Disclosure of Private Information and Reduction of Uncertainty: Environmental Liabilities in the Chemical Industry

We investigate the potential uncertainty-reducing role of accounting information in the context of contingent Superfund liability valuation. We first develop theoretical arguments for the way reduction of uncertainty regarding these contingent liabilities is expected to affect security prices. Empirical proxies are developed for two types of uncertainty surrounding contingent Superfund liabilities: site uncertainty and allocation uncertainty. In a valuation framework, we then investigate whether financial statement disclosures and accruals reduce uncertainty and thereby affect security valuation. Specifically, we analyze the interaction of private information contained in firm disclosures and accruals with inherent uncertainty surrounding contingent Superfund liabilities. Results suggest that in a regulatory environment allowing substantial reporting discretion, firm-provided financial statement information affects valuation of contingent Superfund liabilities by reducing uncertainty. Further, we find that information revealed through accruals versus disclosures is differentially effective at reducing site and allocation uncertainty.     

Evidence on the Timing and Determinants of Overfunded Pension Plan Termination

This paper examines the factors associated with the timing of overfunded pension plan termination.     

Subordinated Market Index Models: A Comparison

The paper compares various processes subordinated to the Wiener process tomodel the leptokurtic characteristics of index returns. Empirical analysisis performed on the Dow Jones and Nikkei 225 indexes. A good model to capturethe typical tail behaviour of these indexes turns out to be a long Studentt distributed one.     

资源类上市公司的价值评估方法探讨

现有“利润加储量”的评估方法应用于资源类公司仍在某些环节出现悖论。本文认为，资源类上市公司的价值构成应包括矿权重估溢价、正常开采投资收益及个别公司的超额利润。其中，采矿权重估溢价的潜在收益应是在矿权未市场化之前的资源类企业获得的特有收益，但其收益期和相应的折现期也因矿权的逐步市场化而受到采矿权有效期的限制。本文用简单模型估算了主要资源类上市公司的基本价值。     

Relative accuracy and predictive ability of direct valuation methods, price to aggregate earnings method and a hybrid approach

In this paper, we assess the relative performance of the direct valuation method and industry multiplier models using 41 435 firm‐quarter Value Line observations over an 11 year (1990–2000) period. Results from both pricing‐error and return‐prediction analyses indicate that direct valuation yields lower percentage pricing errors and greater return prediction ability than the forward price to aggregated forecasted earnings multiplier model. However, a simple hybrid combination of these two methods leads to more accurate intrinsic value estimates, compared to either method used in isolation. It would appear that fundamental analysis could benefit from using one approach as a check on the other.     

Market Valuation of Research and Development Spending under Canadian GAAP*

Section 3450 of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) Handbook requires Canadian firms to capitalize development costs that meet certain criteria and to expense those that relate to research. International Accounting Standard (IAS) No. 38 favours a similar approach. In the United States, Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (SFAS) No. 2 recommends the immediate expensing of all research and development (R&D) spending. The only exception is SFAS No. 86, which requires software development costs to be capitalized when a product successfully passes a technological feasibility test. Consequently, the Canadian financial disclosure regime provides a rich setting for testing the market valuation of capitalized R&D. Our primary research question asks whether capitalized R&D provides useful information to market participants investing in Canadian firms. We use price‐level and return models to assess the value relevance of capitalized R&D disclosed in the financial statements under Canadian GAAP. In line with expectations, using a price‐level model, we find that capitalized R&D and R&D expense as disclosed in the financial statements provide information that is value relevant to market participants. However, we find that R&D capitalized during the year helps explain returns while R&D expense does not. Thus we conclude that the application of section 3450 of the CICA Handbook produces value‐relevant information.     

中国居民资产配置效率的门限效应研究:金融约束视角

本文基于金融约束视角,结合微观调查数据,并运用门限回归法和两阶段最小二乘法,对我国居民资产配置效率的门限效应问题进行研究。结果表明,从流动性约束、房产持有及商业资产持有三个角度分析居民面临的金融约束,居民资产配置效率的非对称门限效应在不同样本中都显著存在。居民持有资产的风险水平越高,带来的投资收益增量部分越低。同时,持有房产在缓解居民金融约束的同时,资产风险增加对于居民资产配置收益的促进作用仍然下降,受流动性约束影响低的居民以及持有商业资产的居民均能够获得更高的资产配置收益。在不改变金融约束的框架下,以商业性资产替代房产作为主要资产种类能够从微观层面增强经济稳定性,降低系统性金融风险,优化收入结构,提升资产配置效率。     

城乡一体化背景下耕地社会保障价值研究——以安徽省怀宁县为例

当下农村改革不断深化,农村经济社会面貌迅速变化,城乡一体化引领农村发展进入新阶段。为阐明当前农村地区耕地社会保障现状和发展趋势,本文采用条件价值评估法(CVM)在安徽省怀宁县进行了耕地社会保障价值研究。在条件价值评估法下,利用二项回归模型分析了影响受访者受偿意愿的相关因素,结果表明:受访者年龄、家庭年收入与受偿意愿呈负相关;家庭收入来源、农地流转期限、新农保养老金发放级别与受偿意愿呈正相关;同时测算出怀宁县耕地资源社会保障总价值为9.91亿元,占当地2014年国民生产总值的5.68%,单位面积耕地社会保障价值为1 141.67元/667m~2,占当地征地统一年产值的71.95%。通过与他人相关研究对比分析,结论认为目前耕地在中部地区农村社会保障体系中仍承担着基础性作用,但随着城乡一体化趋势的不断增强,耕地社会保障地位正在弱化,农村社会保障多元化发展趋势明显。     

从委托代理角度看价值评估行业监管失效问题

随着我国资本证券市场的迅速发展,资产重组、股权分置改革、实物期权等运作都需要由价值评估中介机构完成,价值评估行业已成为我国经济生活中不可或缺的重要组成部分。而近年来一系列的虚假评估事件,使人们对资产评估师的职业道德产生了怀疑,也使价值评估行业的公信力降到了前所未有的最低点。除了评估师自身存在的问题外,外部行业监管失效也是重要原因之一。文中从委托代理理论入手,对国内价值评估行业监管失效的现象进行了深入的分析,并针对存在的问题提出了改进的建议。     

基于技术生命周期的技术转让评价方法探讨

随着经济的快速发展,业界对技术的重要性认知与获取技术的需求日益增强。技术转让是获取技术的重要方式之一,对技术进行科学的评价是技术转让能否成功的关键。本文探讨了不同技术生命周期阶段的技术转让评价问题,以供参考。