Why Do Firms Raise Foreign Currency Denominated Debt? Evidence from Finland

This study examines the determinants of the decision to raise currency debt. The results suggest that hedging figures importantly in the currency–of–denomination decision: firms in which exports constitute a significant fraction of net sales are more likely to raise currency debt. However, firms also tend to borrow in periods when the nominal interest rate for the loan currency, relative to other currencies, is lower than usual. This is consistent with the currency debt issue decision being affected by speculative motives. Large firms, with a wider access to the international capital markets, are more likely to borrow in foreign currencies than small firms.     

Commitment problems justify subsidies for medical insurance

Consumers who believe that government will provide them with some public medical care, even if they did not purchase medical insurance, may choose to purchase no such insurance. The amount of medical care consumed will then be less than the first-best optimum. Under specified conditions government can then increase the welfare of consumers by subsidizing insurance, or by providing public health care at a more generous level than the minimum it would otherwise give.     

On the Constitution of a Compound Republic

A compound republic presents the unique opportunity for each level of government to check abuses of the constitution by the other level. This article summarizes why judicial review has not proved to be sufficient to maintain a constitution and the necessary changes to the U.S. Constitution to make the structure of this compound republic more effective.     

To whom are IAS earnings informative? Domestic versus foreign shareholders' perspectives

Using a sample from the Helsinki Stock Exchange, this paper analyses the information content of dual disclosures of IAS (International Accounting Standards) and LAS (Local Accounting Standards) earnings. Their information content to foreign and domestic shareholders can be distinguished from each other as the unrestricted shares (available to foreign and domestic investors) and the restricted shares (available to domestic investors only) of the same set of companies were listed separately during 198492. The information content is tested with regressions using market-adjusted stock returns measured from the fifty-week period ending in the week of financial statements release. The overall findings suggest that restating local GAAP earnings according to the IAS helps to meet foreign investors' information needs, but is of limited use to domestic investors.     

The determinants of cash holdings in private family firms

We present empirical evidence on traditional and family firm–specific determinants of cash holdings in the under‐researched context of private family firms. We examine, from an agency theoretic perspective, how and to what extent the relation between family firm management and cash holdings is moderated by the ownership structure. Results reveal that descendant CEOs appear to maintain higher cash holdings than founder CEOs. This effect seems to be stronger if there is a low ownership dispersion. Moreover, outside CEOs maintain higher cash holdings than family CEOs if the family firm is owned by a single owner.