The impact of OBRA on shareholder wealth

Market-return data and a multivariate regression model are used to investigate the impact of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) on the wealth of shareholders of firms sponsoring overfunded and underfunded pension plans during the period surrounding the passage of OBRA. Assuming semistrong market efficiency, a reduction in the pension insurance effect associated with the passage of OBRA was hypothesized to have a negative impact on the security prices of all plan sponsors. In general, the market reacted unfavorably to sponsors of both overfunded and underfunded defined-benefit pension plans when OBRA was introduced. However, the market reaction varied as a function of the funding-level change during the period preceding passage of the Act. Firm-specific financial variables were also used in a stepwise regression analysis to investigate whether selected financial variables could explain negative abnormal returns observed during the legislative period. We found that earnings per share and the short-term debt-coverage ratio explained up to 19.4% of the negative abnormal returns for the underfunded sample. However, no significant explanatory variables were identified for the overfunded sample.     

Two-tier and negotiated tender offers: The imprisonment of the free-riding shareholder

We measure the differential effects on shareholder wealth and tendering behavior of any-or-all, two-tier and partial tender offers and find no evidence that shareholders are disadvantaged by front-end-loaded corporate takeovers. Shareholders fare as well when the terms of an offer for control are negotiated with target-firm management as when they are not. Most cash tender offers executed between 1981 and 1984 were negotiated, and almost all two-tier offers were negotiated.     

Capital gains taxation and shareholder wealth in takeovers

Before December 1999, the capital gains of shareholders who sold their shares into Australian takeovers have been taxable irrespective of payment method. Subsequently, shareholders can elect to rollover capital gains in equity takeovers. We examine the effect of this change on the association between target shareholder capital gains and bidder and target firm shareholder wealth. The results indicate that prior to the regulatory change, cash consideration results in higher target shareholder returns for non‐taxation reasons. After the introduction of capital gains tax rollover relief, we find that target and acquiring firm shareholders earn lower returns when cash consideration is offered to shareholders with greater capital gains.     

Assessing financial and housing wealth effects through the lens of a nonlinear framework

This paper examines the effects of wealth on consumption for the US, the UK and the Euro area using a smooth-transition regression (STR) model. We find evidence of an asymmetric and time-varying relationship between consumption and wealth. Additionally, our model tracks consumption patterns reasonably well during periods of economic downturn, financial instability and housing market corrections. While wealth effects are not significant in the Euro area, they are statistically significant and time-varying in the US and the UK. Interestingly, changes in housing wealth are source of switching between regimes in the US.     

The sources of shareholder wealth gains from going private transactions: The role of controlling shareholders

The present study investigates the sources of shareholder wealth gains – as measured by cumulative abnormal returns and premiums – from going private transactions (GPTs). Using data for 314 GPTs from 18 Western European countries, we find that the announcements of GPTs generate a cumulative average abnormal return of about 22% and that pre-transaction shareholders on average receive a raw premium of about 36%. We further find that these shareholder wealth gains increase with the degree of separation of cash-flow and control rights of the pre-transaction ultimate owner and decrease with its ownership interests and with the presence of a second large shareholder. Taken together, these findings support the view that GPTs are expected to mitigate the inefficiencies induced by pre-transaction agency problems between controlling and minority shareholders. Thus, shareholder wealth gains from GPTs reflect the potential additional value that will be created under private ownership.     

Investment bank reputation and shareholder wealth effects in mergers and acquisitions

This paper investigates the relationship between the reputation of investment banks employed in mergers and acquisitions transactions and the resulting wealth effects. Two hypotheses are tested: the superior deal hypothesis, stating that high reputation advisors suggest deals with higher overall transaction gains; and the bargaining advantage hypothesis, stating that the larger share of transaction benefits is attributed to the party employing a highly reputed advisor. Evidence from 285 European M&A-transactions announced between 1997 and 2002 does not support any of these hypotheses. On average, wealth effects are not significantly different for transactions advised by different advisor tiers.     

Job offers of multi-national accounting firms: the effects of emotional intelligence,extra-curricular activities,and academic performance

This study investigates the effects of academic performance, extracurricular activities (ECA) and emotional intelligence (EI) of potential accounting-major graduates on the outcomes of their respective interviewing activities and the number of final job offers given by the multinational Big 5 public accounting firms. The following outcomes are identified: (a) the number of initial job interviews is affected by both a graduate's academic performance and level of participation in ECA; (b) the number of subsequent job interviews is affected by both the number of initial job interviews as well as the level of a graduate's EI; (c) the number of final job offers is affected by the graduate's level of EI and both the number of initial and subsequent job interviews. The results indicate the relevance of EI in the job search process and will also be useful for accounting educators to plan their curricula more effectively to enhance the job placement of their graduates with the Big 5 firms.     

Discriminating between wealth and information effects in event studies in accounting and finance research

This article examines the power of tests of given size to detect and distinguish between wealth (i.e., mean) and information (i.e., variance) effects in event studies. We find that an Estimated Generalized Least Squares (EGLS) mean-effects test is consistently more powerful than the test based upon the average standardized residual and is as powerful as a nonparametric rank test. Unlike the test based upon the average standardized residual and the rank test, the EGLS test is well specified even when the event affects the variances of the prediction errors. We also find that conventional parametric tests to detect changes in the variance of the event-day average abnormal return are misspecified when the null of no change is true. We analyze the reasons this occurs and suggest a rank procedure that produces tests of the correct size under the null. Our evidence suggests that the critical factors allowing researchers to distinguish between wealth and information effects are an estimation procedure incorporating the heteroskedasticity inherent in market model prediction errors and an explicit test for event-day variance changes.     

Regulatory changes in the electric utility industry: Investigation of effects on shareholder wealth

In 1992, the regulatory environment for electric utilities changed dramatically with enactment of the Energy Policy Act, mandating increased competition in this formerly monopolistic industry. The results of our study suggest that these regulatory changes in the electric utility industry and the opening of transmission lines to outsiders had negative and significant effects on stock values for the overall sample of firms examined. The basic results indicate that the movement toward greater competition dissipates economic rents associated with the previously held monopolistic situations. Multivariate analysis indicates that firms with greater levels of nuclear assets and higher earnings per dollar of assets prior to the regulatory actions suffered greater negative abnormal returns than other firms in the sample. Additionally, firms in a more competitive environment prior to regulatory changes had less negative abnormal returns. Results also show utility firms are riskier after deregulation with an increase in market risk of 48.88% and in firm specific risk of 23.66%. Overall, it appears that, as with other deregulation of natural monopolies in the US, increased competition will benefit some producers, harm other producers and generally dissipate economic rents to consumers.     

The direct costs of UK rights issues and open offers

The paper describes selling and underwriting procedures in rights issues and open offers, and analyses the costs of issue reported in prospectuses, including the substantial costs which are not for underwriting. The impression is often given that costs are fixed at 2 % of gross proceeds, but they vary and average 5.78 %(median 4.28 %). Controlling for economies of scale and fees not related to the issue, costs increase with the proportion of the issue underwritten and with the depth of discount, and decrease with the proportion of the company owned by large shareholders.     

Capital market behavior and operational announcements of layoffs,operation closings,and pay cuts

This article examines the relation between stock returns and a set of operating decisions: layoffs, operation closings, and pay cuts. We find evidence that cost-cutting measures occur after significant stock price declines. Announcements of layoffs and temporary operation closings are associated with negative returns, while permanent operation closings do not have significant announcement effects.     

不确定性、产业空心化与经济波动

以 Aghion 等(2004)的模型为基础,将不确定性、产业空心化引入到宏观经济波动的模型中来,分析其对经济波动的影响,并运用全球106个国家1980~2013年之间的数据进行实证检验,结论表明：不确定性、产业空心化程度的变化会影响财富的变化,财富的变化会影响投资的变化,进而影响经济波动;不确定性程度每提高1个百分点,经济波动就会提高0.441个百分点,产业空心化程度每提高0.028个百分点,经济波动就会提高0.019个百分点。进一步来看,产业空心化程度的提高伴随不确定性程度的上升会显著地加剧一个国家的经济波动。低收入国家不确定性程度的增大对经济波动的加剧作用最大,高收入国家对经济波动的加剧作用最小。与中高收入国家相比,低收入国家产业空心化程度的提高会显著地加剧该国经济波动。     

Taxation of shareholder capital gains and the choice of payment method in takeovers

From December 1999, shareholders who disposed of shares in Australian takeovers in exchange for scrip could elect to defer capital gains taxation until the disposal of the shares received. We investigate payment method choice by acquiring firms before and after this regulatory change to assess whether target shareholder capital gains tax liabilities became an important factor considered in choosing the form of payment. The results show that, subsequent to the regulatory change, there is a significantly higher probability that equity will be offered as consideration where target shareholder capital gains are greater. This finding confirms the importance of shareholder level taxation in explaining corporate acquisition structure and adds to previous European and US evidence on factors associated with payment method choice in takeovers.     

Does the Japanese governance system enhance shareholder wealth? Evidence from the stock-price effects of top management

This article examines the stock-price effects of top managementturnover announcements for 432 Japanese corporations from 1985to 1990. We find that these announcements are associated withsignificantly positive abnormal returns. The returns are greaterwhen turnover is forced than when turnover represents normalsuccession. The stock-price effects are also significantly positivewhen turnover is forced and the successor is appointed fromoutside the firm. We find that large shareholders play an importantrole during outside succession. This evidence suggests thatthe disciplinary decisions of Japanese governance mechanismsare consistent with shareholder wealth maximization.     

支付方式与收购公司财富效应

股权分置改革之后,股票支付成为我国上市公司并购的主要支付工具之一。本文以股改后并购事件为研究对象,采用事件研究法来实证检验收购公司在并购首次公告期间的财富效应,且分别检验不同支付方式下的财富效应差异。结果表明,股改之后并购为收购公司股东创造了正的财富效应,股票支付的收购公司所取得的超常收益显著为正,且显著大于现金支付所获得的超常收益。超常收益的影响因素分析发现一些交易特征对收购公司超常收益有显著的影响。     

Cross-border acquisitions and shareholder wealth: Tests of the synergy and internalization hypotheses

In this paper, we test the synergy and internalization hypotheses for international acquisitions using a sample of foreign acquisitions of U.S. firms during the period 1979–1990. The major findings include: First, shareholders of our paired sample of U.S. targets and foreign acquirers experienced significantly positive combined wealth gains, $68 million on average, indicating that cross-border takeovers are generally synergy-creating activities. Second, shareholders of the U.S. targets realized significant wealth gains, regardless of the nationality of acquirers. Third, the Japanese acquisitions in our sample generated the largest net wealth gains, $398 million on average, which was shared by both target shareholders (43%) and acquirer shareholders (57%). Fourth, foreign acquirers benefitted from the targets' R&D capabilities, supporting the ‘reverse-internalization’ hypothesis.     

Optimal Consumption Taxes and Social Security Under Tax Measurement Problems and Uncertainty

A representative individual lives for two periods; works when young and depends on savings and a government operated social security system when old—the returns on both sources of income, when old, are random. Due to administrative problems the returns to savings are observed with some measurement error. Two alternative consumption tax systems are considered; the Registered Asset Treatment (RAT) and the Non-Registered Asset Treatment (NRAT). The advantage of the RAT is that it can perform a social insurance role while the disadvantage is that it imposes measurement error risk. Correlation between the random return on saving and its measurement error can provide a risk-hedging role that can be further strengthened by the RAT version. The NRAT version neither provides social insurance nor imposes measurement error risk. Both tax systems hedge against the uncertainties in the social security system. The taxpayer engages in precautionary saving in response to future uncertainty.     

保险公司控股股东和实际控制人监管的合理性基础与制度设计

监管保险公司控股股东和实际控制人,不仅是防范保险公司控制权被滥用的现实需要,而且有其深刻的制度背景、思想条件和法律基础.在导入保险公司控股股东和实际控制人监管制度时,应遵循维护被保险人利益、区别对待、循序渐进、借鉴国际经验与中国国情相结合的原则,并将之落实在具体内容的构建之中.     

The flash crash: An examination of shareholder wealth and market quality

We investigate stock returns, market quality, and options market activity around the flash crash of May 6, 2010. Abnormal returns are negative on the day of and the day after the flash crash for stocks that had trades that executed during the crash subsequently cancelled by either Nasdaq or NYSE Arca. Consistent with studies that suggest that other sources of liquidity withdrew from the markets during the flash crash, we find that the fraction of trades executed by the NYSE increases during this volatile period. Market quality deteriorates following the flash crash as bid-ask spreads increase and quote depths decrease. Evidence from the options markets indicates that investor uncertainty increased around the time of the crash and remained elevated for several days.     

中美资本市场财富效应比较研究

本文从股利支付和资本利得的角度对比分析了中美资本市场财富效应水平,并对其影响因素展开分析。研究发现,我国资本市场财富效应不够显著,A股上市公司虽然具有较高的股利支付倾向,但股利支付率和资本利得属性较弱;股利支付行为迎合监管动机较强,融资分红特征明显,股票股利支付行为具有高送转特征;资本市场估值中枢下移,指数波动性较高,资本利得属性较差。美股上市公司虽然股利支付意愿不及A股,但股利支付率和资本利得属性较强,且上市公司不存在明显的融资分红倾向。基于此,本文从控股股东属性、企业生命周期、管理层侵占行为、宏观经济和资本市场环境四个维度对A股市场财富效应水平展开深入探讨,并从提升公司质量、改善盈利能力、调整投资者结构、加强市场建设、优化股利监管制度五方面提出了改善我国资本市场财富效应的政策建议。