Information Quality, Growth Options, and Average Future Stock Returns
The Accounting Review · 2019 · Volume 94 · Issue 1
Abstract
This study finds that the association between future stock returns and information quality depends on how option-like is the firm's equity. Firms that have more growth options are more option-like. The association between future stock returns and information quality is negative (positive) for those firms with equity that is least (most) option-like. These results are consistent with traditional asset pricing theory and are robust to numerous empirical specifications. Collectively, these findings offer a theoretically based and empirically supported explanation for why prior studies that do not condition on the option-like nature of equity have documented either a positive or no association between information quality and future average stock returns.
Keywords
information quality, expected returns, option returns
Enable JavaScript for citation tools and additional paper interactions.