Does geographic or market proximity matter? Evidence from institutional investor monitoring on earnings attributes in US cross-listed stocks

Abstract

This study investigates institutional distance as a factor of investors’ monitoring of corporate earnings attributes. We analyze the US cross-listing market to determine whether institutional monitoring depends on geographic or market proximity. We find that shareholdings of non-US institutions headquartered in the same country as the investee firm are significantly and positively related to earnings quality. However, we do not find such a monitoring role in the United States, or in institutions not incorporated in the investee firm's home country. Our findings support a geographic proximity advantage over market proximity, which is more pronounced when firms’ information opacity is more severe; the results are not altered by the choice of earnings attribute variables.