Do foreigners facilitate information transmission in emerging markets?

Using the degree of accessibility of foreign investors to emerging stock markets, or investibility, as a proxy for the extent of foreign investments, we assess whether investibility has a significant influence on the diffusion of global market information across stocks in emerging markets. We show that greater investibility reduces price delay to global market information. We also find that returns of highly investible stocks lead those of noninvestible stocks because they incorporate global information more quickly. These results are consistent with the idea that financial liberalization in the form of greater investibility yields informationally more efficient stock prices in emerging markets.     

Do regulatory changes affect the underpricing of European IPOs?

We use a sample of 3677 European IPOs during the period 1998–2012 to examine how the adoptions of corporate governance codes by Member States of the European Union (EU) have affected IPO underpricing on Member State-regulated markets, where issuers are subject to corporate governance rules instituted by Member States, relative to a control sample of IPOs on exchange-regulated markets, where issuers are exempt from Member State corporate governance codes. Using this control sample approach facilitated by the existence of second-tier, exchange-regulated markets in the EU, we find that, on average, IPO underpricing declined on Member State-regulated markets after Member States adopted corporate governance codes containing SOX-like provisions. We do not find a similar reduction in IPO underpricing on exchange-regulated markets. Our results are robust to alternative specifications, and our findings support the view that elevating corporate governance standards increases transparency and reduces information asymmetries that affect IPO valuations.     

Do auditing standards improve the accounting disclosure and information environment of public companies? Evidence from the emerging markets in China

In this paper, we investigate the impact of the implementation of a set of new auditing standards in 1996 on the information environment in the emerging markets in China. Because the implementation of such standards can increase the quality and/or quantity of accounting disclosures, it can be conceptualized as an improvement in the information environment of public companies. We investigate the improvement in accounting disclosure and information environment from both the market perspective and the accounting perspective. First, consistent with the information economics literature (e.g., [Holthausen, R., & Verrecchia, R., (1990). The effect of informedness and consensus on price and volume behavior. The Accounting Review, 65, 191–208]), we find that companies experience a significant increase in trading volume and price volatility subsequent to the implementation of the standards. Second, consistent with the literature on earnings management (e.g., [Chen, C. W. K., & Yuan, H. Q., (2004). Earnings management and capital resource allocation: evidence from China's accounting-based regulation of right issue. The Accounting Review, 79, 645–665, Jian, M., & Wong, T. J., (2004). Earnings management and tunneling through related party transactions: evidence from Chinese corporate groups. Working Paper, Nanyang Technological University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology]), we find a decrease in earnings management and, hence, an increase in quality of earnings. Finally, we find a decrease in the synchronicity of stock prices and, hence, an increase in the quality of firm-specific information available to investors, which is consistent with the literature on price synchronicity (e.g., [Morck, R., Yeung, B., & Yu, W., (2000). The information content of stock markets: why do emerging markets have synchronous stock price movements? Journal of Financial Economics, 58, 215–260]). Our results have significant implications for standard setters, regulators, researchers, managers, and investors in general and those in the emerging markets in particular.     

Does innovation and financial constraints affect the propensity to save in emerging markets?

Despite the surge in corporate savings and heightened interest in understanding the reasons for this behaviour, little is known about the forces behind this stylised phenomenon in emerging markets (EMs). Using a large sample of firms from nine African countries over the period 2001–2015, we posit and find that the propensity to save is higher in this context due to limited access to external finance. However, when we examine the effects of innovation on corporate savings, we find that the results are reversed as, relative to Non-R&D firms, R&D firms save less of their operating cash flow. This is in stark contrast to the extant literature in advanced economies, which shows that savings are essential to smoothen lumpy, irreversible and risky investments in innovation. We find this is due to the reversal in firm-specific factors, with R&D firms in this context being larger and more mature; hence, relying less on internal financing sources compared to young and less-mature R&D firms in advanced economies. We interpret our results as suggestive of the overarching influence of access to external finance as a major determinant of the propensity to save and deterrent to investing in innovation. Our finding helps explain the glut in innovation amongst small and young firms in emerging markets and calls for policies that promote innovation.     

Do extreme returns matter in emerging markets? Evidence from the Chinese stock market

Recent evidence in the U.S. and Europe indicates that stocks with high maximum daily returns in the previous month, perform poorly in the current month. We investigate the presence of a similar effect in the emerging Chinese stock markets with portfolio-level analysis and firm-level Fama–MacBeth cross-sectional regressions. We find evidence of a MAX effect similar to the U.S. and European markets. However, contrary to U.S. and European evidence, the MAX effect in China does not weaken much less reverse the anomalous idiosyncratic volatility (IV) effect. Both the MAX and IV effects appear to independently coexist in the Chinese stock markets. Interpreted together with the strong evidence of risk-seeking behaviour among Chinese investors, our results partially support the suggestion that the negative MAX effect is driven by investor preference for stocks with lottery-like features.     

Do bond rating changes affect the information asymmetry of stock trading?

Using a sample of 279 upgrades and 310 downgrades from 1996 to 2004, we find that bond rating changes affect the information asymmetry of stock trading and other measures of information risk. Specifically, when a firm's bond rating is upgraded, its stock information asymmetry and its analysts' earnings forecast dispersion are significantly reduced, while the institutional equity holdings of its shares are significantly increased. The reverse is true for a downgrade. In addition, the degree of change in stock information asymmetry is positively associated with the magnitude of the bond rating changes.     

What do boards really do? Evidence from minutes of board meetings

We analyze a unique database from a sample of real-world boardrooms — minutes of board meetings and board-committee meetings of eleven business companies for which the Israeli government holds a substantial equity interest. We use these data to evaluate the underlying assumptions and predictions of models of boards of directors. These models generally fall into two categories: “managerial models” that assume boards play a direct role in managing the firm, and “supervisory models” that assume that boards monitor top management but do not make business decisions themselves. Consistent with the supervisory models, our minutes-based data suggest that boards spend most of their time monitoring management: approximately two-thirds of the issues boards discussed were of a supervisory nature, they were presented with only a single option in 99% of the issues discussed, and they disagreed with the CEO only 2.5% of the time. Nevertheless, at times boards do play a managerial role: Boards requested to receive further information or an update for 8% of the issues discussed, and they took an initiative with respect to 8.1% of them. In 63% of the meetings, boards took at least one of these actions or did not vote in line with the CEO. Taken together our results suggest that boards can be characterized as active monitors.     

Do the size,value, and momentum factors drive stock returns in emerging markets?

This paper investigates the size, value, and momentum effects in 18 emerging stock markets during the period 1990–2013. We find that size and momentum strategies generally fail to generate superior returns in emerging markets. The value effect exists in all markets except Brazil, and it is robust to different periods and market conditions. Value premiums tend to move positively together across different markets, and such inter-market comovements increase overtime and during the global financial crisis.     

老年长期照护研究综述

本文对长期照护概念从"长期"和"照护"两个方面进行剖析,从长期照护模式分类、长期照护评估机制、法律法规和保险制度等方面介绍各国研究状况,提出我国发展长期照护制度的建议:满足照护需求,构建合理的长期照护模式;发展老龄产业,培养优质的长期照护人才;健全法律法规,构建长期照护保险制度;提供护理津贴,合理分担财政负担;发展评估,及时干预老年人健康状况。     

How are shorts informed? : Short sellers,news, and information processing

We find that a substantial portion of short sellers' trading advantage comes from their ability to analyze publicly available information. Using a database of short sales combined with a database of news releases, we show that the well-documented negative relation between short sales and future returns is twice as large on news days and four times as large on days with negative news. Further, we find that the most informed short sales are not from market makers but rather from clients, and we find only weak evidence that short sellers anticipate news events. Overall, the evidence suggests that public news provides valuable trading opportunities for short sellers who are skilled information processors.     

Who are the active investors? : Evidence from venture capital

This paper examines the determinants and consequences of investor activism in venture capital. Using a hand-collected sample of European venture capital deals, it shows the importance of human capital. Venture capital firms with partners that have prior business experience are more active recruiting managers and directors, helping with fundraising, and interacting more frequently with their portfolio companies. Independent venture capital firms are also more active than ‘captive’ (bank-, corporate-, or government-owned) firms. After controlling for endogeneity, investor activism is shown to be positively related to the success of portfolio companies.     

《征信业管理条例》述评

我国颁布的《征信业管理条例》是征信法律制度建设的重大突破。《征信业管理条例》明确征信业的监督管理机关,规范征信机构的市场准入和退出,完善征信业务规则和信息主体权益保护规范。这对加强征信业管理,保护信息主体合法权益,促进征信业健康发展具有重要意义。     

政府诚信问题的经济学分析

政府诚信问题不仅关系到政府形象及其权威的建立,同时也影响到社会风气的形成和市场经济的稳定发展。目前我国政府的诚信问题面临着诸多挑战,诚信建设亟待加强。通过用经济学相关理论对政府机构中出现的失信问题进行深入剖析,进而提出加强政府诚信建设的建议。     

Do monetary policy announcements affect stock prices in emerging market countries? The case of Thailand

We examine the effect of monetary policy announcements in Thailand, which is one of emerging market countries in Asia, on stock prices at the firm level. We find that the expected change, rather than the unexpected change, in interest rates affects stock prices. The stock price response to the interest rate announcement is asymmetric. For instance, the relation between interest rate surprises and stock prices is conditional on the direction of the interest rate change. In general, macroeconomic conditions and firm characteristics cannot explain the stock price reaction to the announcement. In addition, stock prices of firms in different industries appear to react heterogeneously to the interest rate announcement.     

天津市融资担保行业发展情况研究

近年来,在天津市政府及其有关部门的支持下,天津市融资担保行业得到长足发展,在帮助解决中小企业融资难问题、防范和化解银行信贷风险等方面发挥了积极作用。通过介绍天津市融资担保行业现状,比较分析政策性与商业性融资担保机构,针对发展过程中存在的问题提出有关政策建议。     

关于当前社会保险重大问题的研究

覆盖城乡的社会保障制度体系的基本建立,是我国改革开放以来经济社会发展取得的重大成就,但距离制度的完善还任重道远。本文指出当前社保制度改革中还存在诸如不同制度保障水平差距较大、基金支付压力大、基金统筹层次低、缴费负担重等重大问题,在对问题成因认真分析的基础上,提出今后改革的方向是以增强公平性、适应流动性、保证可持续性为重点,并提出完善基本养老保险制度模式、加快提高社会保险统筹层次、鼓励发展补充性养老保险和医疗保险、提高基金投资效率、将财政投入作为养老保险基金的稳定筹资来源、取消基本医疗保险最高支付限额等具体政策建议。     

On the prediction of financial distress in developed and emerging markets: Does the choice of accounting and market information matter? A comparison of UK and Indian Firms

We examine differences in price delay for a sample of real estate investment trust (REIT) and non-REIT matched pairs. Results suggest an economically and statistically higher level of price delay for REIT securities, which implies heightened frictions that increase the time needed for new information to be impounded into the prices of REIT shares. The primary drivers for the observed delay differential include differences in idiosyncratic volatility, market risk, and the number of days traded. Within-REIT determinants of delay confirm findings for the pooled sample of matched pairs. Importantly, we infer find that REIT investors are not compensated for restricted information flow, as excess returns are unrelated to the price delay.     

用层次分析法构造信托公司定性评价模型

定性因素的权重难以通过纯计量方法得出。由于层次分析法可以避免专家判断的不一致性,可以用这种方法来解析专家问卷并得出定性权重。在商业银行构造信托公司内部信用评级的定性评价模型时,首先是确定信托公司定性评价指标框架,接着根据指标框架设计并发放调查问卷,然后再根据问卷调查结果得出各层评价目标的判断矩阵,从而求出各定性因素的权重向量,最后综合各层次权重就可以得出各定性因素在整个定性评价体系中的权重分配。     

中国养老保险改革20年回望与思考

中国近20年养老保险改革经历了前后两个不同阶段,如今再次面临方向和路径选择的十字路口。一个平台、两大板块、三层责任体系是中国新时期养老保险改革的不二选择。在养老保险改革路径和顺序选择越来越多地体现出公共选择和公共决策的政治性的当下,政府尤其是中央政府的责任担当至为重要。