Low Equity R2 Firms More or Less Transparent? Evidence from the Corporate Bond Market," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 47(4), pages 865-909, December.
    12. Zuo, Junqing & Zhang, Wei & Hu, Mingya & Feng, Xu & Zou, Gaofeng, 2022. "Employee relations and stock price crash risk: Evidence from employee lawsuits," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    13. Lu, Shan & Zhao, Jichang, 2024. "Investor network and stock return comovement: Information-seeking through intragroup and intergroup followings," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    14. Yunsen Chen & Jianqiao Huang & Xiao Li & Qingbo Yuan, 2022. "Does stock market liberalization improve stock price efficiency? Evidence from China," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(7-8), pages 1175-1210, July.
    15. Can Huang & Yuqiang Cao & Meiting Lu & Yaowen Shan & Yizhou Zhang, 2023. "Messages in online stock forums and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(3), pages 3011-3041, September.
    16. Li, Mingsheng & Liu, Desheng & Peng, Hongfeng & Zhang, Luxiu, 2020. "Does low synchronicity mean more or less informative prices? Evidence from an emerging market," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    17. Lu, Xian-wei & Fung, Hung-Gay & Su, Zhong-qin, 2018. "Information leakage, site visits, and crash risk: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 487-507.
    18. Zhou, Jingting & Li, Wanli & Yan, Ziqiao & Lyu, Huaili, 2021. "Controlling shareholder share pledging and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    19. Wang, Kai & Zhao, Jingjing & Zhou, Jun, 2024. "Online sales and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PA).
    20. Zhang, Ping & Sha, Yezhou & Wang, Yu & Wang, Tewei, 2022. "Capital market opening and stock price crash risk – Evidence from the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Comment letters; Stock price synchronicity; State-owned enterprises; Firm-specific information;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • M48 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Government Policy and Regulation

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:59:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s11156-022-01078-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.