Do Investors Care About Green Bonds? Evidence From China

Authors

  • Yuyu Zheng School of Management and Economics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong(Shenzhen)
  • Yiqi Feng School of Government, University of International Business and Economics
  • Tian Wang School of Management and Economics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong(Shenzhen)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62177/apemr.v2i3.370

Keywords:

ESG, Green Bond, Abnormal Return

Abstract

This study provides an empirical examination of green bond issuance within the Chinese capital market and its differential effects on short-term and long-term corporate stock performance. Em-ploying both event studies and DID analysis, I investigate the impact of green bonds, compared to conventional bonds. The findings reveal that green bond issuance elicits positive short-term market reactions, reflected by positive CAR before and after the issuance announcement, which is separated by an insignificant negative CAR on and days after the announcement. However, the long-term analysis indicates no significant effect on stock price or firm valuation, suggesting the market's limited recognition of long-term ESG improvements. The research highlights sec-tor-specific responses, with public utilities and state-owned enterprises exhibiting more pro-nounced reactions to green bond announcements. These outcomes underscore the complexity of the green bond impact in the context of the evolving standards and investor perceptions shaping the Chinese market.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

E. F. Fama, “Efficient Capital Markets: A Review of Theory and Empirical Work,” The Journal of Finance, vol. 25, no. 2, p. 383, May 1970, doi: 10.2307/2325486.

H. Egeth and D. Kahneman, “Attention and Effort,” The American Journal of Psychology, vol. 88, no. 2, p. 339, Jun. 1975, doi: 10.2307/1421603.

R. E. Freeman, Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Pitman, 1984.

G. A. Akerlof, “THE MARKET FOR ‘LEMONS’: QUALITY UNCERTAINTY AND THE MARKET MECHANISM**The author would especially like to thank Thomas Rothenberg for invaluable comments and inspiration. In addition he is indebted to Roy Radner, Albert Fishlow, Bernard Saffran, William D. Nordhaus, Giorgio La Malfa, Charles C. Holt, John Letiche, and the referee for help and suggestions. He would also like to thank the Indian Statistical Institute and the Ford Foundation for financial support.,” in Uncertainty in Economics, Elsevier, 1978, pp. 235–251. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-214850-7.50022-X.

M. Spence, “Job Market Signaling,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 87, no. 3, p. 355, Aug. 1973, doi: 10.2307/1882010.

R. D. Klassen and C. P. McLaughlin, “The Impact of Environmental Management on Firm Performance,” Management Science, vol. 42, no. 8, pp. 1199–1214, Aug. 1996, doi: 10.1287/mnsc.42.8.1199.

C. Flammer, “Corporate Social Responsibility and Shareholder Reaction: The Environmental Awareness of Investors,” AMJ, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 758–781, Jun. 2013, doi: 10.5465/amj.2011.0744.

S. K. Byun and J.-M. Oh, “Local corporate social responsibility, media coverage, and shareholder value,” Journal of Banking & Finance, vol. 87, pp. 68–86, Feb. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2017.09.010.

P. Krüger, “Corporate goodness and shareholder wealth,” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 115, no. 2, pp. 304–329, Feb. 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.09.008.

G. Capelle-Blancard and A. Petit, “Every Little Helps? ESG News and Stock Market Reaction,” J Bus Ethics, vol. 157, no. 2, Art. no. 2, Jun. 2019, doi: 10.1007/s10551-017-3667-3.

G. Serafeim and A. Yoon, “Which Corporate ESG News Does the Market React To?,” Financial Analysts Journal, vol. 78, no. 1, Art. no. 1, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.1080/0015198X.2021.1973879.

G. Serafeim and A. Yoon, “Stock price reactions to ESG news: the role of ESG ratings and disagreement,” Rev Account Stud, vol. 28, no. 3, Art. no. 3, Sep. 2023, doi: 10.1007/s11142-022-09675-3.

D. Y. Tang and Y. Zhang, “Do shareholders benefit from green bonds?,” Journal of Corporate Finance, vol. 61, p. 101427, Apr. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2018.12.001.

C. Flammer, “Corporate green bonds,” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 142, no. 2, Art. no. 2, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2021.01.010.

V. Baulkaran, “Stock market reaction to green bond issuance,” J Asset Manag, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 331–340, Sep. 2019, doi: 10.1057/s41260-018-00105-1.

M. Lebelle, S. Lajili Jarjir, and S. Sassi, “Corporate Green Bond Issuances: An International Evidence,” JRFM, vol. 13, no. 2, p. 25, Feb. 2020, doi: 10.3390/jrfm13020025.

X. Du, “How the Market Values Greenwashing? Evidence from China,” J Bus Ethics, vol. 128, no. 3, pp. 547–574, May 2015, doi: 10.1007/s10551-014-2122-y.

R. Guo, L. Tao, C. B. Li, and T. Wang, “A Path Analysis of Greenwashing in a Trust Crisis Among Chinese Energy Companies: The Role of Brand Legitimacy and Brand Loyalty,” J Bus Ethics, vol. 140, no. 3, pp. 523–536, Feb. 2017, doi: 10.1007/s10551-015-2672-7.

H. Park, “China in Transnational Extractives Governance: A Mapping Exercise,” Global Environmental Politics, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 94–118, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1162/glep_a_00707.

P. Krüger, “Corporate goodness and shareholder wealth,” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 115, no. 2, Art. no. 2, Feb. 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.09.008.

Zeng Q. and Zhang Y., “Political Connections, Analyst Following, and the Informativeness of Insider Trading in China,” China Account Financ Rev, vol. 15, no. 3, p. 8, Sep. 2013, doi: 10.7603/s40570-013-0008-5.

Q. He and O. M. Rui, “Ownership Structure and Insider Trading: Evidence from China,” J Bus Ethics, vol. 134, no. 4, pp. 553–574, Apr. 2016, doi: 10.1007/s10551-014-2384-4.

Y. Qiu, H. He, and G. Xiao, “The information content of insider trading: Evidence from China,” Finance Research Letters, vol. 26, pp. 126–131, Sep. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.frl.2017.12.007.

W. F. M. D. Bondt and R. Thaler, “Does the Stock Market Overreact?,” The Journal of Finance, vol. 40, no. 3, p. 793, Jul. 1985, doi: 10.2307/2327804.

L. Y. Dann and W. H. Mikkelson, “Convertible debt issuance, capital structure change and financing-related information,” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 157–186, Jun. 1984, doi: 10.1016/0304-405X(84)90022-9.

S. C. Myers and N. S. Majluf, “Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have,” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 187–221, Jun. 1984, doi: 10.1016/0304-405X(84)90023-0.

K. T. Wang and W. W. Wang, “Competition in the stock market with asymmetric information,” Economic Modelling, vol. 61, pp. 40–49, Feb. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.econmod.2016.11.024.

M. Khan, G. Serafeim, and A. Yoon, “Corporate Sustainability: First Evidence on Materiality,” The Accounting Review, vol. 91, no. 6, pp. 1697–1724, Nov. 2016, doi: 10.2308/accr-51383.

T. P. Lyon and A. W. Montgomery, “The Means and End of Greenwash,” Organization & Environment, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 223–249, Jun. 2015, doi: 10.1177/1086026615575332.

P. Berrone, A. Fosfuri, and L. Gelabert, “Does Greenwashing Pay Off? Understanding the Relationship Between Environmental Actions and Environmental Legitimacy,” J Bus Ethics, vol. 144, no. 2, pp. 363–379, Aug. 2017, doi: 10.1007/s10551-015-2816-9.

C. Marquis, M. W. Toffel, and Y. Zhou, “Scrutiny, Norms, and Selective Disclosure: A Global Study of Greenwashing,” Organization Science, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 483–504, Mar. 2016, doi: 10.1287/orsc.2015.1039.

B. M. Barber and T. Odean, “All That Glitters: The Effect of Attention and News on the Buying Behavior of Individual and Institutional Investors,” The Review of Financial Studies, vol. 21, no. 2, Art. no. 2, Apr. 2008, doi: 10.1093/rfs/hhm079.

L. Fang and J. Peress, “Media Coverage and the Cross‐section of Stock Returns,” The Journal of Finance, vol. 64, no. 5, pp. 2023–2052, Oct. 2009, doi: 10.1111/j.1540-6261.2009.01493.x.

P. C. Tetlock, “Giving Content to Investor Sentiment: The Role of Media in the Stock Market,” The Journal of Finance, vol. 62, no. 3, Art. no. 3, Jun. 2007, doi: 10.1111/j.1540-6261.2007.01232.x.

Downloads

How to Cite

Zheng, Y., Feng, Y., & Wang, T. (2025). Do Investors Care About Green Bonds? Evidence From China. Asia Pacific Economic and Management Review, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.62177/apemr.v2i3.370

Issue

Section

Articles

DATE

Received: 2025-05-21
Accepted: 2025-05-26
Published: 2025-06-09