In 2010, Google unexpectedly withdrew its searching business from China, reducing investors’ ability to find information online. The stock price crash risk for firms searched for more via Google before its withdrawal subsequently increases by 19%, suggesting that Internet searching facilitates investors’ information processing. The sensitivity of stock returns to negative Internet posts also rises by 36%. The increase in crash risk is more pronounced when firms are more likely to hide adverse information and when information intermediaries are less effective in assisting investors’ information processing. In addition, liquidity (price delay) decreases (increases) after Google's withdrawal.

Using China's four trillion yuan stimulus package of 2008 (4 Trillion Plan) as an exogenous shock, we find that monetary stimulation could benefit the real economy to some extent. Specifically, compared with propensity-score-matched control firms, firms more likely affected by the stimulus plan (e.g., bank-connected firms) are granted with 18% to 24% more patents afterwards. Further evidence shows that the effect of monetary stimulation is more pronounced in firms with financial constraints, in firms located in regions with lower house price growth, and in firms with better corporate governance. Finally, monetary stimulation also increases R&D expenditure, leaving innovation efficiency unaffected.

During the 2015 stock market crisis, the Chinese government used hundreds of billions of dollars to purchase shares directly in the secondary market. We find that compared with non-rescued firms, rescued firms have significantly lower liquidity after being rescued. Policy uncertainty regarding subsequent interventions better explains the reduction in liquidity than the liquidity dry-up and bad firm signaling hypotheses. Inconsistent with the potential moral hazards associated with government bailouts, the investment policies of rescued firms become more conservative after being rescued. Our evidence warns of the unintended consequences of direct purchase rescue programs.