← Search

Journal of Accounting and Economics Vol. 58 No. 1 2014

Differences in the information environment prior to seasoned equity offerings under relaxed disclosure regulation

Sarah B. Clinton1; Joshua T. White2; Tracie Woidtke1

1 University of Tennessee at Knoxville · 2 University of Georgia

Abstract

The SEC promulgated the Securities Offering Reform (SOR) in 2005 to ease disclosure restrictions prior to seasoned equity offerings (SEOs). The SEC argued that SOR would improve the information environment, but critics claimed it would allow firms to hype their stock. This paper is the first to examine the information environment at the time of capital formation under SOR. We find more frequent and accurate management earnings forecasts, more 8-K filings, greater absolute market-adjusted returns, and more positive stock returns leading up to the SEO issue date indicating a richer pre-SEO information environment with capital formation benefits after SOR.

DOI
10.1016/j.jacceco.2014.05.002
Volume
58
Issue
1
Pages
59-78
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

Cite