Influence of Public Opinion on Investor Voting and Proxy Advisors

42 Pages Posted: 8 Jun 2014 Last revised: 21 Aug 2015

See all articles by Reena Aggarwal

Reena Aggarwal

Georgetown University - Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business ; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Isil Erel

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

Laura T. Starks

University of Texas at Austin - Department of Finance

Date Written: July 1, 2015

Abstract

Institutional investors vote corporate proxies on behalf of underlying investors and beneficiaries. We show a strong relation between this voting and public opinion on corporate governance (as reflected in media coverage and surveys), with similarly strong results for voting by mutual funds. We also find that proxy advisors’ recommendations are associated with public opinion. Our results suggest that institutional investors and proxy advisors pay attention to the changing opinions of their beneficiaries and shareholders, as reflected in their voting decisions, and that the proxy voting process serves as a channel for the public to influence corporate behavior.

Keywords: Public Opinion, Media, Proxy Advisors, Institutional Investors, Proxy Voting

JEL Classification: G32, G34, G38

Suggested Citation

Aggarwal, Reena and Erel, Isil and Starks, Laura T., Influence of Public Opinion on Investor Voting and Proxy Advisors (July 1, 2015). Fisher College of Business Working Paper No. WP 2014-03-12, Georgetown McDonough School of Business Research Paper No. 2447012, Dice Center Working Paper No. 2014-12, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2447012 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2447012

Reena Aggarwal (Contact Author)

Georgetown University - Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business ( email )

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European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

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Isil Erel

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

2100 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210-1144
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

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

Laura T. Starks

University of Texas at Austin - Department of Finance ( email )

Red McCombs School of Business
Austin, TX 78712
United States
512-471-5899 (Phone)
512-471-5073 (Fax)

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