G. William Schwert

University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627
and National Bureau of Economic Research

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Journal of Law and Economics, 24 (April 1981) 121-158

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This paper argues that the wealth effects of unanticipated changes in regulation can often be measured from security returns, although the effects of existing or anticipated regulation cannot be measured from returns. In contrast, under some circumstances it may be possible to measure the wealth effects of regulation from the level of the security prices of affected firms. If there are specialized resources linked to regulation, such as taxicab medallions or stock exchange seats, the value of these assets can be used to measure some of the effects of regulation. Many examples from the empirical literature on regulation are discussed.

Key words: Efficient markets, Event study, Regulation

JEL Classifications: G14, G18, G34, L22

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Cited 353 times in the SSCI and SCOPUS through 2020

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© Copyright 1981, University of Chicago

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