Does regulatory cooperation help integrate equity markets? By Roger Silvers* Abstract: In this study, I test for the effect of cooperation between securities regulators on market integration. Cooperative arrangements between securities regulators enable (i) enhanced cross- border enforcement, (ii) better regulatory decisions through learning and shared experiences, and (iii) reduced regulatory red tape in cross-border activities. The formation of these arrangements signifies changes in cooperative capacity within the time series of country-pairs and occurs at different times for different country-pairs. I find that these staggered events are associated with an 11% increase in cross-border equity investment. Asset pricing tests reveal a shift in risk exposures from local to global market indices, consistent with enhanced market integration. Cross-sectional tests show patterns consistent with stronger effects in contexts where (1) cooperation is likely to be effective and (2) risks of exploitation and information asymmetry are likely to be greatest. Cross- border investment and market integration thus depend, in part, on regulatory counterparts working together to extend legal and institutional capacities across borders. Keywords: cross-border cooperation, regulatory networks, integration, capital mobility * James A. Griggs Fellow, David Eccles School of Business & S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah (
[email protected]). I thank Stefano Alderighi, Jonathan Brogaard, Brian Cadman, Felix Fritsch, Mac Gaulin, David Godsell, Rachel Hayes, Christian Laux, Anni Norring, Esen Onur, Michele Ruta, Nate Seegert, Chris Stanton, and workshop participants at Oregon State University, UMass-Amherst, Harvard Law School’s Program on International Financial Systems, the University of Utah, the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), Frankfurt School, World Federation of Exchanges, HEC Lausanne, Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and CIRANO/Sam Walton College of Business workshop on networks in trade and FMA Applied Finance conference.