Here’s something from Dan Goelzer’s latest newsletter: A challenge faced by a company under non-public SEC investigation is whether to publicly disclose the investigation before the company knows whether it will result in any charges. There are no firm rules on whether investigations must be disclosed. The decision is inherently a judgment call and depends on an assessment of materiality after considering the costs and consequences of the investigation, the issues underlying the inquiry, the likelihood and potential impact of any eventual SEC enforcement proceeding, and other factors. It is frequently assumed that transparency is the more conservative approach and that, in the long run, the market rewards candor.
Dan goes on to say that a recent paper by David H. Solomon, of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, and Eugene Soltes, of Harvard Business School, casts doubt on these assumptions. Professors Solomon and Soltes conclude:
– Even if no charges are ultimately filed, companies that voluntarily disclose an SEC financial fraud investigation have “significant negative returns, underperforming non-sanctioned firms that stayed silent by 12.7% for a year after the investigation begins.”
– Disclosing in a “more prominent manner” (e.g., in a press release as distinguished from an SEC filing) is associated with worse returns.
– A CEO whose company discloses an investigation is 14 percent more likely to “experience turnover” within two years than a CEO whose company opts to remain silent, regardless of the outcome of the SEC investigation.
These findings won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been involved in responding to fraud allegations. Even if the SEC ultimately drops their inquiry, a years-long investigation can tear apart the company and make it pretty hard for management to stay focused on their day jobs. But in his newsletter, Dan notes that:
The circumstances which lead to SEC financial fraud investigations vary widely, as do the pros and cons of voluntary disclosure. The Solomon and Soltes research, while intriguing, should not be a factor in deciding whether to disclose an investigation. The paper does, however, underscore how seriously the markets are likely to take news of a financial fraud investigation. The audit committee needs to treat such a matter equally seriously.
–Liz Dunshee, TheCorporateCounsel.net August 7, 2019
