Finance and Economics Discussion Series (FEDS)

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August 2018

Information and Liquidity of OTC Securities: Evidence from Public Registration of Rule 144A Bonds

Song Han, Alan G. Huang, Madhu Kalimipalli, and Ke Wang

Abstract:

The Rule 144A private debt represents a significant and growing segment of the U.S. bond market. This paper examines the market liquidity effects of enhanced information disclosure induced by the public registration of 144A bonds. Using the regulatory version of TRACE data for the period 2002-2013, we find that following public registration of 144A bonds, dealer-specific effective bid-ask spreads narrow, especially for issues with higher ex-ante information asymmetry. Our results are consistent with existing theories that disclosure reduces information risk and thus improves market liquidity.
Accessible materials (.zip)

Keywords: Rule 144A bond, broker-dealers, information disclosure, liquidity, public registration

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17016/FEDS.2018.061

PDF: Full Paper

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Last Update: January 09, 2020