This study examines the effects of delisting on firm value, risk and market liquidity. In a world where markets are becoming increasingly integrated, delistings may prove counter productive. We use the unique event, free from company specifics, that occurred on January 2, 1990 in the stock exchanges of Singapore and Malaysia to test for the above effects. On that day, dual listed companies were required to delist from the foreign stock exchange. We also use this event to test if the Singapore and Malaysia markets are globally integrated. Since financial data is found to show persistence in volatility, we model the return generating process in a generalized autoregressive conditionally heteroskedastic (GARCH) framework that takes into consideration changing volatility. For comparison purposes, OLS and Time-Deformation models are included. The study found delistings to decrease firm value, the size of which is related to how actively the stocks were previously traded on the foreign stock exchange. Risk levels increased following delistings. Nevertheless, thinly traded stocks showed significant changes in neither firm value nor riskiness. Further evidence of new listings to increase firm value was noted. Consistent with the political motive hypothesis, delisted stocks showed an increase in post-event volume, but however, lost …

This dissertation consists of three essays exploring market reactions to business failure. In the first essay, the filing strategies are divided into three basic types, voluntary, involuntary and prepackaged. The second essay provides insight into industry wide factors impacting assimilation of information by the market. The third essay provides a view of the GARCH-M model in measuring a risk premium as a firm approaches bankruptcy.

This dissertation examines whether Percs, Preferred Equity Redemption Cumulative Stocks, are properly priced regarding to the relevant securities, such as the underlying common stock, the long-term call option of the stock, and so on. Test results indicate that Percs were overpriced with respect to the equivalent packages composed of the relevant securities. Further tests on arbitrage restrictions show that transaction costs would prevent arbitrage profits. This dissertation also examines the market reactions to Percs offerings. Test results reveal that the market reactions to the announcement of Percs offering and the actual issuance are both significantly negative. Compared to the market reaction on common stock offering announcement, the market reaction on Percs offering announcement is weaker. The overpricing of Percs and the weaker reaction of the market suggest that Percs may have advantages in transaction costs, taxes and some corporate finance issues.

Standard and Poor's began publication of Credit Watch in November of 1981 as an early warning list for firms whose debt is under review for a possible rating change. This dissertation is composed of three essays which address various aspects of Credit Watch and the impact on shareholder wealth. The first essay uses a discriminant analysis model to classify the Credit Watch status of firms which engaged in mergers and acquisitions activity in 1991. The model correctly classifies 69.85% of the in-sample firms and 65.83% of the out of sample firms. The second essay examines whether the stock market reacts more strongly to trigger events which cause Credit Watch placements than to the actual placement. Significantly larger negative abnormal return are found around the trigger event than the placement. No evidence is found for the differential reaction evolving over time. The third essay examines firm specific and economy-wide factors which may be related to the strength of the abnormal stock return around the Credit Watch removal date. The removal return is found to be positively related to the number of trading days a firm remains on Credit Watch, negatively related to the number of updates regarding the firm released by …