The value of reputation capital during the COVID-19 crisis: Evidence from Japan

This study investigates the value of reputation capital with regard to the stock market crash in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, when stock prices fell precipitously, firms with a positive reputation for the usefulness of products/services seen from within their business network showed stock returns five to seven percentage points higher than firms with a low reputation score. This suggests a positive reputation among stakeholders can serve as insurance against shocks in times of crisis. Notably, results suggest firms that can build public trust owing to the usefulness of the product/service are more resilient from crash caused by real economic damage, as occurred with the COVID-19-related crash.