SOX, Corporate Transparency, and the Cost of Debt Sandro C. Andrade Gennaro Bernile Frederick M. Hood University of Miami University of Miami and SEC Virginia Tech First version: August 11, 2008. This version: November 25, 2008. Abstract We investigate the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act on the cost of debt through its e¤ect on the reliability of …nancial reporting. Using Credit Default Swap (CDS) spreads and a structural CDS pricing model, we calibrate a …rm-level corporate opacity parameter in the pre- and post-SOX periods. Our analysis shows that corporate opacity and the cost of debt decrease signi…cantly after SOX. Speci…cally, the median …rm in our sample experiences a 19bp reduction on its …ve-year CDS spread as a result of lower opacity following SOX, amounting to total annual savings of $ 1.65 billion for the 250 …rms in our sample. Furthermore, the reduction in opacity tends to be larger for …rms that in the pre-SOX period have poorer earnings quality, lower S&P Transparency and Disclosure ratings, and are more likely to bene…t from SOX-compliance according to Chhaochharia’and Grinstein’s(2007) criteria. Keywords: Sarbanes-Oxley, Corporate transparency, CDS pricing. JEL number: G38, G33, G12 We are grateful to Je¤ Bohn, Doug Emery, Gregg Jarrell, Kathleen Hanley, Andy Leone, DJ Nanda, Josh White, and to Vidhi Chhaochharia especially. We bene…ted from useful comments by seminar participants at University of Miami, Securities Exchange Comission, and Virginia Tech. All errors are ours. E-mail addresses:
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