Stock liquidity and the accrual anomaly

Abstract

Purpose– This study examines the effect of stock liquidity on the magnitude of the accrual anomaly. Design/methodology/approach– This paper examines the relation—both time-series and cross-sectional—between stock liquidity and the magnitude of the accrual anomaly and use the 2001 minimum tick size decimalization as a quasi-experiment to establish causality. Findings– There is both cross-sectional and time-series evidence that stock liquidity is negatively related to the magnitude of the accrual anomaly. Moreover, the extent to which investors overestimate the persistence of accruals decreases with stock liquidity. Results from a difference-in-differences analysis conducted using the 2001 minimum tick size decimalization as a quasi-experiment suggest that the effect of stock liquidity on the accrual anomaly is causal. The findings of this study are consistent with the enhancing effect of stock liquidity on pricing efficiency. Originality/value– The study's findings are well aligned with the mispricing-based explanation for the accrual anomaly, suggesting that the improvement in market-wide stock liquidity drives the contemporaneous decline in the magnitude of the accrual anomaly, at least to a great extent.