This paper investigates the market reaction to short sales on an intraday basis in a market setting where short sales are transparent immediately following execution. We find a mean reassessment of stock value following short sales of up to Ϫ0.20 percent with adverse information impounded within fifteen minutes or twenty trades. Short sales executed near the end of the financial year and those related to arbitrage and hedging activities are associated with a smaller price reaction; trades near information events precipitate larger price reactions. The evidence is generally weaker for short sales executed using limit orders relative to market orders.

We use a linear programming model to form two portfolios with approximately equal levels of attributes such as financial leverage. One portfolio comprises stocks that trade exclusively on NASDAQ and the other, stocks that trade on both the Chicago Stock Exchange (CSE) and NASDAQ (CSEINASDAQ). We find that spreads are lower for the CSElNASDAQ portfolio, but so is the percentage of quotes at spreads of $0.125. In fact, the lower spreads observed for the CSElNASDAQ portfolio arise from fewer quotes with spreads of more than $0.25.

The Dutch auction repurchase has become an increasingly popular alternative to open market repurchases and self-tender offers for the distribution of earnings to shareholders. In a Dutch auction, the repurchase price is not determined by a managerial decision, but by shareholders. The extent to which a Dutch auction signals private information is tested by examining stock returns and bid-ask spreads. Stock prices increase and bid-ask spreads widen during the announcement of a Dutch auction; prices decrease and spreads narrow at expiration. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the final repurchase price, Dutch auctions initially increase the risk to which security dealers are exposed. As information asymmetry among managers, investors, and dealers is reduced at expiration, security dealers no longer need to protect themselves from information trades.

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In this paper, the link between stock distribution announcements and capital markets is examined. The results show that stock split announcements result in higher share prices and narrower percentage bid‐ask spreads, while stock dividend announcements have little effect on either prices or percentage spreads.