Conflict of Interest in Commercial Bank Equity Underwriting

This paper examines the pricing characteristics of initial public offerings underwritten by commercial banks. Assuming IPO underpricing is directly related to ex ante uncertainty, if the market rationally perceives these commercial banks to have a conflict of interest, these securities should have more underpricing than non-commercial bank underwritten initial public offerings (all else being equal). On the other hand, if the market believes that commercial bank involvement signals firm quality, less underpricing should be observed. This topic has recently gained in importance with the passage of the Financial Services Reform Act in November 1999. We find that the underpricing of commercial bank underwritten initial public offerings in which the firm had a previous banking relationship with the underwriter is significantly less than those underwritten by investment banks.     

Universal Banking,Conflicts of Interest and Firm Growth

This paper studies the relationship between universal banking and firm performance. With 40 developing and developed countries, I find that the overall effect of universal banking on firm growth is negative. This suggests that the negative effect of conflicts of interest dominates the positive effect of economies of scale and scope in universal banking. However, in countries with stronger protection of creditors’ rights and higher information efficiency, conflicts of interest are less likely and the negative relationship between universal banking and firm growth is significantly weaker.

Behavioural Bias and Conflicts of Interest in Analyst Stock Recommendations

Abstract:  This paper tests whether sell-side analysts are prone to behavioural errors when making stock recommendations as well as the impact of investment banking relationships on their judgments. In particular, we analyse their report narratives for evidence of cognitive bias. We find first that new buy recommendations on average have no investment value whereas new sell recommendations do, and take time to be assimilated by the market. We also show that new buy recommendations are distinguished from new sells both by the level of analyst optimism and representativeness bias as well as with increased conflicts of interest. Successful new buy recommendations are characterised by lower prior returns, value stock status, smaller firms and weaker investment banking relationships. On the other hand, successful new sells do not differ from their unsuccessful counterparts in terms of these measures. As such, we provide evidence that analysts are prone both to behavioural bias as well as potential conflicts of interest in their new buy stock recommendation decisions. We also show that these two explanations of analyst behaviour are to a great extent independent of each other. Consequently, the recent attempts by regulators to address potential conflicts of interest in analyst behaviour may have only limited impact.     

The consequences to analyst involvement in the IPO process: Evidence surrounding the JOBS Act

The JOBS Act allows certain analysts to be more involved in the IPO process, but does not relax restrictions on analyst compensation structure. We find that these analysts initiate coverage that is more optimistically biased, less accurate, and generates smaller stock market reactions. Investors purchasing shares following these initiations lose over 3% of their investment by the firm's subsequent earnings release. By contrast, issuers, analysts, and investment banks appear to benefit from this increased bias, as optimism is more positively associated with proxies for firm visibility and investment banking revenues when analysts are involved in the IPO process.     

板块差异、上市效应与盈余质量研究——来自创业板和中小板的证据

本文以中小板与创业板近两年首发上市的公司为样本,研究公司首发上市与盈余质量之间的关系。研究发现,公司上市前一年盈余操纵的程度显著下降,但创业板公司盈余操纵程度大于中小板公司。虽然盈余操纵行为推高了发行价,但投资者的认购热情未受到影响,首日投资回报取决于投资者情绪,与盈利能力及成长性无关。首发上市时的盈余操纵程度随着第一大股东持股比例的增加而降低,但董事长兼总经理的现象导致盈余质量下降,而机构投资者和会计师事务所也未能显著提高盈余质量。创业板公司盈余质量整体上低于中小板公司,但规模大、成立时间长的公司盈余质量相对较高。     

How Issue Size, Risk, and Complexity are Influencing External Financing Costs: German IPOs Analyzed from an Economies of Scale Perspective

This paper is focused on the cost of raising capital in Germany. A cross-sectional analysis of flotation cost data for 117 IPOs over the years 1993–1998 is presented. We find average flotation costs to be 7.77 percent of gross proceeds, while underwriting fees average 5.01 percent. Our results extend the literature in two important directions. First, contrary to the conventional economies of scale view we find marginal spreads to be rather constant in gross proceeds and to be higher for more risky and more complex offerings. Fixed costs amount to 5 to 9 percent of underwriting fees. Second, by applying a principal component analysis we find issue size, an issuer risk factor, and an offering method complexity factor to have an economicaly meaningful impact on underwriting fees.     

Long-Run Operating Performance of Initial Public Offerings in Japanese Over-the-Counter Market (1991–2001): Evidence and Implications

This paper implements a comprehensive study on the long run post-issue operating performance of more than 700 initially public offerings (IPOs) in the Japanese over-the-counter market (JASDAQ) from 1991 to 2001. Empirical results document dramatic and continuing operating underperformance that are robust to industry or mean reversion adjustment. The diagnostic tests for behavioral explanations further uncover the salient decline of market expectations by various measures over the post issuing years, as well as the upsurge in company expansion around the offering years followed by the striking dwindle soon afterwards. These findings jointly shed light on the systematic over-optimism of market investors and managers at the time of IPO events. The multiple regression analysis also demonstrates robust evidence that is favorable for the hypotheses of “Windows of Opportunity” and market timing. In contrast, we do not find that there are significant associations between changes in alternative insider ownership and the evolution of operating performance. We suggest the explanations based on the agency problem theory are not effective in explaining the long run operating underperformance of JASDAQ IPOs.JEL Classification Code: G30, G31, D80, D84     

Patents and the performance of technology firms: Evidence from initial public offerings in Germany

The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between innovation and performance for German firms that went public at the “Neuer Markt” during the period from 1997 to 2002. In the empirical analysis we investigate in particular whether initial public offerings (IPOs) with more or higher quality patents outperformed IPOs with lower quality or no patented technology. For this we measure the impact of patents on underpricing and long-run performance and explain the magnitude of these valuation effects with the Fama–French value and growth factors, with patent-specific variables such as the number of IPC-classes, family size, the number of backward and forward citations, as well as with industry variables. The empirical evidence suggests that patents are a reliable indicator for the success and the short- and long-run performance of start-up technology firms that went public and that the valuation effects are more pronounced for higher quality patents.

On the Riskiness of Universal Banking: Evidence from Banks in the Investment Banking Business Pre- and Post-GLBA

We explore whether an economically significant differential exists in market-based risk measures between universal banks and traditional banks. Using a three-asset portfolio regression model, we find that between 1990 and 2007—a period of gradual deregulation culminating in passage of the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLBA) of 1999—an increased participation in investment banking was associated with higher total and unsystematic risks and no significant change in systematic risk. Small risk-reduction benefits emerged in the post-GLBA era, but such benefits were likely the result of the particular sample period rather than a fundamental change in bank structure following the GLBA. Our results cannot justify the GLBA on risk-reduction grounds, though the Act may be defensible for other reasons.     

The Structure of External Financing Costs and the Economies of Scale View: New Evidence from Seasoned Equity Offerings in Germany

This paper is focused on the cost of raising equity capital in Germany. In the spirit of AltinkiliÇ and Hansen (2000) it challenges the conventional wisdom that flotation costs are characterised by economies of scale. For a sample of 120 SEOs on the German capital market over the years 1993–98 it is found that average total flotation costs amount to 1.61% of gross proceeds, while average underwriting fees are about 1.32%. Moreover, it turns out that flotation costs rise the larger the free float of the company is and the larger the share of stocks offered within a firm commitment cash offering is. As far as the economies of scale view is concerned, we do not find clear evidence in favour of decreasing marginal flotation costs. Moreover, fixed costs seem not to be very high in that they account on average for not more than 14–24% of total flotation costs or total underwriting fees, respectively.     

The First‐ and Second‐Hand Effect of Analysts' Stock Recommendations: Evidence from the Swiss Stock Market

This paper empirically investigates the impact of both the first release of analysts' stock recommendations to a limited clientele and the subsequent dissemination of the same information in a major newspaper to a broader audience. For a sample of 1460 stock recommendations published in FuW, Switzerland's major financial newspaper, significant positive abnormal returns on the day of the original release of buy recommendations and on the day of publication in FuW are documented. Tests of the price pressure and information hypotheses reveal that analysts' recommendations contain new information, which is quickly incorporated in the stock prices on the first release of this information. In contrast, the statistically significant announcement effects associated with the subsequent publication can be primarily ascribed to price pressure in the underlying securities.     

Expected earnings growth and the cost of capital: an analysis of accounting regime change in the European financial market

This study focuses on the relation between the cost of equity capital and earnings expectations when the properties of accounting that determine earnings vary across different regulatory regimes. More particularly, it addresses the European setting where different types of GAAP regime have continued to function in the presence of the gradual harmonization of the underlying legal framework, and where the adoption of internationally recognized accounting standards by certain firms has anticipated the requirement for International Financial Reporting Standards. On the basis of estimates of the cost of equity that are implied by analysts' earnings forecasts, the article provides evidence that financial market integration may have already contributed to mitigating the economic consequences of accounting diversity, and that switching to IFRS could have a short lived impact on capital markets. Moreover, based on firm level transparency and disclosure rankings provided by Standard and Poor's, it is shown how the quality of financial reporting conditions the implied cost of equity under different GAAP.     

The unethical practices of accountants and auditors and the compromising stance of professional bodies in the corporate world: Evidence from corporate Nigeria

Investors in Nigeria have lost several billions of dollars through the collusion of accountants and external auditors with companies’ management and directors to falsify and deliberately overstate companies’ accounts. As a consequence of unethical practices by accountants and auditors, which have resulted in the distress or occasionally the closure of companies, some indigenous Nigerian Managing Directors of multinational corporations such as Lever Brothers Nigeria Plc and Cadbury Nigeria Plc have been sacked and replaced with expatriates. Some companies placed under receivership have also lost billions of dollars due to professional misconduct by their official receivers. Contrary to the claim of ‘protecting the public interest,’ accountants and auditors may be partly responsible for cases of distress and closure of companies and banking institutions in Nigeria. However, the various Statutory Provisions and Acts relating to companies and professional bodies all place the responsibility on the accountants and auditors to detect and report to the regulators cases of suspected fraud and accounting malpractice. Through detailed consideration of cases of fraud, falsifications and deliberate overstatement of companies’ accounts, this paper examines the claim that the professional bodies are capable of protecting the public interest. It utilizes archival documents to provide evidence that suggests professional misconduct by accountants, particularly the members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). The paper provides further evidence that ICAN has been reluctant to either investigate or sanction its erring members. The paper posits that the reluctance or inability of the ICAN's “Investigation and Disciplinary Machinery” to either investigate or discipline the erring accountants and auditors suggests that whether by design or default, the ICAN's “Investigation and Disciplinary Machinery” operates to shield the activities of its erring members in accountancy firms from critical scrutiny.     

利率市场化、信贷资源配置与民营企业增长期权价值——基于贷款利率上、下限放开的准自然实验证据

利率市场化对于提高资金配置效率、推动经济高质量发展具有重要意义,来自企业的经验证据有助于理解利率市场化影响经济发展的微观路径。本文基于我国贷款利率上限与下限的放开,借助双重差分模型检验了利率市场化如何影响民营企业的信贷资源获取、投资灵活性与增长期权价值。研究表明:贷款利率市场化使得银行能够通过调节利率来匹配企业风险,相比于中等风险企业,高风险(低风险)企业在贷款利率上限(下限)放开后以更高(更低)的融资成本获得了更多信贷资源;信贷资源的增加为企业把握投资机会提供了资金支持,贷款利率上限(下限)放开后,高风险(低风险)企业的投资灵活性与增长期权价值显著提升。本文的研究发现有助于理解利率市场化促进经济增长的微观机制,为进一步健全市场化利率体系、推进经济高质量发展提供参考。     

Using Relational and Transactional MCSs to Manage the Delivery of Outsourced Public Services: Evidence from Twelve Cases in the USA

The successful management of the purchaser–provider relationship is essential for the effective delivery of public services, and entails the use of both transactional and relational approaches. We herein analyse the degree and complementarity of transactional and relational management control systems in the management of purchaser–provider relationships for the successful delivery of public services using evidence from 12 US case studies. We demonstrate that transactional and relational management control systems are controlled differently in order to improve contracting efficiency. We also show how a combination of these management control systems offers a framework for structured public accountability and service flexibility.     

官员历练、经济增长与政治擢升——基于1978～2008年中国省级官员的经验证据

本文手工搜集了1978～2008年期间中国省级官员政治生涯变动的经验数据,构建了"官员历练"指数,以GDP增长率的加速度作为经济增长的替代,研究了官员历练和经济增长因素对省级官员的政治擢升产生的竞争性影响。本文研究结果一致表明,官员历练与经济增长因素均显著影响了省级官员的擢升:(1)省级官员(含总体、省委书记子样本、省长子样本)的擢升概率与官员历练(包括虚拟变量及历练指数)、经济增长均显著正相关,但对官员历练因素更为敏感;(2)区分具体的官员历练类型后的结果表明,省级官员的擢升概率与中央工作经历、企业工作经历、经济增长均显著正相关;(3)按照地域与时间区间的分组研究结果表明,官员历练与经济增长对省级官员的擢升具有不对称的影响。