Abstract

This paper seeks to determine if institutional investors influence corporate research and development (R&D) investment policies by encouraging R&D investment in firms with high information asymmetry. The effect of changes in institutional investor levels to subsequent changes in R&D investment levels are examined using firm and year fixed effect regressions and difference-GMM regressions. Increased institutional ownership leads to increased R&D investment and this relationship is stronger in firms with higher information asymmetry. Institutional investors encourage higher R&D investment primarily in firms with high information asymmetry indicating they have an advantage in discerning the value of R&D investments in such firms. Institutions are an important and increasing force in U.S. stock ownership. The results in this paper indicate that institutional investors have an advantage in discerning the value of R&D investments in firms with high information asymmetry. The presence of institutional investors encourages the management of such firms to make long-term investments in R&D.

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