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Why Do Firms Issue Equity after Splitting Stocks?
Author(s) -
D'Mello Ranjan,
Tawatnuntachai Oranee,
Yaman Devrim
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
financial review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.621
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1540-6288
pISSN - 0732-8516
DOI - 10.1111/1540-6288.00049
Subject(s) - equity (law) , business , adverse selection , monetary economics , equity risk , finance , financial economics , economics , private equity , political science , law
This paper examines the motivations of firms that conduct seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) after splitting stocks. We find no difference in equity announcement and issue period returns between these firms and other equity‐issuing firms, suggesting that firms do not split stocks to reveal information and reduce adverse selection costs at the subsequent SEO. However, because investors react positively to split announcements, firms that issue equity after splitting stocks sell new shares at a higher price and raise more funds. We also find that firms split stocks to make the subsequent SEO more marketable to individual investors who are attracted to low‐priced shares.