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Article
The Relation between Intrafirm Distances and Information Opacity: Evidence from Stock Market Liquidity
Journal of Real Estate Research (2019)
  • Hainan Sheng, University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • George D. Cashman
  • David M. Harrison
  • Michael J Seiler
Abstract
We examine the relation between both intrafirm geographic and cultural distance (i.e., the distance between a firm's headquarters location and its investment properties) on the underlying firm's stock market liquidity. More specifically, using a sample of 166 publicly traded REITs and listed property companies across the Asia-Pacific region over the 2000–2013 period, we find strong evidence that firms with increased levels of intrafirm (geographic) distance exhibit wider bid-ask spreads, while firms with greater intrafirm cultural dispersion enjoy narrower spreads. We conclude that intrafirm distance is fundamentally related to a firm's financial market (informational) opacity and offers both costs and benefits to market participants.
Keywords
  • liquidity,
  • transparency,
  • bid-ask spreads,
  • geography,
  • cultural distance
Disciplines
Publication Date
October 1, 2019
DOI
10.22300/0896-5803.41.4.639
Citation Information
Hainan Sheng, George D. Cashman, David M. Harrison and Michael J Seiler. "The Relation between Intrafirm Distances and Information Opacity: Evidence from Stock Market Liquidity" Journal of Real Estate Research Vol. 41 Iss. 4 (2019) p. 639 - 668
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/hainansheng/1/