Geographic distance, firm affiliations, and IPO performance: evidence from China

Firms going through an initial public offering (IPO) face many uncertainties. Geographic distance between the firm headquarters and the major financial centers, where most investors are located, is another concern. Using a sample of 688 Chinese initial public offerings between 2005 and 2012, we find that remote firms leave investors informationally disadvantaged leading firms to underprice their offering to a greater extent. Furthermore, we find that business affiliations (prestigious lead underwriters and government), which signal firm quality, lessen and the effect of geographic distance on underpricing. Thus, in an IPO context, signals have increasing value for more geographically isolated firms wishing to maximize initial public offering performance. Our study has implications for both academics and practitioners by offering new insights on how geographic distance and signals impact IPO performance.