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Media coverage and stock returns on the London Stock Exchange, 1825-70

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  • Turner, John D.
  • Ye, Qing
  • Walker, Clive B.

Abstract

News media plays an important role in modern financial markets. In this paper, we analyse the role played by the news media in an historical financial market. Using The Times's coverage of companies listed on the London stock market between 1825 and 1870, we examine the determinants of media coverage in this era and whether there was a media discount. Our main finding is that a media discount only manifests itself after the mid-1840s and that the introduction of arm's-length ownership along with markedly increased market participation was the main reason for the emergence of this discount.

Suggested Citation

  • Turner, John D. & Ye, Qing & Walker, Clive B., 2016. "Media coverage and stock returns on the London Stock Exchange, 1825-70," QUCEH Working Paper Series 2016-02, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:qucehw:201602
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Costas Milas & Theodore Panagiotidis & Theologos Dergiades, 2021. "Does It Matter Where You Search? Twitter versus Traditional News Media," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 53(7), pages 1757-1795, October.
    4. Yao-Tsung Wu & Chien-Hung Liu & Kuo-Hao Lin & Dun-Yao Ke, 2024. "Does media coverage matter for the performance of technical trading strategies? Evidence from Taiwan," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 23(1), pages 147-166, January.
    5. Guomei Tang & Xueyong Zhang, 2021. "Media attention to locations and the cross‐section of stock returns," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(S1), pages 2301-2336, April.
    6. Turner, John D., 2024. "Three centuries of corporate governance in the UK," QUCEH Working Paper Series 24-01, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    7. Meng, Xiangtong & Zhang, Wei & Li, Youwei & Cao, Xing & Feng, Xu, 2020. "Social media effect, investor recognition and the cross-section of stock returns," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    8. Costas Milas & Theodore Panagiotidis & Theologos Dergiades, 2018. "Twitter versus Traditional News Media: Evidence for the Sovereign Bond Markets," Working Paper series 18-42, Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.
    9. Alomari, Mohammad & Al Rababa’a, Abdel Razzaq & El-Nader, Ghaith & Alkhataybeh, Ahmad & Ur Rehman, Mobeen, 2021. "Examining the effects of news and media sentiments on volatility and correlation: Evidence from the UK," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 280-297.
    10. Wehrheim, Lino, 2021. "The sound of silence: On the (in)visibility of economists in the media," Working Papers 30, German Research Foundation's Priority Programme 1859 "Experience and Expectation. Historical Foundations of Economic Behaviour", Humboldt University Berlin.
    11. Dang, Tung Lam & Dang, Viet Anh & Moshirian, Fariborz & Nguyen, Lily & Zhang, Bohui, 2019. "News media coverage and corporate leverage adjustments," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    media; financial press; historical stock markets; advertising;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • N23 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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