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Although most researches conclude that short selling is beneficial to market efficiency, short selling has been banned in various stock markets during the 2008-2009 financial crisis. This study examines the effect of covered short selling bans on banned stocks in terms of return and liquidity characteristics in four different equity markets (US, Canada, Great Britain, Denmark) during this period. Since these markets contain stocks which have been affected by the ban as well as stocks that have not been affected, they offer a special opportunity for research. Results of this study imply, that no beneficial effects resulted from the ban. In three out of four examined markets short selling bans had negative effects on banned stocks in terms of liquidity, returns or intraday volatility.

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Rolf Dürr holds a master degree in banking and finance from the University of St. Gallen. Currently he works as a consultant for financial services firms in Zurich.

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