Do financial markets value corporate culture?

A publication titled “Do financial markets value corporate culture?” on International Review of Financial Analysis by Harvey Nguyen and co-authors in February 2025

Abstract

This paper examines how financial market participants incorporate corporate culture, an important value-relevant information, into their investment decisions. Utilizing firm-level corporate culture measures derived from the earnings conference call transcripts, we find that firms with stronger cultural values are associated with higher stock liquidity. We identify three channels through which corporate culture affects stock liquidity: reducing information risk, enhancing trust, and increasing investor recognition. In addition, we find that stronger corporate culture is significantly associated with higher stock price informativeness and future stock returns, and lower level of default risk and informed trading. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of corporate culture in enhancing financial market quality.