Can short selling be effective in curbing financial risk?

Authors

  • Yue Liu
  • Xinlu Liu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61173/mt9ves69

Keywords:

Short selling, financial risk, Concentrated ownership, Ownership nature of enterprises

Abstract

This study takes Chinese A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2023 as the research sample to empirically study the relationship between short selling and financial risk. The research results show that as the intensity of short selling transactions increases, the financial risk of enterprises decreases accordingly. At the same time, the test of the moderating effect reveals that compared with enterprises with low equity concentration, the short selling mechanism helps to reduce the financial risk of enterprises with high equity concentration; compared with state-owned enterprises, the short selling mechanism helps to reduce the financial risk of non-state-owned enterprises. Through PSM tests, instrumental variable tests, and empirical research, the above research findings are supported. Through the test of the mediating mechanism, it is found that the short selling mechanism reduces financial risk by alleviating agency conflicts and improving the quality of corporate information disclosure.

References

[1] Huang Jun, Huang Chao, Wei Haoqiang, & Wang Min. (2018). Does short selling mechanism improve the quality of analysts’ earnings forecasts? Empirical evidence based on margin trading system. Nankai Business Review, 21(02), 135- 148.

[2] Zhu Yan & Wang Yudan. (2019). Short Selling Mechanism and Corporate Social Responsibility - A Quasi-Natural Experiment Study Based on China’s Margin Trading System. Accounting Research, (12), 58-64.

[3] Zhang Xuan, Hu Jing & Li Chuntao. (2022). Short Selling Mechanism and Management Tone Manipulation - Evidence from Text Analysis of Earnings Conference Calls. Economic Science, (04), 138-153.

[4] Chen Guanting, Zhu Song & Wang Simin. (2019). Short selling mechanism and auditor choose —— based on the evidence of margin trading system. Audit study, (05), 68-76.

[5] Zhang Xuan, Sun Xueli, Xue Yuan & Li Chuntao. (2022). Short Selling Mechanism and Food Safety - From the Perspective of Spillover Effects. Financial Research, (03), 152- 170.

[6] Hou Qingchuan, Jin Qinglu, & Liu Yang. (2016). Relaxing Short Selling Constraints and Corporate Cash Value - A Quasi- Dean&Francis ISSN 2959-6130 Natural Experiment Based on the Chinese Capital Market. Financial Research, (11), 112-127..

[7] Zhu Rong, Sun Man & Rao Jing. (2024). Short Selling Mechanism, Management Myopia, and Earnings Management - Based on the Moderating Effect of Institutional Investors. Friends of Accounting, (14), 98-107..

[8] Sun Shilu, Zhang Feiyan, Zheng Jianming & Liu Yanxia. (2021). Can the deregulation of short sales curb the merger goodwill bubble?. Financial research, (11), 189-206.

[9] Chen Yixin, Zhang Junrui & Wang Fangjun. (2018). Research on the influence of short selling mechanism on the innovation of listed companies —— Based on the natural experiment of margin trading system in China. Nankai Management Review, 21 (02), 62-74.

[10] Tang Song, Wu Qiujun, Wendell & Yang Siqi. (2016). Short selling mechanism, stock price information content and crash risk —— Based on the empirical evidence of margin trading. Financial Research, 42(08),74-84.doi:10.16538/j.cnki.jfe. 2016.08.007.

[11] Xu Xixiong, Zhan Heng & Li Wanli. (2021). Short selling mechanism, dual governance and corporate violations —— based on the perspective of market governance. Financial Research, (10), 190-206.

Downloads

Published

2025-06-17