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Review of Financial Studies Vol. 28 No. 6 2015

The Real Effects of Short-Selling Constraints

Gustavo Grullon1; Sébastien Michenaud2; James Weston1

1 Rice University · 2 DePaul University

Abstract

We use a regulatory experiment (Regulation SHO) that relaxes short-selling constraints on a random sample of U.S. stocks to test whether capital market frictions have an effect on stock prices and corporate decisions. We find that an increase in short-selling activity causes prices to fall, and that small firms react to these lower prices by reducing equity issues and investment. These results not only provide evidence that short-selling constraints affect asset prices, but also confirm that short-selling activity has a causal impact on financing and investment decisions.

DOI
10.1093/rfs/hhv013
Volume
28
Issue
6
Pages
1737-1767
Language
en
Sources
openalex crossref

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