The Journal of Finance

The Journal of Finance publishes leading research across all the major fields of finance. It is one of the most widely cited journals in academic finance, and in all of economics. Each of the six issues per year reaches over 8,000 academics, finance professionals, libraries, and government and financial institutions around the world. The journal is the official publication of The American Finance Association, the premier academic organization devoted to the study and promotion of knowledge about financial economics.

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The Relative Signalling Power of Dutch‐Auction and Fixed‐Price Self‐Tender Offers and Open‐Market Share Repurchases

Published: 09/01/1991   |   DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6261.1991.tb04617.x

ROBERT COMMENT, GREGG A. JARRELL

We compare three forms of common stock repurchases. Dutch‐auction self‐tender offers and open‐market share repurchase programs are weaker signals of stock undervaluation than fixed‐price self‐tender offers. The price increase from buyback announcements is greater when insider wealth is at risk, greater following negative net‐of‐market stock returns, and unrelated to prior market returns. Buyback announcement returns are also increasing in the fraction of shares sought, which is consistent with both signalling and an upward‐sloping supply curve for stock.


The Irrelevance of Margin: Evidence from the Crash of '87

Published: 09/01/1993   |   DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6261.1993.tb04762.x

PAUL J. SEGUIN, GREGG A. JARRELL

Following the crash of 1987, one contentious regulatory issue has been whether margin activity exacerbated the decline in equity values. We contrast the crash behavior of NASDAQ securities eligible for margin trading with the behavior of ineligible ones. Consistent with the hypothesis that margin‐eligible securities were more frequently subjected to margin calls and forced sales, we find that abnormal volumes were uniformly larger for eligible securities. However, there is no evidence that this activity provoked additional price depreciation. Margin‐eligible securities actually fell by one percent less than the ineligible securities over the period.


On the Existence of an Optimal Capital Structure: Theory and Evidence

Published: 07/01/1984   |   DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6261.1984.tb03680.x

MICHAEL BRADLEY, GREGG A. JARRELL, E. HAN KIM