Are stronger executive incentives associated with cross-listing? Evidence from China

This study examines whether firms incorporated in mainland China benefit from cross-listing in Hong Kong, China. The Hong Kong Stock Market has more stringent rules regarding corporate governance and a better system of investor protection than the mainland market. Hong Kong companies generally provide strong incentives to executives via equity-based compensation. Have cross-listed companies learned from Hong Kong firms about adopting these strong executive incentives? The evidence from this study suggests that changes in top executive compensation are more sensitive to sales growth in cross-listed firms than they are in mainland firms without cross-listing. However, compared to Hong Kong firms, cross-listed firms are less sensitive to stock returns. Further, this study shows that it is necessary to differentiate between state-owned companies and private companies, as cross-listing may have a greater impact on executive incentives in state-owned companies than it does in private companies.     

University Students' Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Comparative Analysis of Hong Kong and Guangzhou

Based on original survey data, this paper analyses and compares the role of personal traits and networks in determining entrepreneurial intentions of students in Hong Kong and in Guangzhou. The two cities are culturally closely related but differ strongly with respect to their labor market conditions and the maturity of their legal and business environments. We find that the determinants of students' entrepreneurial intentions differ substantially between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, with the findings for Hong Kong showing much similarity with previous findings for Western economies. This suggests that differences in labor market prospects and in the maturity of their legal and business environments might be more important than cultural (dis‐)similarities in identifying key factors forming students' entrepreneurial intentions.     

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO CHINA BY HONG KONG'S CROSS‐BORDER GARMENT FIRMS

Hong Kong manufacturers have historically been one of the main sources of foreign direct investment to China, but their contribution to the transfer of technology to the mainland has been questioned due to the generally labor‐ rather than capital‐intensive, low‐value‐adding activities they perform there. Using data from eighty‐four Hong Kong‐based garment manufacturers that have invested directly in mainland China, this paper examines the role of Hong Kong FDI in the transfer of technology to China. Analyses show that Hong Kong garment firms are in fact human‐capital‐intensive and are endowed with valuable managerial technology and, moreover, act as effective channels for the transfer of such technology to mainland China.     

粤港澳经济一体化的实证分析

本文运用HP滤波、迭代的相关分析、Granger因果检验、DAG技术、结构VAR模型、预测误差方差分解等方法分析了粤港澳经济增长和经济周期之间的联系，结果表明，在样本期内：粤港和粤澳之间经济增长和经济周期的同步性比港澳之间经济增长和经济周期的同步性弱，而且粤港和粤澳之间经济增长和经济周期的同步性正处于下降时期；粤港澳之间经济增长不存Granger因果联系；只有港澳之间经济波动存在显著的同期因果关系；粤港和粤澳经济波动的相互解释能力是有限的，它们比香港对澳门的解释能力差。     

澳门主要来源地赴澳游客规模预测分析

本研究对2008年1月至2010年2月期间大陆、中国香港、台湾三地赴澳门游客数量的每月统计数据进行汇总,并在此基础上依据这些数据本身的变动规律建立游客赴澳规模的预测模型。结果发现,在总体环境大体不变的情况下,澳门未来的游客规模呈现上升趋势,三大主要来源地内地、香港和台湾也均保持持续上升态势。但是,三地之间的上升状态仍有不同,大陆的上升幅度最快,香港其次,而台湾趋势则平稳上升。该方法通过数据本身的变动规律进行预测,可以克服多元回归模型中由于对自变量的认知有限而带来的预测偏差。它可以与多元回归模型方法作为澳门旅游规模预测的对照方法,从而有助于增强科学预测的可信度和准确度。     

Exploring the Case for Monetary Integration between the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong

This paper presents an empirical investigation on an important policy issue, namely, whether there is any evidence supporting monetary integration between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. We follow two lines of inquiry. First, we present a series of simple tests to find the extent to which trade and/or financial linkages exist between the two regions. Second, we use simple inflation and output differentials and structural VAR techniques to test for the degree of business cycle synchronization between the two regions. The results indicate that there is evidence supporting the existence of trade linkages and that there is also support for the possible synchronization of business cycles. We discuss the implications of this for monetary integration between Hong Kong and the mainland.     

香港FDI进入中国大陆的决定因素——基于省级面板数据的实证研究

进入中国大陆的FDI主要来自日本、美国、中国香港等国家和地区。进入中国大陆的香港FDI主要有港商投资、在港中资机构投资和“假外资”投资等三种类型。中国大陆东部沿海地区是香港FDI进入的优先区域,并向内地呈梯度分布。我们以1980—2008年的中国省级面板数据为基础,实证研究了香港FDI进入中国大陆的决定因素。本文结论显...     

香港早期华商精神:十九世纪的观察

香港自19世纪40年代以降进入商业社会,以商立市,商人精神自是香港文化最主要的源泉之一。一个地域的商人精神必然有其历史继承性,香港19世纪的商人精神经过历史的选择、沉淀和承继,仍然会对现代的商人予以无形的影响。从19世纪香港华商崛起的历程中观察当时香港华商的精神,有助探究和理解当代香港独特的华商精神。     

The Voluntary Inclusion of Forecasts in the MD&A Section of Annual Reports*

Abstract. In this study, we appeal to theories advanced by Darrough and Stoughton (1990) to enhance our understanding of why some firms may voluntarily include directional forecasts in their annual reports while others do not. The data are consistent with their predictions that a firm's disclosure policy reflects its concern for both financial market valuation and product market competition. We find that for “good news firms, the probability of forecasting is increasing in the financing requirements but decreasing in the threat of competitor entry. The converse holds for “bad news” firms. These results lend further empirical support to the observation that the familiar good news hypothesis tested in the management earnings forecast literature offers only a partial explanation for the decision to forecast. Interestingly, however, even after controlling for financial and product market considerations, an overall voluntary disclosure bias still exists in the data. The data also provide support for the OSC's concern about a voluntary disclosure bias. Only 17.5 percent of our sample forecasts represent revisions downward relative to the previous year's results. However, in contrast to the OSC's concern about a general lack of forward-looking disclosures in annual reports, 35.9 percent of our sample firms include directional forecasts in their MD&A or elsewhere in the annual report.     

Determinants of Managerial Earnings Guidance Prior to Regulation Fair Disclosure and Bias in Analysts' Earnings Forecasts*

Prior to Regulation Fair Disclosure (“Reg FD”), some management privately guided analyst earnings estimates, often through detailed reviews of analysts' earnings models. In this paper I use proprietary survey data from the National Investor Relations Institute to identify firms that reviewed analysts' earnings models prior to Reg FD and those that did not. Under the maintained assumption that firms conducting reviews guided analysts' earnings forecasts, I document firm characteristics associated with the decision to provide private earnings guidance. Then I document the characteristics of “guided” versus “unguided” analyst earnings forecasts. Findings demonstrate an association between several firm characteristics and guidance practices: managers are more likely to review analyst earnings models when the firm's stock is highly followed by analysts and largely held by institutions, when the firm's market‐to‐book ratio is high, and its earnings are important to valuation but hard to predict because its business is complex. A comparison of guided and unguided quarterly forecasts indicates that guided analyst estimates are more accurate, but also more frequently pessimistic. An examination of analysts' annual earnings forecasts over the fiscal year does not distinguish between guidance and no‐guidance firms; both experience a “walk‐down” in annual estimates. To distinguish between guidance and no‐guidance firms, one must examine quarterly earnings news: unguided analysts walk down their annual estimates when the majority of the quarterly earnings news is negative; guided analysts walk down their annual estimates even though the majority of the quarterly earnings news is positive.     

How Has Regulation FD Affected the Operations of Financial Analysts?*

In this paper, we analyze how financial analysts generate information, make decisions about firm coverage, and try to maintain their forecasting accuracy after the passage of Regulation Fair Disclosure (“Reg FD”). Using the model developed by Barron, Kim, Lim, and Stevens 1998, we find that analysts are investing more effort in idiosyncratic information discovery. In order to do this, individual analysts appear to be reducing coverage for well‐followed firms while increasing coverage of firms that were less followed prior to Reg FD. Analysts who had preferential links with firms that they covered, such as analysts from large brokerage houses, tend to have greater forecast accuracy in the pre‐FD period. However, these analysts are unable to sustain their forecasting superiority in the post‐FD period, which suggests that there has been a leveling of the information playing field among analysts. Overall, our results reflect a trend toward greater reliance on idiosyncratic information discovery on part of the financial analysts.     

自由现金流、控制结构与投资——对A股和香港上市公司的比较研究

文章从控制结构和市场环境角度对A股和香港上市公司的投资—现金流敏感性作了比较研究。本文的研究发现,A股和香港上市公司的投资与自由现金流存在显著的正相关关系。控制结构是投资—现金流敏感性的影响因素,多数制衡控制、多数独占控制和少数状态依存控制结构的投资—现金流敏感性依次增加。处在不同的市场环境中,投资—现金流敏感性水平也会表现出差异。香港本地股的投资与自由现金流之间的相关关系最强,其次为A+H股和A股。     

近期香港经济形势分析与预测

2007年香港经济呈现持续增长的态势,保持其在全球竞争的优势地位。《内地与香港关于建立更紧密经贸关系的安排》(CEPA)的全面实施,香港与中国内地的经贸合作迈上新台阶,双边进出口贸易、相互投资以及工程承包与劳务合作均有不同程度的增长。展望2008年,香港经济发展和转型将面临一系列新的机遇与挑战。     

中国内地与香港经济周期的区制依赖协同性分析——纳入美国经济影响的实证

本文运用Markov区制转移模型,对中国内地与香港经济周期协同性的区制依赖特征以及美国对两地经济周期协同性的影响进行了分析。实证结果不仅证实两地经济周期的协同性存在依赖于经济周期区制状态的门限性质,而且显示:两地经济周期的正向协同性,隐含了美国作为两地之间经济冲击的传递渠道以及两地共同的外部冲击源的影响;当剥离出美国经济的影响之后,两地经济周期的协同程度较为微弱。在此背景下,促进中国内地与香港经济周期的长期趋同,应科学甄别和合理利用美国经济对两地经济周期协同性的影响。     

Do Chinese domestic firms benefit from FDI inflow?: Evidence of horizontal and vertical spillovers

Using a large panel dataset covering all manufacturing firms (above a minimum scale) in China from 1998 to 2005, this paper examines whether there exist productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment (FDI) to domestic firms. In estimating productivity, we control for a possible simultaneity bias by using semi-parametric estimation techniques. We find that Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan (HMT) invested firms generate negative horizontal spillovers, while Non-HMT foreign invested firms (mostly from OECD countries) tend to bring positive horizontal spillovers in China. These two opposing horizontal effects seem to cancel out at the aggregate level. We also find strong and robust vertical spillover effects on both state-owned firms and non-state firms. However, vertical spillover effects from export-oriented FDI are weaker than those from domestic-market-oriented FDI.     

An Examination of the Statistical Significance and Economic Relevance of Profitability and Earnings Forecasts from Models and Analysts

In this paper, we propose and empirically test a cross‐sectional profitability forecasting model which incorporates two major improvements relative to extant models. First, in terms of model construction, we incorporate mean reversion through the use of a two‐stage partial adjustment model and inclusion of a number of additional relevant determinants of profitability. Second, in terms of model estimation, we employ least absolute deviation (LAD) analysis instead of ordinary least squares because the former approach is able to better accommodate outliers. Results reveal that forecasts from our model are more accurate than three extant models at every forecast horizon considered and more accurate than consensus analyst forecasts at forecast horizons of two through five years. Further analysis reveals that LAD estimation provides the greatest incremental accuracy improvement followed by the inclusion of income subcomponents as predictor variables, and implementation of the two‐stage partial adjustment model. In terms of economic relevance, we find that forecasts from our model are informative about future returns, incremental to forecasts from other models, analysts’ forecasts, and standard risk factors. Overall, our results are important because they document the increased accuracy and economic relevance of a cross‐sectional profitability forecasting model which incorporates improvements to extant models in terms of model construction and estimation.     

Determinants and effects of the use of COVID-19 business support programs in Japan

Using a survey of and financial data for Japanese small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs), this paper examines the determinants of firms’ use of the business support programs provided by the Japanese government during the COVID-19 pandemic and their effect. With respect to the determinants, we obtain the following three findings: First, firms were more likely to have obtained subsidized loans, grants, or subsidies the more their sales had fallen during the pandemic, suggesting that funds flowed to firms that were adversely affected by the pandemic. Second, the likelihood that firms obtained funds was higher if their credit scores were lower or if they were classified as “zombies” and/or “low-return borrowers” before the pandemic, suggesting that the government programs also helped firms that had been under-performing before the pandemic. Third, firms were more likely to receive funds if they had a stronger relationship with their main bank before, suggesting that bank relationships play an important role in firms’ access to government programs. Regarding the causal effects, we obtain the following three findings: First, except for the subsidies for employment adjustment, the support programs increased the cash holdings of user firms. Second, subsidized loans from private financial institutions lowered exit rates, while none of the programs had a significantly positive effect on employment relative to non-users (or in absolute terms). Third, the credit scores and profit-to-sales ratio of firms that used the support programs decreased and the likelihood of such firms being a zombie and/or a low-return borrower increased. Overall, our findings provide a cautionary tale in that the business support programs produced mixed results in that they may have prevented business failures but have also helped to prop up firms that are not viable in the long run.     

Post‐IFRS Revaluation Adjustments and Executive Compensation

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) allow firms to record adjustments (gains or losses) from the revaluation of investment properties in their income statements. After Hong Kong adopted IFRS in 2005, property companies were required to move their revaluation gains and losses (RGL) from equity to income. We find RGL to be a significant determinant of executive compensation in these firms after 2005, but not before. We further find evidence that the RGL‐compensation association is driven by firms with relative weak corporate governance structure, such as firms in which the controlling shareholders own a relatively small percentage of shares, firms in which the controlling shareholders have control rights that exceed ownership rights, and firms that are no longer run by their founders.     

CEPA and Pan Pearl River Delta Economic Integration: A Comparative Business Development Perspective

Abstract

The introduction of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) at the beginning of 2004 and, more recently, CEPA-2 has provided a framework for increased business development in the Pearl River Delta area of China and the Special Administrative Regions of Macau and Hong Kong. In particular, the introduction of CEPA may lead to a significant increase in trade between Hong Kong and the neighbouring Guangdong Province.

This paper examines the economic context into which the CEPA provisions have been implemented from an international perspective and it contains an assessment of relevant business development issues, particularly the case of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in mainland China and Hong Kong. Wider issues for direct investment and the role of Hong Kong are also assessed. Experience with the implementation of free trade and associated market developments in other parts of the world is included but it is suggested that such models are of limited use in assessing economic development in the Pan Pearl River Delta Area. It seems that models derived from local practice will be more effective.     

A Eurasian Economic Vision for the Twenty-first Century

Widespread corruption in mainland China adversely affects the overall economy in general and international business in particular. Prior to the establishment of the Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) in 1974, corruption was also rampant in Hong Kong. The ICAC effectively cleaned corruption in Hong Kong within a short period of time. Hong Kong's success in this area has prompted the Chinese government to learn from Hong Kong's experience. This article reviews the factors that contributed to Hong Kong's success in fighting corruption and discusses whether China can learn from the Hong Kong experience. From this, we can conclude that, first, Hong Kong's experience demonstrates that a corruption‐prone culture can be changed in a relatively short period of time; second, in order for China to learn from Hong Kong's experience, there must be substantial changes in China's political and economic institutions.