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Green investing, information asymmetry, and capital structure

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Shasha
  • Yang, Biao
Abstract
We investigate how optimal attention allocation of green-motivated investors changes information asymmetry in financial markets and thus affects firms' financing costs. To guide our empirical analysis, we propose a model where investors with heterogeneous green preferences endogenously allocate limited attention to learn market-level or firm-specific fundamental shocks. We find that a higher fraction of green investors in the market leads to higher aggregate attention to green firms. This reduces the information asymmetry of green firms, leading to higher price informativeness and lower leverage. Moreover, the information asymmetry of brown firms and the market increases with the share of green investors. Therefore, greater green attention is associated with less market efficiency. We provide empirical evidence to support our model predictions using U.S. data. Our paper shows how the growing demand for sustainable investing shifts investors' attention and benefits eco-friendly firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Shasha & Yang, Biao, 2023. "Green investing, information asymmetry, and capital structure," IWH Discussion Papers 20/2023, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:iwhdps:202023
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    capital structure; climate finance; information asymmetry; rational in-attention;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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