This study examines the effects of stock liquidity on firm value and corporate governance using the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) setting. The unique features of the REIT industry, including homogeneity of the investment structures, the high payout requirement, and the importance of institutional investors, highlight the positive effect of stock liquidity on firm value through corporate governance. To address the endogeneity problem, we perform a difference-indifferences test based on the propensity score matching estimator. The result shows that REIT stock liquidity has a causal and positive effect on firm value, as measured by Tobin's Q.Importantly, REIT stock liquidity is conducive to better corporate governance through the channel of institutional ownership. REIT stock liquidity leads to higher institutional ownership, particularly for institutional investor types that are active monitors and institutional investors with multi-firm ownership in their REIT portfolios.

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We study the relation between REIT stock volatility and future returns, focusing particularly on the financial crisis period of 2007–2009. There is ongoing debate about whether stock volatility can forecast future returns. Our findings suggest that REIT‐implied volatility is negatively related to contemporaneous stock returns; there is a significant positive relationship between REIT implied volatility and future stock volatility; and there is a significant negative relation between REIT implied volatility and future stock returns. Lastly, we develop trading rules based on REIT implied volatility to test whether these relationships are exploitable. The result suggests a potentially profitable trading strategy.

Asset pricing, Synchronicity, Hedge funds, Other private financial institutions, G12, G20, G23,