Risk effects of GM corn: Evidence from crop insurance outcomes and high-dimensional methods

This study evaluates whether genetically modified (GM) corn hybrids with rootworm resistant traits (GM-RW) have lower yield risk. A crop insurance actuarial performance measure, the loss cost ratio (LCR), is used to represent yield risk. High-dimensional methods are utilized in this study to maintain parsimony in the empirical specification, and facilitate estimation. Specifically, we employ the Cluster-Lasso (cluster-least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) procedure. This method produces uniformly valid inference on the main variable of interest (i.e., the GM-RW variable) in a high-dimensional panel data setting even in the presence of heteroskedastic, non-Gaussian, and clustered error structures. After controlling for a large set of potential weather confounders using Cluster-Lasso, we find consistent evidence that GM corn hybrids with rootworm resistant traits have lower yield risk.     

去杠杆策略、风险感知与审计质量

基于高质量发展和供给侧结构性改革的制度背景，以2007—2019年非金融上市公司为样本，构建企业去杠杆策略的度量指标，实证检验企业去杠杆策略对审计质量的影响。研究发现，相比于“增权”策略，采用“减债”策略去杠杆的企业被出具非标准审计意见的概率增加，审计质量提高。进一步分析显示：上述现象在企业聘用的会计师事务所规模越大的情形下加强；在市场化程度越高以及分析师关注度越高的情形下得到缓解；企业的去杠杆策略通过经营风险、财务风险和信息披露风险三条途径影响审计质量。最后，进行敏感性测试和内生性检验，上述结论依然稳健。研究为推动政府部门化解企业高杠杆率、审计师警惕“减债”策略去杠杆企业的审计风险、企业管理者制定去杠杆策略提供了政策支持和理论依据。     

Regulatory capital and asset risk transfer

We explore whether life insurers use a unique reinsurance arrangement to manage assets tied to their regulatory capital. Typical reinsurance allows insurers to reduce their regulatory capital by transferring liabilities (reserves), and the associated assets, to reinsurers. With modified coinsurance (ModCo), insurers maintain control of their liabilities and assets while transferring regulatory capital requirements to the reinsurer. Holding fixed an insurer's reported capital, we find that ModCo allows insurers to report higher risk-based capital ratios. Insurers with ModCo are less likely to fire sale downgraded bonds. We also find suggestive evidence of regulatory arbitrage, as most ModCo is purchased from reinsurers in countries with low capital requirements or within the same insurance group.     

Which food delivery platforms are winning the restaurant food delivery wars? Analysis from a consumer perspective

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically lowered the foodservice industry's income overnight. Conversely, the practical measure of remaining at home to deal with the pandemic's impact has boosted the online food delivery business. In this study, a consumer perspective was adopted and an adapted version of the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) was used alongside multi-attribute decision-making methods (DEMATEL, DANP and modified VIKOR) to construct a model for evaluating and selecting a food delivery platform (FDP). The results of the INRM (influential network relation map) revealed that the first dimension to be improved upon and adjusted should be security, followed by effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation and habit. The DANP influential weights suggested that habits were the most important dimension, followed by hedonic motivation, while performance expectancy was the least important. According to the results of the gap analysis, the first dimension that required improvement was performance expectancy, followed by effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, security, social influence, habits and hedonic motivation. It is expected that the findings of this study can serve as a reference for consumers selecting FDPs to better satisfy their dining needs. The novel model is discussed in terms of theoretical, practical and managerial implications.