Earnings management and abnormal returns: Evidence from the 1970–1972 Price Control Regulations

We examine the association between abnormal returns and earnings management in the context of price control regulations to test the construct validity of the earnings management model. Abnormal returns are used as a market–based measure, and discretionary accruals are employed to measure earnings management. Our results support the hypotheses that (1) price control regulations affect firms' security prices negatively, (2) firms make income–decreasing discretionary accruals to increase the likelihood of price increase approval, and (3) firms that are affected most negatively by the regulations manage earnings more aggressively. We conclude that the earnings management model we use in this study is capable of predicting opportunistic discretionary accruals.     

Relative risk aversion, relative prudence and comparative statics under uncertainty: The case of (μ, σ)‐preferences

From the expected‐utility approach, relative risk aversion being smaller than one and relative prudence being smaller than two emerge as preference restrictions that fully determine the optimal responses of decisions under uncertainty to certain shifts in probability distributions. We characterize the magnitudes of relative risk aversion and relative prudence in terms of the two‐parameter, mean‐standard deviation approach. We demonstrate that this characterization is instrumental in obtaining comparative static results in the two‐parameter setting. We further relate our findings to the results in the expected‐utility framework.     

Managing Earnings with Intercorporate Investments

Abstract:  We explore to what extent firms deliberately manage their financial reports by exploiting the flexibility of generally accepted accounting principles. Using a sample of Oslo Stock Exchange-listed firms with 20–50% equity holdings in other firms, we find that firms with high financial leverage tend to maximize reported earnings from these investments through their choice between the cost method and the equity method, possibly in an attempt to reduce debt renegotiation costs or to avoid regulatory attention. In contrast, managers do not systematically bias reported earnings to extract private benefits or to signal revised expectations about future cash flows. Firms use different earnings management tools in a consistent way, as the earnings effect of the cost/equity choice is not offset by discretionary accruals.     

The composition of interest: The judaic prohibition

An interest charge is made up of an award for waiting known as the real rate of interest, a premium for risk and compensation for transaction costs. Where inflation exists the lender seeks further compensation. In order to understand the composition and evolution of different versions of the usury prohibition it is necessary to ask which components of an interest charge are prohibited by each version. The Judaic prohibition has two aspects which are of particular interest to business historians and students of usury. First, the general rule is that a reward for waiting is prohibited. This focuses on the time-based part of interest charge. Second, interest is prohibited because it amounts to placing a stumbling block before the blind. This focuses on the typical gullibility of the borrower confronted by a more expert, better funded lender. Economics confirms and enriches our understanding of these important aspects of the prohibition. They achieve this by increasing our understanding of two facts: first, that the borrower is a gullible individual subject to irrational and inconsistent behaviour; and, second, that this behaviour relates to the waiting aspect of interest which is proscribed in the prohibition. How far these insights apply to other civilisations' prohibition, particularly those which derive from the Judaic prohibition, merits further study; so also do the ethical lessons of the Mosaic rules for a globalised society based on capitalism.     

Sources of Bank Interest Rate Risk

We investigate bank stocks'sensitivity to changes in interest rates and the factors affecting this sensitivity. We focus on whether the exposure of commercial banks to interest rate risk is conditioned on certain balance sheet and income statement ratios. We find a significantly negative relation between bank stock returns and changes in interest rates over the period 1991–1996. We also find that bank characteristics measured from basic financial statement information explain bank stocks'sensitivity to interest rate changes. These results suggest that bank managers, analysts, and regulators can use this information to assess the relative risk exposure of banks.     

From T-Bills to Stocks: Seasonal Anomalies Revisited

This paper employed eleven data series which consist of stocks, bonds, bills, equity premiums, term premiums, and various default premiums to investigate whether January seasonality reported in existing literature is robust across different states of the economy as this has important trading implications. For the periods 1926–1990, small stocks, small stock premiums, low grade bonds, and default premiums (spread between high grade, low grade and government bonds) reveal January seasonality and that the seasonality is robust across different states of the economy except for low grade bond returns and default premiums. January seasonality for low grade bond returns and low grade bond default premiums are primarily driven by results found during periods of economic expansion. Overall, January seasonality is more evident during the economic expansion periods although the magnitude of default premiums is larger during periods of economic contraction. Furthermore, prior findings of strong summer equity returns are primarily driven by the results found during the periods of economic contraction. It is also found that equity returns are generally higher during periods of economic expansion.     

复杂性管理策略:关注整体性

复杂性管理的策略首先要关注和认识复杂系统的整体性,这要通过关注系统的结构、多元化的视角、容忍模糊性和不确定性、借助直觉等手段来达到。在关注和认识整体性的基础上,需要进一步维护和促进复杂系统的整体性,这需要通过保护系统的自组织、创造自组织环境条件、发现和维护序参量、鼓励多元化以及与环境相协调来达成。     

资本约束下我国商业银行的风险偏好现状与对策研究

随着巴塞尔协议Ⅲ和中国银监会印发的《中国银行业实施新监管标准指导意见》的出台,确立了我国银行业实施新监管标准的政策框架。受此影响,当一部分银行资本充足率不迭标时,可以约束盲目信贷扩张,抑制经济过热的手段之一,调控商业银行整体风险水平;当大部分银行都达到了最低资本充足率要求时,资本约束效应将明显弱化,其他政策工具将是调控信贷的主要手段;而大部分银行为了降低风险。会选择“分母”对策,调整其资产组合。监管部门应我国银行业现状出发,以平滑信贷供给的过度波动为目标,逆风向调整资本充足率,以满足监管要求。     

资金约束下供应商的融资模式及风险防范

当前,商品市场的竞争越来越明显地体现在商品供应链上面,而矛盾的焦点在于很多供应商受资金短缺的约束,已与上下游企业之间产生严重的不协调现象,进而影响到下游制造商或零售商的利润,最终导致整体上供应链利润减少。面对资金约束问题,供应商应积极动员上下游企业尽可能地采取经济援助策略,增强融资的风险防范能力。其基本模式主要有：企业预付款融资模式、企业直接投资融资模式、企业担保下的银行融资模式。并通过采用价格折扣、收益共享、供应链保险等方法规避风险,达到供应链条及供应链上各企业可持续发展的目的。     

当前我国政府绩效管理问题探析

当前,我国政府绩效管理中存在的问题,主要是政府绩效管理缺乏统一的政策指导和制度保障,对政府缋效管理的理论研究与实践发展滞后,社会参与机制不完善,激励制度匮乏等。我国应通过立法来推进政府绩效管理的制度化和规范化;学习和借鉴西方先进思想,加强政府绩效管理的理论研究,建立有效的绩效评估指标体系和完善的激励制度。从而提高我国政府效能。增强政府管理能力。