Skip to main content
Log in

The 1986 Tax Reform Act and ex-dividend day price and volume patterns: Evidence from organized exchanges and the OTC market

  • Published:
Journal of Economics and Finance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

By effectively removing the differential taxation of dividends and capital gains, the 1986 Tax Reform Act provides a unique opportunity to re-examine the “tax induced clientele” explanation of ex-dividend day price behavior. The analysis indicates an increased preference for dividends and provides evidence of significant abnormal volume during the ex-dividend period, consistent with dividend induced trading activity. In addition, the level of dividend preference is found to be far greater on the organized exchanges than in OTC trading.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ajinkya, B.B., andP.C. Jain. “The Behavior of Daily Stock Market Trading Volume.”Journal of Accounting and Economics 11 (1989): 331–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barclay, M.J. “Dividends, Taxes and Common Stock Prices.”Journal of Financial Economics 19 (1987): 31–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Booth, L.D., andD.J. Johnston. “The Ex-Dividend Day Behavior of Canadian Stock Prices: Tax Changes and Clientele Effects.”Journal of Finance 39, no. 2 (1984): 457–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J., andW. Beranek. “Stock Price Behavior on Ex-Dividend Dates.”Journal of Finance 10, no. 4 (1955): 425–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durand, D., andA. May. “The Ex-Dividend Behavior of American Telephone and Telegraph Stocks.”Journal of Finance 15, no. 1 (1960): 19–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eades, K., P. Hess, andE. Kim. “On Interpreting Security Returns During the Ex-Dividend Period.”Journal of Financial Economics 13 (1984): 3–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elton, E.J., andM.J. Gruber. “Marginal Stockholder Tax Rates and the Clientele Effect.”Review of Economics and Statistics 52 (1970): 68–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elton, E.J., M.J. Gruber, andJ. Rentzler. “The Ex-Dividend Day Behavior of Stock Prices; A Re-Examination of the Clientele Effect: A Comment.”Journal of Finance 39 (1984): 551–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbons, M.R.. “The Ex-Dividend Day Behavior of Stock Returns: Further Evidence on Tax Effects: Discussion.”Journal of Finance 37 no. 2 (1982): 474–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grammatikos, T.. “Dividend Stripping, Risk Exposure and the Effect of the 1984 Tax Reform Act on the Ex-Dividend Day Behavior.”Journal of Business 62, no. 2 (1989): 157–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hess, P.J.. “The Ex-Dividend Day Behavior of Stock Returns: Further Evidence on Tax Effects.”Journal of Finance 37, no. 2 (1982): 445–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalay, A.. “The Ex-Dividend Day Behavior of Stock Prices: A Re-Examination of the Clientele Effect.”Journal of Finance 37, no. 4 (1982): 1059–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — “The Ex-Dividend day Behavior of Stock Prices; A Re-Examination of the Clientele Effect: A Reply.”Journal of Finance 39, no. 2 (1984): 557–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karpoff, J.M., andR.A. Walkling. “Short Term Trading Around Ex-Dividend Days: Additional Evidence.”Journal of Financial Economics 21 (1988): 291–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karpoff, J.M., andR.A. Walkling. “Dividend Capture in NASDAQ Stocks.”Journal of Financial Economics 28 (1990): 39–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lakonishok, J., andT. Vermaelen. “Tax Reform and Ex-Dividend Day Behavior.”Journal of Finance 38, no. 4 (1983): 1157–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lakonishok, J., andT. Vermaelen. “Tax Induced Trading Around Ex-Dividend Days.”Journal of Financial Economics 16 (1986): 287–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michaely, R. “Ex-Dividend Day Stock Price Behavior: The Case of the 1986 Tax Reform Act.”Journal of Finance 46, no. 3 (1991): 845–859.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritter, J.R.. “The Buying and Selling Behavior of Individual Investors at the Turn of the Year.”Journal of Finance 43, no. 3 (1988): 701–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robin, A.J. “The Impact of the 1986 Tax Reform Act on Ex-Dividend Day Returns.”Financial Management 20, no. 1 (1991): 60–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Manakyan, H., Liano, K. & Huang, G.C. The 1986 Tax Reform Act and ex-dividend day price and volume patterns: Evidence from organized exchanges and the OTC market. J Econ Finan 17, 135–147 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02920089

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02920089

Keywords

Navigation