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The Valuation Impact of SEC Enforcement Actions on Nontarget Foreign Firms

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  • ROGER SILVERS
Abstract
This study shows that the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) enforcement intensity toward the foreign firms under its jurisdiction has increased dramatically over the past two decades. Because enforcement events signify an increased threat of future enforcement, I examine the stock returns of foreign firms not targeted by the SEC during windows around enforcement actions that target foreign firms. This design captures the net effects of public enforcement and helps to rule out omitted variables as alternative explanations, because other factors would have to align with enforcement events that do not occur in an obvious pattern (and are therefore unlikely to map onto other news). Nontarget firms experience positive stock returns during the event windows, which is consistent with enforcement constraining the risks of expropriation. The cross‐sectional pattern in returns reveals greater returns for firms from weak home legal environments. Finally, consistent with the market adjusting to a new enforcement regime, the magnitude of event returns declines over time. Overall, SEC enforcement is associated with increases in the value of foreign firms, supporting the premise of the legal bonding hypothesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Roger Silvers, 2016. "The Valuation Impact of SEC Enforcement Actions on Nontarget Foreign Firms," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(1), pages 187-234, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:54:y:2016:i:1:p:187-234
    DOI: 10.1111/1475-679X.12098
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    3. Jenice Prather-Kinsey & Francesco De Luca & Ho-Tan-Phat Phan, 2022. "Improving the global comparability of IFRS-based financial reporting through global enforcement: a proposed organizational dynamic," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(3), pages 330-351, September.
    4. Ormazabal, Gaizka, 2018. "The Role of Stakeholders in Corporate Governance: A View from Accounting Research," CEPR Discussion Papers 12775, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Licht, Amir N. & Poliquin, Christopher & Siegel, Jordan I. & Li, Xi, 2018. "What makes the bonding stick? A natural experiment testing the legal bonding hypothesis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(2), pages 329-356.
    6. Olczak, Wioleta, 2021. "The foreign corrupt practices act: How investors respond when violation severity and corresponding penalty (mis)match," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    7. Xu, Jing & Pan, Zheyao & Tian, Gary (Gang), 2023. "Does the threat of enforcement of financial regulations affect the cost of equity in weak institutional environments?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(6).
    8. Silvers, Roger, 2020. "Cross-border cooperation between securities regulators," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2).
    9. Dasgupta, Sudipto & Banerjee, Shantanu & SHI, RUI & Yan, Jiali, 2021. "Information Complementarities and the Dynamics of Transparency Shock Spillovers," CEPR Discussion Papers 15658, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Christian Leuz & Peter D. Wysocki, 2016. "The Economics of Disclosure and Financial Reporting Regulation: Evidence and Suggestions for Future Research," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 525-622, May.
    11. Xiaomeng Charlene Chen & Ka Wai Choi & Sue Wright & Hai Wu, 2023. "The effectiveness of sanctions on disclosure regulation: Australian evidence," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(4), pages 3841-3872, December.
    12. Ormazabal, Gaizka & Badia, Marc & Duro, Miguel & Jorgensen, Bjorn N., 2017. "Market-wide Effects of Off-Balance Sheet Disclosures:," CEPR Discussion Papers 12152, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    13. Schantl, Stefan F. & Wagenhofer, Alfred, 2020. "Deterrence of financial misreporting when public and private enforcement strategically interact," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1).
    14. Ralf Ewert & Alfred Wagenhofer, 2019. "Effects of Increasing Enforcement on Financial Reporting Quality and Audit Quality," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 121-168, March.
    15. Batten, Jonathan A. & Lucey, Brian M. & Peat, Maurice, 2016. "Gold and silver manipulation: What can be empirically verified?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 168-176.
    16. Jonathan A. Batten & Igor Lončarski & Peter G. Szilagyi, 2018. "When Kamay Met Hill: Organisational Ethics in Practice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(4), pages 779-792, February.
    17. Lang, Mark & Maffett, Mark & Omartian, James D. & Silvers, Roger, 2020. "Regulatory cooperation and foreign portfolio investment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(1), pages 138-158.

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