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The Salience of ESG Ratings for Stock Pricing: Evidence From (Potentially) Confused Investors

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  • Rzeznik, Aleksandra
  • Weiss-Hanley, Kathleen

Abstract

We exploit the a modification to Sustainanlytics' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rating methodology, which is subsequently adopted by Morningstar, to study whether ESG ratings are salient for stock pricing. We show that the inversion of the rating scale but not new information leads some investors to make incorrect assessments about the meaning of the change in ESG ratings. They buy (sell) stocks they misconceive as ESG upgraded (downgraded) even when the opposite is true. This trading behavior exerts transitory price pressure on affected stocks. Our paper highlights the importance of ESG ratings for investors and consequently for asset prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Rzeznik, Aleksandra & Weiss-Hanley, Kathleen, 2021. "The Salience of ESG Ratings for Stock Pricing: Evidence From (Potentially) Confused Investors," CEPR Discussion Papers 16334, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:16334
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Garrett & Ivan T. Ivanov, 2023. "Gas Guns and Governments: Financial Costs of Anti-ESG Policies," Working Paper Series WP 2023-07, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    2. Simona Cosma & Paolo Cucurachi & Vincenzo Gentile & Giuseppe Rimo, 2024. "Sustainable finance disclosure regulation insights: Unveiling socially responsible funds performance during COVID‐19 pandemic and Russia–Ukraine war," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3242-3257, May.
    3. Becker, Martin G. & Martin, Fabio & Walter, Andreas, 2022. "The power of ESG transparency: The effect of the new SFDR sustainability labels on mutual funds and individual investors," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    4. Franzen, Philipp, 2022. "Einflussanalyse des Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index auf den Unternehmenswert: Eine Ereignisstudie," Wismar Discussion Papers 02/2022, Hochschule Wismar, Wismar Business School.
    5. Sirio Aramonte & Frank Packer, 2022. "Information governance in sustainable finance," BIS Papers, Bank for International Settlements, number 132.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corporate social responsibility; Esg rating agencies; Sustainable investments; Socially responsible investing; ESG; Portfolio choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G59 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Other
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics

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