The Vote is Cast: The Effect of Corporate Governance on Shareholder Value

47 Pages Posted: 6 Dec 2010 Last revised: 16 Apr 2025

See all articles by Vicente Cuñat

Vicente Cuñat

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Financial Markets Group; The London School of Economics; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Mireia Gine

IESE Business School, University of Navarra ; The University of Pennsylvania; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Maria Guadalupe

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); INSEAD - Economics and Political Sciences; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: December 2010

Abstract

This paper estimates the effect of corporate governance provisions on shareholder value and long-term outcomes in S&P1500 firms. We apply a regression discontinuity design to shareholder votes on governance proposals in annual meetings. A close-call vote around the majority threshold is akin to a random outcome, allowing us to deal with prior expectations and the endogeneity of internal governance rules. Passing a corporate governance provision generates a 1.3% abnormal return on the day of the vote with an implied market value per provision of 2.8%. We also find evidence of changes in investment behavior and long-term performance improvements.

Suggested Citation

Cuñat, Vicente and Cuñat, Vicente and Gine, Mireia and Guadalupe, Maria and Guadalupe, Maria, The Vote is Cast: The Effect of Corporate Governance on Shareholder Value (December 2010). NBER Working Paper No. w16574, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1719934

Vicente Cuñat (Contact Author)

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Financial Markets Group ( email )

Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.vicentecunat.com

The London School of Economics ( email )

United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.vicentecunat.com

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium

Mireia Gine

IESE Business School, University of Navarra ( email )

Avenida Pearson 21
Barcelona, 08034
Spain

The University of Pennsylvania ( email )

Philadelphia, PA 19104
United States

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium

Maria Guadalupe

INSEAD - Economics and Political Sciences ( email )

Boulevard de Constance
F-77305 Fontainebleau Cedex
France

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

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