Trust Beneficiary Protection,Ownership Structure,and Risk Taking of Trust Corporations: Evidence from China

In this article, the influence of trust beneficiary protection on the risk-taking level of trust companies is examined by using a sample of 45 trust companies from 2006 to 2012. Quantified assessment indicators are established to evaluate the protection of trust beneficiaries. The results show that concentrated ownership reduces risk taking in state-controlled trust companies. And in regions with better legal systems, the inhibition of beneficiary protection over trust company risk taking is stronger. Additionally, further analysis shows that risk taking is beneficial to the performance of trust companies, and inertia is observed in trust company risk taking.