Outperforming markets: IC and the long-term performance of Japanese IPOs

•We study the effects of disclosure practices of IPO prospectuses on long-term stock performance.•We applied a disclosure index methodology to 120 IPO prospectuses from 2003.•Intellectual capital information leads to significantly better long-term performance.•Analysts and investors can attain higher long-term returns by understanding IC.

This article studies the effects of disclosure practices of Japanese IPO prospectuses on long-term stock performance and bid–ask spread, as a proxy for cost of capital, after a company is admitted to the stock exchange. A disclosure index methodology is applied to 120 IPO prospectuses from 2003. Intellectual capital information leads to significantly better long-term performance against a reference portfolio, and is thus important to the capital market. Further, superior disclosure of IC reduces bid–ask spread in the long-term, indicating that such disclosures are important in an IPO setting. Analysts and investors can attain higher long-term returns by understanding IC.