Ownership Restrictions and Stock-Price Behavior in China

>i>This study examines the stock-price behavior of Chinese stock markets in the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. There are strict stock-ownership restrictions in China. Foreign investors can only trade B shares, while domestic investors can only trade A shares. Under this two-tier trading system (A and B shares), we find that the stock-price behavior is very different between the two tiers and in most of the firms. A- and B-share prices do not have the same price dynamics. Essentially, A- and B-share prices tend to be driven by their own economic forces. The results are qualitatively the same by using firm-level data with or without exchange-rate adjustment. The result of cointegrated/noncointegrated A- and B-share prices of individual firms can be explained by the ownership distribution, liquidity, and financial characteristics of the firms.>/i>