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Executive Stock Option Exercise and Seasoned Equity Offerings
Author(s) -
Cline Brandon N.,
Fu Xudong
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
financial management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.647
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1755-053X
pISSN - 0046-3892
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-053x.2010.01125.x
Subject(s) - equity (law) , business , stock (firearms) , capitalization , stock options , market capitalization , finance , stock market , mechanical engineering , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , horse , political science , law , biology , engineering
We examine executive stock option exercises around a sample of 1,268 seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) from 1996 to 2004 focusing on a subset of exercises we identify as potentially informed. Consistent with the theory that firms issue equity when stock is overvalued, we document a surge in informed exercise in the months surrounding the SEO. From six months prior to the announcement date to six months after issuance, an average 1.76% of the total market capitalization for issuing firms is exercised and sold. Interestingly, we find a positive association between informed option exercises and long‐run performance. Overall, our collective evidence indicates that insiders are not particularly good at timing exercises around SEOs.