Tipping and Option Trading

Abstract

This study examines options’ market behavior before analysts’ initiations. We find abnormal trading activity in the options market several days prior to the release of analysts’ initiations. Informed traders recognize the content and timing of the initial recommendations. We determine that informed trading is attributed to information leakage rather than savvy investors’ stock‐picking ability. We also find a significant information transmission from the options market to the underlying equity market around the event. Our results are consistent with the tipping hypothesis and confirm the informational role of equity options.