Why Do Firms Become Widely Held? An Analysis of the Dynamics of Corporate Ownership

45 Pages Posted: 3 Aug 2005

See all articles by Jean Helwege

Jean Helwege

UC Riverside

Christo A. Pirinsky

University of Central Florida

René M. Stulz

Ohio State University (OSU) - Department of Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: July 2005

Abstract

We consider IPO firms from 1970 to 2001 and examine the evolution of their insider ownership over time to understand better why and how U.S. firms that become widely held do so. In our sample, a majority of firms has insider ownership below 20% after ten years. We find that a firm's stock market performance and trading play an extremely important role in its insider ownership dynamics. Firms that experience large decreases in insider ownership and/or become widely held are firms with high valuations, good recent stock market performance, and liquid markets for their stocks. In contrast and surprisingly, variables suggested by agency theory have limited success in explaining the evolution of insider ownership.

JEL Classification: G30, G32, D0

Suggested Citation

Helwege, Jean and Pirinsky, Christo Angelov and Stulz, Rene M., Why Do Firms Become Widely Held? An Analysis of the Dynamics of Corporate Ownership (July 2005). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=764685 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.764685

Jean Helwege

UC Riverside ( email )

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Christo Angelov Pirinsky

University of Central Florida ( email )

College of Business Administration/Finance
PO Box 161400
Orlando, FL FL 32816
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407-823-5962 (Phone)

Rene M. Stulz (Contact Author)

Ohio State University (OSU) - Department of Finance ( email )

2100 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210-1144
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.cob.ohio-state.edu/fin/faculty/stulz

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

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Belgium

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