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A Tale of Beauties and Beasts: Testing the Optimal Disclosure Hypothesis

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  • Hakan Jankensgard

    (Lund University, Sweden)

Abstract

According to the cost-of-capital hypothesis, increased voluntary disclosure should reduce information asymmetries, lower the cost of capital, and increase firm value. The optimal-disclosure hypothesis, however, predicts that costs related to voluntary disclosure lead to the existence of an interior optimum of disclosure that maximizes firm value. These hypotheses are empirically tested using a previously unexplored database that covers disclosure rankings for listed Swedish firms between 2007 and 2012 (rendering around 1000 firm-years). The evidence is consistent with the optimal-disclosure hypothesis. I find a robust quadratic relationship between Tobin’s Q and the level of disclosure in annual reports. I find no significant relationship, however, between Tobin’s Q and disclosure in quarterly reports or web-based reporting.

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  • Hakan Jankensgard, 2014. "A Tale of Beauties and Beasts: Testing the Optimal Disclosure Hypothesis," Multinational Finance Journal, Multinational Finance Journal, vol. 18(1-2), pages 139-167, March - J.
    • Handle: RePEc:mfj:journl:v:18:y:2014:i:1-2:p:139-167
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    voluntary disclosure; cost of capital; Tobin?s Q; optimal disclosure;
    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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