This paper examines the behavior of institutional traders. We use unique data on the equity transactions of 21 institutions of differing investment styles which provide a detailed account of the anatomy of the trading process. The data include information on the number of days needed to fill an order and types of order placement strategies employed. We analyze the motivations for trade, the determinants of trade duration, and the choice of order type. The analysis provides some support for the predictions made by theoretical models, but suggests that these models fail to capture important dimensions of trading behavior.

We examine valuation effects on firms in the same industry as entities that are the subject of carve-outs (initial public offerings of subsidiary equity), spin-offs, and asset sell-offs. Share price reactions for rivals are negative in response to equity carve-outs. In comparison, rival stock returns are positive for spin-offs and normal for asset sell-offs, restructuring actions that do not entail a public offering of equity. Our results suggest managers conduct equity carve-outs when outside investors are likely to price the new shares higher than managers' perceived value.