Using a sample of Chinese A-share listed firms from 2003 to 2019,this paper studies the governance value of corporate data assets from the cost of equity perspective to provide micro evidence from corporate financing.The results show that corporate data assets significantly reduce firms'cost of equity.The effect of data assets is stronger in firms that are difficult to operate(i.e.,firms in industry with fierce competition,firms with complex information,firms with high diversi-fication)and have weak governance(i.e.,firms with low level of control contestability,firms with non-local independent directors,firms located in regions with low level of marketization).Further research shows that data assets alleviate corpo-rate operational risks,agency problems,and information asymmetry.
data assetscost of equitycorporate riskcorporate governanceinformation asymmetry