The long-term effects of cross-listing, investor recognition, and ownership structure on valuation. Review of Financial Studies, forthcoming

The widening of a foreign firm’s U.S. investor base and the improved information environment associated with cross-listing on a U.S. exchange are distinct effects. Valuations of Canadian firms peak in the year of cross-listing and fall monotonically thereafter, irregardless of the level of U.S. investor holdings or the ownership structure of the firm. Cross-listed firms with a 20%+ blockholder attract a similar number of U.S. institutional investors as widely-held firms on average, but experience a lower increase in valuation at high levels of investor recognition. While U.S. investors are less willing to invest in firms with dual-class shares, these firms benefit more from cross-listing even when they fail to widen their U.S. investor base, suggesting that the reduction in information asymmetry between controlling and minority investors has a separate impact on valuation for firms where agency problems are greatest. JEL classification: G12; G1