Three essays on short selling bans, asset pricing and market quality

Abstract

This Doctoral Thesis includes three essays on short selling bans and their effects on market microstructure, with the SEC Rule 201 as the cornerstone of the three chapters. In chapter one, we examine the current state of the art, identifying a series of methodological shortcomings and present proposals of solutions building on the specific context of the new regulation. In chapter two, we apply the recommendations from chapter one in a daily event study of more than seven years, focusing on price efficiency. Chapter three brings the analysis to a more detailed level, assessing the immediate effects of the regulation from the intradaily perspective. Overall, our assessment show that the Rule 201 short selling ban has significant consequences for asset pricing, price informativeness and the provision of liquidity for affected stocks.