Two essays on American depositary receipts: an analysis of the impact of cross-listing on price discounts and merge & acquisition activities

• Main Authors: Nien-Tzu Yang, 楊念慈
• Other Authors: 楊聲勇
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/42ye5d

博士 === 國立中興大學 === 財務金融學系所 === 102 === This dissertation works on two issues related to American Depositary Receipts (ADRs): (1). Government policies or Investor sentiment? An reexamination of pricing dynamics of discounts between Chinese cross-listed stocks, and (2). American depositary receipts and merger activities. The first issue mainly explores price discounts of Chinese public listed companies which have issued ADRs (overseas shares in the U.S. market), H-shares (shares traded in the Hong Kong market) and A-shares (shares traded in the China market). We use time-varied panel data models to investigate the effect of different market share prices are influenced by China''s gradual economic transformation from a planned economy to a free market economy. We also conclude the price discounts dwindle due to the gradual transformation of the economic systems. Furthermore, the share price deviations in different markets should be deeply affected by the long-term centrally planned economy and financial policies of the Chinese government, and not like other countries, share prices are much influenced by share liquidity, investors sentiment and other factors. On the second issue, we finds that after ADRs were issued, the companies average abnormal return increased significantly, and the average abnormal returns generated through cross-border merger activities increased from 2.3% to 2.9% compared to before the issuance of ADRs. This is because the issuance of ADRs not only strengthens the level of supervision, and reduces the directors’ motives for their own self-interest during merger activities; it also reduces the costs caused by market segmentation and information asymmetry. The increase of abnormal return during merger activities will increase in sync with merger activities.