Abstract
Purpose Investor relations literature reports that after an era that "the higher the stock price, the better", currently investor relations entered into a new era where "overvaluation is perhaps as bad as undervaluation" (Laskin, 2018a, p. 19). This paper searches for evidence on whether news coverage around abnormal returns indicates that corporate communication effectively seek fair value prices. Design/methodology/approach Using data of the Portuguese market, it investigates if the news coverage and the investor relations' influence on such coverage (namely as a source of the news) are symmetrical before and after extreme abnormal positive or negative returns. This paper uses event study methodology, performs content analysis and applies statistical and econometric analyses. Findings The findings are consistent with the idea that companies communicate differently in face of positive and negative abnormal returns. Particularly, before the event, companies are more frequently cited as a source of the news for positive events. This indicates that companies seek to capitalize the positive impact of the favourable subsequent disclosures. After the occurrence of abnormal returns, companies are more often a source of the news for negative cases, seeking to mitigate their impact. Additionally, after negative events companies are more frequently mentioned in the news with a positive content than they are mentioned before. Social implications The new approach of this study allows the companies' information stakeholders (namely investors and regulators) to become more informed and critical in the analysis of news coverage and its sources. Originality/value As far as the authors of the paper know, this is the first study that addresses the question of eventual asymmetric behaviour of companies' communication in face of positive and negative abnormal returns.

Abstract
We measure the impact of the August 2011 bans on covered short-selling adopted by several European countries. Our results provide evidence that the impact on prices was shortlived: the positive price impact disappears after ten days. The short-selling restrictions did not contribute to reduce the volatility of the financial stocks subjected to the bans; on the contrary, our findings indicate that volatility actually increased by a greater extent for these stocks than for other financial stocks with similar characteristics. The bans also had a negative impact on liquidity. Moreover, stocks subjected to the bans exhibit a longer delay in the assimilation of negative market news during the banning span.

Abstract
The literature provides broad evidence for the seasonality of stock market returns, but is very scarce regarding the potential seasonality of investment funds performance. Using a sample of 5349 Equity Europe or Equity Eurozone investment funds, this article contributes to fill this gap by providing evidence that investment funds globally exhibit higher performances in the first than in the second 6 months of the year, and that they exhibit negative abnormal performances in the first compared to the intermediate and final months of each quarter. Finally, the article reports a summer holiday effect, such that investment funds outperform negatively in August compared to the other intermediate months of the quarter.

Abstract
During the recent sovereign debt crisis, the European Banking Authority conducted two stress tests on European banks in order to gauge their capital needs, core Tier-1 ratios and ratios of resilience to adverse shocks. We assess the informational content of the disclosure of the stress test outcomes. We conclude that the stress tests conveyed new information and that the outcomes were not anticipated by the stock market but were partially anticipated by the credit default swap (CDS) market. However, while the stock market reacted to the disclosure of the stress test outcomes, in the CDS market there is some evidence of a 'reverse' reaction. Moreover, the publication of the outcomes of the stress tests had a stronger impact on the stock prices of riskier financial institutions. A similar pattern is evident in the CDS market, albeit narrowed to one of the stress tests and amid the financial institutions with higher perceived credit risk.

Abstract
Traditionally, the Latin model of corporate governance had been a predominant model in some countries; however, this model is increasingly becoming out of fashion. Using a database of Portuguese and Brazilian firms, we investigated whether the Latin model performs worse than other models (i.e. variants of the Continental and Anglo-Saxon models) in terms of preventing earnings management. We conclude that, in general, companies that adopt the Latin model have lower levels of earnings management than other companies and that switching from the Latin model to another model does not cause a generalized decrease in the level of discretionary accruals. Additionally, firms that move away from the Latin model are not predominantly those with extremely high levels of discretionary accruals. © Taylor & Francis.

Abstract
Theoretical standard models and regulatory actions often ignore that firms are competing with other firms in related markets. In these contexts, cross-price relationships should be taken into account. The usual instinct with multiproduct firms would be to use Ramsey prices to find optimal markups. However, this is only applicable in situations with independent demand functions. Literature mostly covers cases where the regulated firm is a natural monopoly and therefore faces a budget constraint. This paper aims to provide conditions under which optimal price caps are set whenever there are related markets and the regulated firm is not a natural monopoly.