Security Design under Common-Value Competition

Jun 7, 2025

Working Paper No. 00161-00

security design security-bid auction common values private information
This paper studies security design by bidders with dispersed information about a common-value investment opportunity. Among a broad set of securities, bidders offer debt financing—the flattest securities. A first reason is that debt mitigates bidders' exposure to the winner's curse. Second, regardless of the entrepreneur's initial information set, the entrepreneur gains an informational advantage by inferring from the bids, and is more likely to select debt offers when optimistic about the project. While bidders' choice of security also has a signaling effect, the effect is dominated by the winner's curse and informed-selection effects, and does not affect the equilibrium outcome. These results contrast sharply with security design by a monopolistic investor, as well as with DeMarzo, Kremer, and Skrzypacz (2005)'s results under private-value competition. The entrepreneur's commitment power to restrict offers to an ordered set does not improve revenue.

Yue Yuan

Yue Yuan

University College London