The Intended and Collateral Effects of Short-Sale Bans as a Regulatory Tool

Abstract

Short-sale bans have been frequently utilized globally as a regulatory tool during periods of financial crisis. This paper is a review of the observed intended and unintended effects. We see that short-sale bans have pervasive effects spanning many financial markets that include options, convertible bonds, CDS, and ETFs. Such implications should be of interest to regulators and policymakers when contemplating future bans.