[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/coacre/v5y1988i1p299-317.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Trading volume reactions to a change in dividend policy: the Canadian evidence

Author

Listed:
  • GORDON RICHARDSON
  • STEPHAN E. SEFCIK
  • REX THOMPSON
Abstract
. This study examines the volume of trading in the stock of 34 Canadian companies that initiated a policy of regular cash dividends during the period 1972–1982. Using a time†series methodology linked to changes in Canadian tax legislation, we test whether the volume of trading surrounding first†time dividend adoptions declined after 1978, a year when tax legislation changed the taxation of dividends toward tax neutrality for investors in high tax brackets. We observe a significant trading volume decline after 1978, which we interpret as implying that fewer investors wanted to dispose of initial dividend stocks after 1978. The result is inconsistent with dividend irrelevance theories and possibly points to tax clientele relevance in Canada. Résumé. Les auteurs examinent le volume de titres négociés pour 34 sociétés canadiennes ayant mis en place une politique de versement périodique de dividendes en espèces durant la période 1972–1982. À l'aide d'une méthodologie de séries chronologiques liée aux changements apportés à la législation fiscale canadienne, les auteurs vérifient si le volume des titres négociés dans le contexte de l'adoption initiale de cette politique de dividendes a décliné après 1978, année au cours de laquelle le fisc a modifié l'imposition des dividendes pour pencher vers la neutralité fiscale pour les investisseurs appartenant aux tranches d'impôt élevées. Ils observent un déclin appréciable du volume de titres négociés après 1978, déclin qui suppose, selon eux, qu'un moins grand nombre d'investisseurs ont voulu se défaire de telles actions après 1978. Ce résultat s'oppose aux théories de la non†pertinence du dividende et pourrait indiquer la pertinence de la «clientèle fiscale» au Canada.

Suggested Citation

  • Gordon Richardson & Stephan E. Sefcik & Rex Thompson, 1988. "Trading volume reactions to a change in dividend policy: the Canadian evidence," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(1), pages 299-317, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:5:y:1988:i:1:p:299-317
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1911-3846.1988.tb00707.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1911-3846.1988.tb00707.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1911-3846.1988.tb00707.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Modigliani, Franco, 1982. "Debt, Dividend Policy, Taxes, Inflation and Market Valuation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 37(2), pages 255-273, May.
    2. Miller, Merton H. & Scholes, Myron S., 1978. "Dividends and taxes," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 333-364, December.
    3. Malatesta, Paul H. & Thompson, Rex, 1985. "Partially anticipated events: A model of stock price reactions with an application to corporate acquisitions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 237-250, June.
    4. Merton H. Miller & Franco Modigliani, 1961. "Dividend Policy, Growth, and the Valuation of Shares," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34, pages 411-411.
    5. Elton, Edwin J & Gruber, Martin J, 1970. "Marginal Stockholder Tax Rates and the Clientele Effect," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 52(1), pages 68-74, February.
    6. Booth, Laurence D & Johnston, David J, 1984. "The Ex-Dividend Day Behavior of Canadian Stock Prices: Tax Changes and Clientele Effects," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 39(2), pages 457-476, June.
    7. Black, Fischer & Scholes, Myron, 1974. "The effects of dividend yield and dividend policy on common stock prices and returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 1-22, May.
    8. Richardson, Gordon & Sefcik, Stephan E. & Thompson, Rex, 1986. "A test of dividend irrelevance using volume reactions to a change in dividend policy," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 313-333, December.
    9. Lakonishok, Josef & Vermaelen, Theo, 1983. "Tax Reform and Ex-Dividend Day Behavior," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 38(4), pages 1157-1179, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Frankfurter, George M. & Wood, Bob Jr., 2002. "Dividend policy theories and their empirical tests," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 111-138.
    2. Philip Brown & Alex Clarke, 1993. "The Ex-Dividend Day Behaviour of Australian Share Prices Before and After Dividend Imputation," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 18(1), pages 1-40, June.
    3. Maria Borges, 2008. "The Ex-Dividend Day Stock Price Behavior: The Case of Portugal," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 36(1), pages 15-30, March.
    4. Philip Brown & Terry Walter, 1986. "Ex-Dividend Day Behaviour of Australian Share Prices," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 11(2), pages 139-152, December.
    5. Thomas McCluskey & Bruce Burton & David Power, 2007. "Evidence on Irish financial directors' views about dividends," Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 4(2), pages 115-132, June.
    6. Thomas McCluskey & Aoife Broderick & Amanda Boyle & Bruce Burton & David Power, 2010. "Evidence on Irish financial analysts' and fund managers' views about dividends," Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 2(2), pages 80-99, June.
    7. Clemens Sialm, 2009. "Tax Changes and Asset Pricing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(4), pages 1356-1383, September.
    8. Poterba, James M & Summers, Lawrence H, 1984. "New Evidence that Taxes Affect the Valuation of Dividends," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 39(5), pages 1397-1415, December.
    9. du Jardin, Philippe & Séverin, Eric, 2011. "Dividend policy," MPRA Paper 44382, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Bell, L. & Jenkinson, T., 2000. "New Evidence of the Impact of Dividend Taxation and on the Identity of the Marginal Investor," Economics Series Working Papers 9924, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    11. David J. Beggs & Christopher L. Skeels, 2006. "Market Arbitrage of Cash Dividends and Franking Credits," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 82(258), pages 239-252, September.
    12. Jeff Whitworth & Ramesh P. Rao, 2010. "Do Tax Law Changes Influence Ex‐Dividend Stock Price Behavior? Evidence from 1926 to 2005," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 39(1), pages 419-445, March.
    13. Mihir A. Desai & C. Fritz Foley & James R. Hines Jr., 2002. "Dividend Policy inside the Firm," NBER Working Papers 8698, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Trevor S. Harris & R. Glenn Hubbard & Deen Kemsley, 1999. "The Share Price Effects of Dividend Taxes and Tax Imputation Credits," NBER Working Papers 7445, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Manuel Espitia & Francisco-Javier Ruiz, 1997. "Ex—dividend day stock price falls on the Spanish stock market," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(5), pages 481-492.
    16. Dahlquist, Magnus & Robertsson, Göran & Rydqvist, Kristian, 2007. "Direct Evidence of Dividend Tax Clienteles," SIFR Research Report Series 51, Institute for Financial Research.
    17. Rydqvist, Kristian & Dahlquist, Magnus & Robertsson, Göran, 2006. "Direct Evidence of Dividend Tax Clienteles," CEPR Discussion Papers 6005, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Hodgkinson, Lynn & Partington, Graham, 2013. "Capital gains tax, managed funds and the value of dividends: The case of New Zealand," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 271-283.
    19. Jack Francis & Tsing Wu & Nan-Ting Kuo, 2012. "Effects of tax reform on drop-off ratios and on the ex-dividend and ex-right prices," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 147-164, August.
    20. Harris, Trevor S. & Hubbard, R. Glenn & Kemsley, Deen, 2001. "The share price effects of dividend taxes and tax imputation credits," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(3), pages 569-596, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:5:y:1988:i:1:p:299-317. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1911-3846 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.