REIT Stock Repurchases: Completion Rates, Long-Run Returns, and the Straddle Hypothesis

This study of real estate investment trusts (REITs) analyzes three possible explanations for the stock price reaction to a repurchase announcement and the subsequent repurchase behavior of managers under each hypothesis. Two of the hypotheses, the signaling hypothesis and the exchange option hypothesis, are established in the existing literature; the third hypothesis is a modification of the exchange option hypothesis. The exchange option hypothesis is extended to allow for additional flexibility in management decisions. This extended exchange option hypothesis is termed the “straddle” hypothesis because it provides management with both a call and put option. The empirical analyses show the straddle hypothesis is a more robust explanation of changes in shares outstanding in the post-announcement period than the alternative explanations.