Home away from home: Geography of information and local investors

• Main Authors: BERNILE, Gennaro, KUMAR, Alok, SULAEMAN, Johan
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2015
• Subjects: Multi-Dimensional Firm Location; Information Asymmetry; Local Informational Advantage; Corporate Finance; Finance and Financial Management
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/3777; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/4776/viewcontent/Homeaway_av.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

We develop a 10K-based measure of spatial variation in the availability of value-relevant information that reflects the multi-dimensional nature of firm location. Spatially distributed information generates location-based information asymmetries that affect institutional portfolio decisions and performance. Institutions overweigh firms with greater local economic exposure and earn superior returns on corresponding trades, even for firms not headquartered locally. These patterns are stronger among harder-to-value stocks. Consistent with local informational advantage, local investor performance increases with the local exposure of individual stock holdings and her portfolio as a whole, and more so when her portfolio is more heavily tilted toward local stocks.