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Contribution Details

Type Journal Article
Scope Discipline-based scholarship
Title Prevention Is Better than Cure: The Role of IPO Syndicates in Precluding Information Acquisition
Organization Unit
Authors
  • Yoram Barzel
  • Michel Habib
  • D Bruce Johnsen
Item Subtype Original Work
Refereed Yes
Status Published in final form
Language
  • English
Journal Title Journal of Business
Publisher University of Chicago Press
Geographical Reach international
ISSN 0021-9398
Volume 79
Number 6
Page Range 2911 - 2923
Date 2006
Abstract Text We treat information acquisition by potential investors in initial public offerings as endogenous. With endogenous information, the critical question is why underwriters would allow investors to spend resources acquiring superior information intended solely to effect a wealth transfer. We show that an investment banking syndicate is an institutional arrangement designed to avoid such a transfer. By inviting rival banks to share in the offering, a managing underwriter ensures they have a strong incentive to remain ignorant. We characterize the resulting outcome as one of symmetric ignorance. The desire to maintain symmetric ignorance is consistent with the observed passivity of nonmanaging syndicate participants.
Official URL http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/508003
Digital Object Identifier 10.1086/508003
Other Identification Number merlin-id:3553
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