Structure and process of diversification,compensation strategy,and firm performance

This study tests six hypotheses on the extent to which a match between compensation and diversification strategies affects firm performance. Using both archival and survey data, results generally support the notion that a firm's compensation strategies make a greater contribution to firm performance if these are attuned to extent and process of corporate diversification. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for future research on compensation-diversification strategy relations and their interactive effect on firm performance.     

Bidder returns in bancassurance mergers: Is there evidence of synergy?

We provide evidence on the potential for bidder wealth gains in bancassurance mergers by examining a sample of such mergers in the United States and abroad. These combinations are expected to produce positive wealth gains if there are synergies between these two types of financial firms. We find positive bidder wealth effects that are significantly related to economies of scale (as measured by the size of the target relative to the bidder), potential economies of scope, and the locations of the bidders and targets. These results suggest that the bancassurance architectural structure for financial firms does offer some benefits and thus may become more prominent in future years.     

Product diversification and bank risk: evidence from South Asian banking institutions

ABSTRACT

We investigate whether the product diversification activities of South Asian banking institutions have led to an increase or decrease in their solvency and profit risks. Using the data of five countries – India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – for the period 2000–2016, we analyse the effect of both income and assets diversification activities on the Z-score and SDs of ROA (Return on Assets) and ROE Return on Equity). Among income diversification activities, securities trading income has a significant positive influence on bank risk while other categories have no influence. With respect to assets diversification, non-interest-bearing assets and loans given to government were found to have a significant positive influence on bank risk, while mortgage loans and non-classified loans have opposite influences. However, the impacts of securities trading income and loans given to the government are mainly confined to private sector banks and state-owned banks, respectively. We also uncover some country-specific diversification influences on the above relationships.     

Portfolio concentration and performance of institutional investors worldwide

Using data on security holdings for 10,771 institutional investors from 72 countries, we test whether concentrated investment strategies result in excess risk-adjusted returns. We examine several measures of portfolio concentration with respect to countries and industries and find that portfolio concentration is directly related to risk-adjusted returns for institutional investors worldwide. Results suggest, in contrast to traditional asset pricing theory and in support of information advantage theory, that concentrated investment strategies in international markets can be optimal.     

Product diversification and property performance in the urban lodging market: The relationship and its moderators

In this study, we investigate the relationship between product diversification and hotel property performance as well as the moderators of this relationship in the urban lodging market. Using stochastic frontier analysis with panel data, we calibrate the efficiency scores of 377 urban hotels in Beijing from 1994 to 2005. We then investigate the impact of product diversification on performance as measured by efficiency score. Results from panel data models indicate that the degree of product diversification exhibits a positive relationship with hotel performance. Hotel location, diversification expansion rate, and foreign ownership/operation are found to be significant moderating factors determining the effect of product diversification. Specifically, hotels that (a) are located farther from the city center, (b) expand diversification more slowly, and (c) are domestically owned are more likely to leverage the benefits stemming from product diversification. We provide a series of practical evaluation modules to help hoteliers improve performance.     

Why do banks choose to finance with equity?

A majority of U.S. banks between 1973 and 2012 held equity capital significantly beyond the required minimum. We study the risk-return tradeoff in connection with a bank’s capital structure, and identify several new significant market factors that drive the level of equity capital in banks. During normal growth periods, bank leverage is negatively related to a level of competition and loan portfolio diversification, while high bank leverage is associated with low past liquidity. During recessions and expansions, the roles of those factors change following distortions in risk-return tradeoff. In distress, when banks approach regulatory capital requirements, market determinants of book leverage lose their significance; however, leverage does not decrease until a bank is within 1% of the minimal capital threshold.     

Heterogeneity risks and negative externality

Diversified institutions coexist in financial markets with different degrees of exposure and contribution to the systemic risk. Therefore, the identification and regulation of systemically important institutions are of great significance. This paper investigates the negative externality in a model where the heterogeneity risks of institutions interact and alienate the value of each other, with the bankruptcy risk acting as the kernel factor. The market negative externality increases when the bankruptcy risk is high. Furthermore, as an institution with a minimum tail index, the “first domino” dominates the bankruptcy risk of the market. The first domino accumulation and phantasm are prone to cause systemic crises. The market bankruptcy index decreases as the non-first domino participates in the risk sharing. Finally, we empirically study implications of the above findings for adjusting the market structure and managing risks, in the Chinese financial markets.     

The Credit Crisis and De Nova Mimicking in Security Analysis

The failure of the investment community in 2007 to foresee the systematic collapse of the credit default swap market significantly increased the complexity of security analysis and damaged the reputation of the security analyst community in general. submit that in response to the credit crisis, security analysts may have engaged in a de nova form of mimicking by increasing emphasis on general market factors and reducing emphasis on idiosyncratic factors in their valuations, driven by behavioral motives to achieve increased cost efficiency and avoid higher penalties for unfavorable outlier valuations. The result would be increased correlation among security valuations and therefore returns, and diminished benefits of diversification. We test this hypothesis by examining the patterns of security and portfolio returns surrounding the onset of the credit crisis in early 2007 and observe a significant postcrisis increase in the proportion of security and portfolio returns explained by market factors. The findings support the hypothesized shift in emphasis in security analyst valuation techniques, and provide results consistent with the hypothesized behavioral explanations.     

进入房地产行业的多元化方式与提高企业绩效

多元化战略一直是企业管理人员所关注的。本文选取了沪深两地在2001—2008年新进入房地产业的119家上市公司,运用Wilcoxon符号秩和检验和面板分析的方法对比研究它们在进入房地产行业前后的业绩变化。结果显示,这种面向房地产的多元化对企业的绩效是不利的,在进入房地产行业当年和之后1年企业绩效虽然有所下降,但不显著;而在进入之后第2年,企业的业绩有显著的下降。同时,研究也发现在这些实施房地产多元化的公司中,杠杆系数和负债规模是与企业绩效呈显著负相关的。     

企业性质、多元化内部市场与并购绩效

本文以2003年至2007年所有A股上市公司的并购事件为样本,实证分析了我国不同类型企业多元化并购的市场反应。结果发现:我国民营企业多元化并购存在溢价现象,市场反应显著优于相关并购(累计超额收益率高出2.4);我国国有企业(地方国企和中央国企)多元化并购不存在溢价现象,市场反应与相关并购没有显著差异;我国民营企业相对于国有企业更易实施多元化并购。这些研究结果支持多元化的内部市场理论。