{"title":"Does the threat of short selling discipline management? Evidence from default risk changes around regulation SHO","authors":"Keming Li , Takeshi Nishikawa , Ramesh P. Rao","doi":"10.1016/j.finmar.2024.100960","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We document a significant reduction in default risk for the pilot firms relative to non-pilot firms during the Reg SHO period. This effect is more pronounced for firms whose default risk was high prior to the program. We also find that the pilot firms adopt greater accounting conservatism during the program and experience improved bond contracting through reductions in covenant usage in newly issued bonds. Lastly, we find significant improvements in investment efficiency and cash holding value for the pilot firms. Our combined evidence supports the disciplinary role of short selling in the financial markets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Financial Markets","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 100960"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Financial Markets","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1386418124000788","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"BUSINESS, FINANCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We document a significant reduction in default risk for the pilot firms relative to non-pilot firms during the Reg SHO period. This effect is more pronounced for firms whose default risk was high prior to the program. We also find that the pilot firms adopt greater accounting conservatism during the program and experience improved bond contracting through reductions in covenant usage in newly issued bonds. Lastly, we find significant improvements in investment efficiency and cash holding value for the pilot firms. Our combined evidence supports the disciplinary role of short selling in the financial markets.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Financial Markets publishes high quality original research on applied and theoretical issues related to securities trading and pricing. Area of coverage includes the analysis and design of trading mechanisms, optimal order placement strategies, the role of information in securities markets, financial intermediation as it relates to securities investments - for example, the structure of brokerage and mutual fund industries, and analyses of short and long run horizon price behaviour. The journal strives to maintain a balance between theoretical and empirical work, and aims to provide prompt and constructive reviews to paper submitters.