This paper focuses on the determinants of the market reaction to convertible bonds announcement between 1990 and 2021 in the Western European markets. The results show that the market does not integrate the potential of the CB to reduce agency and adverse selection costs. Announcement abnormal returns are explained by the investors’ suspicion relative to the possibility that the issuer is overvalued and that suspicion is exacerbated during the financial crises. This result is in line with the predictions of Myers and Majluf (1984). However, part of the market reaction seems to be explained by the short-sales activities of arbitrageurs on the issuers’ stocks. Indeed, firms that are short-sale constrained incur less negative market reaction.