Stocks Abnormal Returns and Rate of Dividend Announcements

The present research study examined the impact of different dividend rate announcements on stocks prices in the Indian stock market. Stocks selected from S&P BSE 500 index and study period from 2008 – 2017. The sample used for this study is 1755 pure cash dividend announcements (492 large-caps, 425 mid-caps, and 838 small-caps). Dividend rates are classified into six classifications to test the stocks' abnormal returns to different dividend classifications. Event methodology market model used to calculate Average Abnormal Returns (AAR) and Cumulative Average Abnormal Returns (CAAR). The results were observed twenty-one times based on market capitalization and dividend rate wise for a final dividend announcement. The results of the study are not the same for different dividend rate classifications and different market capitalizations. The study found positive abnormal returns on event day in most of the classifications, and it is similar to Litzenberger and Ramaswamy (1982), Asquith and Mullins Jr (1983), Grinblatt, Masulis and Titman (1984), Chen, Nieh, Da Chen, and Tang (2009) and many previous research results studied in major developed stock markets and emerging stock markets. Full sample and small-cap final dividend rate 100 percent to 199 percent average abnormal returns are positively significant, and other final dividend rate classification abnormal returns are positive in most of the observations, but returns are not significant. Large-cap average abnormal returns are more sensitive to different dividend rates, and small-cap reacts positively in all classifications. So, different market capitalization final dividend actions impact on stocks in India varies in different dividend rate classifications.

Dividend Announcements and Market Trends

This research primarily aims to study the impact of dividend announcements on the stock price of companies listed in the Indian stock market. Incidental to the study, it is necessary to understand whether the market trends have any role in affecting the changes in share prices due to dividend announcements. The companies listed on the stock market are diverse in terms of the industry, market capitalization, and performance. We analyze the S&P BSE 500 index stocks, which declare cash dividend every year without fail for ten years from 2008 – 17. Total 1755 sample was tested for dividend announcement and sample divided into large, medium, and small sample sizes based on the market capitalization of the stocks to test the market trend effect. Event methodology market model used to calculate the abnormal returns on the dividend announcement day. The present research study examined the impact of dividend announcements on stocks in the Indian stock market. The results observe in twenty-four times based on market capitalization wise and market trend-wise dividend announcements. The results of the study are not the same for all dividend announcement observations. The study found positive abnormal returns on event day in most of the dividend announcement observations and it is similar to Litzenberger and Ramaswamy (1982), Asquith and Mullins Jr (1983), Grinblatt, Masulis, and Titman (1984), Chen, Nieh, Da Chen, and Tang (2009) and many previous research results studied in major developed stock markets and emerging stock markets. Full sample, large-cap, and small-cap final dividend average abnormal returns are positively significant only in bull market trend (period 2) similar to Below and Johnson (1996) and other market trends final dividend announcement abnormal returns are positive in most of the observations, but returns are not significant. Average abnormal returns are sensitive to market trends, especially abnormal small-cap returns more vulnerable to market trends.

Investigating beta anomaly: comparison of Shariah-compliant and conventional stocks

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of dividend announcements on the stock return of Shariah-compliant and conventional stocks. Design/methodology/approach An event study methodology is applied to study the beta anomaly. Market-adjusted return model, mean-adjusted return model and market model have been applied to calculate excess returns. Estimation period used in this study is 130 days, and event period consists of 21 days in total, i.e. starting from the day –10 “before the cash dividend announcement” to day +10 “after the cash dividend announcements. Findings It has been concluded from the results that dividend plays an informational role in the Pakistan Stock Exchange. As the investors in Pakistan react favorably to the dividend increase announcements and unfavorably to the dividend decrease announcements, they consider dividend increase announcement as good news and dividend decrease announcement as bad news. Practical implications The findings of this study have several implications for different participants of the stock market, such as investors, academicians, researchers, fund managers and policymakers. They can use this information to make decisions while making efficient portfolios. Investors may get abnormal returns by focusing on the dividend announcement patterns. This can influence the attitude of investors toward efficient investments in the stock market and ultimately contribute to the betterment of society. This study is also beneficial for academicians and researchers, as it provides a comparative analysis of Shariah-compliant and conventional stocks and the anomalous effect of dividend announcements on stock return. Originality/value Limited research in the world’s context and null is available in Pakistani context on the subject matter. The comparative analysis of “Shariah-compliant” and “conventional” stocks provides insight into the asset pricing of Shariah-compliant stocks that have not been explored earlier. This study also uses three different methods (mean model, market model and market-adjusted return models) to compare Shariah-compliant and conventional stocks

Corporate Announcements and Market Efficiency: A Case on Indian Capital Market

Capital markets being the backbone of the economy, are expected to be functioning efficiently. Efficiently-priced financial markets are considered a catalyst for the economic growth of the nations (Malkiel, 2010). Efficient markets are the reflection of security valuations. In an informationally efficient market, no one can beat the market and make abnormal returns based on the information because the information is instantaneously observed in the stock prices. The current paper analyses the market efficiency of three of the most popular corporate events, i.e., announcement of cash dividends, bonus issues, and stock split in the Indian context. The sample is 2253 pure cash dividend announcements (627 large-caps, 552 mid-caps, and 1074 small-caps), 152 bonus issue announcements (49 large-caps, 33 mid-caps, and 70 small-caps), and 181 stock split announcements (35 large-caps, 34 mid-caps, and 112 small-caps) were used for this study. Event methodology market model used to calculate Average Abnormal Returns (AAR) and Cumulative Average Abnormal Returns (CAAR). The results of the study have few findings which are contradictory to the existing literature on market efficiency. The cash dividend announcements have shown evidence for market efficiency, and results are contrary to Gupta et al. (2012), but the results are similar to Mishra (2005). Bonus issue announcements also have shown evidence for a semi-strong form of efficiency, test results identical to Dhar and Chhaochharia (2008), Kumar and Mittal (2015). Stock split announcements have not shown market efficiency, and the effect is similar to the study of Lakshmi and Roy (2012) and contrary to Chavali and Zahid (2011). Our results also support the premise that the emerging countries depict evidence of market efficiency (Bechev, 2003). Finally, we conclude that market efficiency results differ based on corporate announcements and market capitalization.

Exploiting the dividend month premium: evidence from Germany

Dividend payments are firm events on a recurring and predictable basis. High returns in the period between announcement-date and ex-dividend date are the main driver for the so-called dividend month premium, which are positive abnormal returns in months in which corporations are predicted to issue dividend payments. In our empirical analysis of the German stock market, we find a robust dividend month premium, which is particularly high for stocks with positive dividend surprise. Knowing the dates of dividend announcements and payments enable portfolio managers to exploit the dividend month premium. Also taking into account tracking error and transaction costs, we show that simple portfolio-enhancing strategies lead to highly significant abnormal returns.

When no news is good news: failing to increase dividends

PurposeThe study's purpose is to examine market returns around dividend announcements that contrast with a pattern of prior dividend announcements.Design/methodology/approachThe paper identifies firms that have a smooth dividend pattern of once-a-year dividend increases but at some point break that pattern and announce an unchanged dividend. The sample design allows the opportunity to investigate the market reaction to unchanged dividend announcements when an increase was likely to have been expected.FindingsThe results indicate that failing to increase the dividend is associated with significantly positive abnormal returns that are greater in magnitude for more entrenched dividend-increase records, supporting a contrast-effect hypothesis.Originality/valueThe results indicate that dividends are interpreted not only relative to the immediate dividend amount but also how the decision contrasts with dividends over a prolonged period. This finding suggests that the information content of the announcement of an unchanged dividend can vary according to the prior dividend pattern.