The impact of hiring a reputable underwriter on the information environment of cross-listed firms

I examine how the information environment of cross-listed firms is affected by a mechanism of reputational bonding: the choice of a reputable underwriter to sponsor an equity offering. Using a sample of foreign firms cross-listed in the U.S. from 1980 to 2004, I find that those that raise equity and hire a reputable underwriter, post cross-listing, observe higher analyst coverage and more accurate earnings forecasts. Empirical evidence shows that these improvements are positively related to firm value. More importantly, the improved accuracy of firms sponsored by top underwriters has an additional positive impact on their Tobin's q. Overall, the results show that top underwriters play an important monitoring role, via their impact on firm's information environment.