The Euro after 20 Years is a historic success

Review of World Economics - Contrary to many negative predictions, the euro, as a currency, is a remarkable success in terms of credibility and stability. The euro, as a currency, and the euro...     

Research Forum: cross border comparisons Introduction

This paper investigates the effect of non-audit services on audit quality. Following the announcement of the requirement to disclose non-audit fees, approximately one-third of UK quoted companies disclosed before the requirement became effective. Whilst distressed companies were more likely to disclose early, auditor size, directors' shareholdings and non-audit fees were not significantly correlated with early disclosure. These results cast doubt on the view that voluntary disclosure of non-audit fees was used to signal audit quality. The evidence also indicates a positive weakly significant relationship between disclosed non-audit fees and audit qualifications. This suggests that when non-audit fees are disclosed, the provision of non-audit services does not reduce audit quality.     

Financing constraints and US cross‐listing

This study investigates whether relaxation of firms' financial constraints is an important outcome of the US cross‐listing mechanism. We use the association between investment spending and cash flow to test for the presence and importance of firms' financing constraints. Consistent with the bonding hypothesis, the results suggest that US exchange and private placement cross‐listings significantly alleviate firms' financing constraints. In addition, the financial benefits associated with exchange listings are larger than those associated with private listings, while on the other hand, over‐the‐counter programs do not improve capital allocation. The study also shows that US exchange cross‐listing benefits have not been eroded by the enactment of the Sarbanes‐Oxley (SOX) Act in 2002. Copyright © 2014 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Politics of Sovereign Credit Spreads

Using a large sample of 35 developing countries for the period 1993–2009, we provide strong and robust evidence that the political institutions in place play a significant role in explaining sovereign spreads. In particular, we find that unconstrained presidential systems increase spreads, while political stability and higher competition for political contest decrease spreads. In addition, political cohesion (political fragmentation) depresses (increases) spreads. Instead, the latter are insignificantly related to political orientation.     

FOREIGN INVESTOR PARTICIPATION IN PRIVATIZATIONS: DOES THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT MATTER?

We examine the determinants of foreign investors' participation in the privatization process of developing countries. First, we estimate the probability that foreign investors target privatized firms in a given country. We show that a favorable legal environment where investor protection is higher enhances foreign investors' participation. Foreigners also prefer large, strategic firms from high‐growth economies and socially stable countries with low political risk. Second, we restrict our analysis to privatized firms that foreign investors actually choose and show that the stakes foreigners hold are larger if the firms are privatized by private sales as opposed to public offerings.     

Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: Theory and Application to China

The paper investigates the relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth. A model of endogenous growth first highlights the transfer of foreign technology as a key determinant of economic growth, and suggests that economic growth may conversely influence the inflows of foreign capital. Simultaneous-equation model estimation based on a sample of 24 Chinese provinces, from 1985 to 1996, confirms the fundamental role played by foreign investment in provincial economic growth in China, and stresses the importance of potential growth in foreign investment decisions.     

Metropolitan innovation,firm size,and business survival in a high-tech industry

This paper contributes to the growing body of business survival literature that focuses on regional determinants of the hazard faced by firms. Using parametric survival analysis, we test the effects of regional innovation on exit likelihood in the US computer and electronic product manufacturing during the 1992–2008 period. The novelty of our approach is in conditioning the effects of metropolitan innovation on firm size. Estimation results suggest a negative relationship between metropolitan patenting activity and survival of firms that started with 1–3 employees. This effect decreases if companies grow. Establishments with more than 4 employees at start-up are insensitive to metropolitan innovation, although size of firms that started with 4–9 employees improves their survival chances. These findings indicate that local knowledge spillovers do not translate into lower hazard. The negative relationship indicates either a creative destruction regime or decisions of entrepreneurs to shut down existing ventures in order to pursue other opportunities.