International equities listed on the New York stock exchange: does type of issue or date of issue matter?

The initial short-term (21-day) and long-term (3-year) excess returns for foreign initial public offering (IPO) and seasoned equity offering (SEO) American depository receipts (ADRs) listed on the New York stock exchange from 1990 to 2009 are tested to determine differences in performance based on type of issue and date of issue for the decades of the 1990s and the 2000s. The overall sample outperformed the S&P 500 Index by over 5?% after the first 3?years of trading; however, SEO ADRs outperformed IPO ADRs by nearly 19?% (relative to the market index). Breaking IPO and SEO ADR returns down by decade of issue shows that those listed in the 2000s for both samples drastically outperformed those listed in the 1990s in the long term. Both samples of ADRs listed in the 2000s also significantly outperformed the S&P 500 index in the first 36?months of trading. In the short-term results, for the first 21?days of trading, the SEO ADRs significantly outperformed the market by 2.1?%, while IPO ADRs outperformed by 0.97?% (though not significant).     

Are there permanent valuation gains to overseas listing?

This paper tests whether foreign equity listings are associatedwith permanent valuation gains and examines how market and firmcharacteristics influence any valuation effects. Using a globalsample of 1,676 listings placed in 25 countries, we find thatmuch of the valuation gains to overseas listings are not permanent.The transitory nature of valuation gains holds for both averageUS listings and average first-time firm listings. We find littleevidence of a permanent effect on returns for firms that listabroad, even for firms’ listings in markets that are moreliquid, provide better legal protection, or have a larger shareholderbase.     

The role of behavioural factors and opportunity costs in farmers' participation in voluntary agri-environmental schemes: A systematic review

Agri-environmental schemes (AESs) are increasingly implemented to promote the adoption of environmentally friendly practices by farmers. We use a systematic review to explore the role of behavioural factors and opportunity costs in farmers' decisions to participate in AESs in Australia, Europe and North America. Behavioural factors influence how farmers value and perceive options, while opportunity costs relate to farmers' forgone utility when choosing to participate in schemes. We synthesise insights from 79 articles and over 700 factors explaining the participation in AESs. We find that a set of behavioural factors seem consistently connected to participation, including agricultural training, advice and having positive attitudes towards AESs. Moreover, several factors related to opportunity costs also have a rather consistent relationship with AES participation, including market conditions, implementation efforts, profitability, and management and contract flexibility. However, many relationships of behavioural factors and opportunity costs with AES participation are not as consistent and generalizable as sometimes portrayed and require context-specific interpretation. Those factors with mixed results can still provide insights into farmers' participation decisions as several of them are either ‘positively and insignificantly’ or ‘negatively and insignificantly’ related to participation, such as environmental attitude, trust and farm size. These results suggest that their relationship with AES participation depends on other factors or the setting, highlighting interactions and raising important new research questions. Overall, our results provide several entry points for both researchers and policy-makers, highlighting uncertainties in relationships between factors and participation that should be considered when designing policies.     

The Brexit effect: the case of UK ADR performance one year later

In an unexpected outcome, UK voters decided that it was time to exit the European Union based on the results of a vote held on 23 June 2016. Studies of the affects and implication of Brexit include a study showing that the vote was met with a negative short-term wealth effect for UK American depository receipts (ADRs). This study examines the one-year anniversary holding period returns of these ADRs along with the British Pound and the FTSE 100 to discover any lingering effects from the historical vote. Results indicate that the one-year holding period returns for the ADRs averaged 5.8% for the year while the FTSE gained 4.8%, the S&P 500 gained 15.4% and the Pound lost 13.2% of its value.     

The value of information and optimal organization

The article addresses the issue of optimal organization of production. I compare three organizational forms: centralization (one agent produces different inputs), decentralization (each of two agents produces a different input and contracts directly with the principal), and delegation (two agents produce different inputs, the principal contracts with one of them only). The optimal organizational form depends on the degree of complementarity/substitutability between the inputs in the final use. The degree of complementarity/substitutability also determines whether delegation is payoff equivalent to the two‐agent mechanism from the point of view of the principal. In the context of delegation, I consider which of the two agents should serve as the primary contractor. I also address the issue of collusion between the agents in a decentralized organization and characterize the conditions under which a stake of collusion exists.     

THE EIGENFUNCTION EXPANSION METHOD IN MULTI-FACTOR QUADRATIC TERM STRUCTURE MODELS

We propose the eigenfunction expansion method for pricing options in quadratic term structure models. The eigenvalues, eigenfunctions, and adjoint functions are calculated using elements of the representation theory of Lie algebras not only in the self-adjoint case, but in non-self-adjoint case as well; the eigenfunctions and adjoint functions are expressed in terms of Hermite polynomials. We demonstrate that the method is efficient for pricing caps, floors, and swaptions, if time to maturity is 1 year or more. We also consider subordination of the same class of models, and show that in the framework of the eigenfunction expansion approach, the subordinated models are (almost) as simple as pure Gaussian models. We study the dependence of Black implied volatilities and option prices on the type of non-Gaussian innovations.     

The Role of Language in the Communication Process Between Business and Government: Evidence from Russian Firms

Abstract

The paper investigates how language facilitates communication process between government and business. We use Russian context to show barriers and challenges of using language in official communication between governmental authorities and Russian companies. In our work, we demonstrate how language may produce employee’s misunderstanding and discuss typical sources of ineffective usage of language. The results indicate that problematic issues of both linguistic and non-linguistic nature can lead to serious implications for successful communication between government and business in Russia. We found that documentations’ complexity, which is perceived as such due to a complicated subject area they belong to (legal, tax, etc.) and language insufficiency applied are most likely to raise multiple problems related to government’s communication with business.     

Modelling hydroclimatic uncertainty and short‐run irrigator decision making: the Goulburn system*

Australia has an incredibly variable and unpredictable hydroclimate, and while irrigation is designed to reduce risk, significant uncertainty remains in both seasonal water availability (‘allocations’) and irrigation crop water requirements. This paper explores the nature and impacts of seasonal hydroclimatic uncertainty on irrigator decision making and temporary water markets in the Goulburn system in northern Victoria. Irrigation and water trading plans are modelled for the three seasons of the irrigation year (spring, summer and autumn) via discrete stochastic programming, and contrasted against a perfect information base case. In water‐scarce environments, hydroclimatic uncertainty is found to be costly, in terms of both the efficiency of irrigation decisions and the allocation of water via the water market.     

The Overseas Listing Decision: New Evidence of Proximity Preference

Using a cross section of effectively the entire universe ofoverseas listings across world markets, we examine the marketpreferences of firms listing their stock abroad. We find thatgeographic, economic, cultural, and industrial proximity playthe dominant role in the choice of overseas listing venue. Contraryto the notion that firms maximize international portfolio diversificationgains in listing abroad, cross-listing activity is more commonacross markets for which diversification gains are relativelylow. Our findings imply that the same proximity constraintsthat are believed to lead to "home bias" in investment portfoliodecisions also exert a profound influence on financing decisions.