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The Price Impacts of Open Market Repurchase Trades
Author(s) -
McNally William J.,
Smith Brian F.,
Barnes Thomas
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of business finance and accounting
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.282
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1468-5957
pISSN - 0306-686X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-5957.2006.00618.x
Subject(s) - share repurchase , business , open market operation , monetary economics , stock price , stock exchange , stock (firearms) , economics , finance , monetary policy , mechanical engineering , paleontology , corporate governance , series (stratigraphy) , biology , shareholder , engineering
This paper analyzes a database of 60,000+ individual repurchase trades from the Toronto Stock Exchange. The average intraday price impact of repurchase trades is negative, since, because of execution rules, 60% are seller‐initiated. Prices fall less following repurchase than matched non‐repurchase trades—there is an abnormal price impact. We find evidence consistent with two hypotheses: repurchases provide price support, and the market learns that the shares are undervalued. Consistent with the latter, we find that repurchasing companies have superior timing. Share prices show abnormal losses (gains) before (after) the repurchase trades. We find no significant market reaction to the mandatory public disclosure of the trade details.