Catering Through Nominal Share Prices

46 Pages Posted: 30 Jan 2008 Last revised: 10 Aug 2022

See all articles by Malcolm P. Baker

Malcolm P. Baker

Harvard Business School; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Robin M. Greenwood

Harvard Business School - Finance Unit; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Jeffrey Wurgler

NYU Stern School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 2008

Abstract

We propose and test a catering theory of nominal stock prices. The theory predicts that when investors place higher valuations on low-price firms, managers will maintain share prices at lower levels, and vice-versa. Using measures of time-varying catering incentives based on valuation ratios, split announcement effects, and future returns, we find empirical support for the predictions in both time-series and firm-level data. Given the strong cross-sectional relationship between capitalization and nominal share price, an interpretation of the results is that managers may be trying to categorize their firms as small firms when investors favor small firms.

Suggested Citation

Baker, Malcolm P. and Greenwood, Robin M. and Wurgler, Jeffrey A., Catering Through Nominal Share Prices (January 2008). NBER Working Paper No. w13762, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1088676

Malcolm P. Baker (Contact Author)

Harvard Business School ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.people.hbs.edu/mbaker

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Robin M. Greenwood

Harvard Business School - Finance Unit ( email )

Boston, MA 02163
United States
617-495-6979 (Phone)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
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Jeffrey A. Wurgler

NYU Stern School of Business ( email )

Stern School of Business
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212-995-4233 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~jwurgler/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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