Investor network: Implications for information diffusion and asset prices

In this study, we examine the information diffusion of firms in investor networks. Using a unique investor account-level dataset from the Taiwan Stock Exchange from 2005 to 2014, we identify the information diffusion of firms as their centralization in investor networks. Consistent with the theory of investor information networks, we find that central investors trade earlier and are more profitable than peripheral investors. Furthermore, they have greater access to superior, private information based on actual M&A events. More importantly, we find that centralized firms (i.e., firms with more central investors' networks) experience less delay in prices, and therefore demand lower price delay premiums than peripheral firms. These results suggest that investor networks speed up the incorporation of new information into asset prices, and cause the strength of information diffusion to have a great impact on stock returns.