Wealth Impact of Dividend Changes Within the Insurance Industry Available to Purchase

This study examines the market reaction when announcements of large dividend increases are made by more versus less rate‐regulated firms in the same industry. The insurance industry was chosen because property/liability insurers are rate‐regulated more than life/health insurers. The abnormal returns are positive and significant for all insurers but smaller than those found in previous cross‐sectional studies. Abnormal returns for the less rate‐regulated life/health insurers during the dividend increase announcement period are significantly greater than those of the more rate‐regulated property/liability insurers.