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The authors compare two market collapse incidents, focusing on their role as turning points for ESG considerations among investors that do not fall under the SRI class. The authors draw from the signaling theory to posit that ESG performance acts as a buffer to retain institutional shareholders under stress conditions.

The authors collect extensive data on institutional shareholdings and corporate performance during the pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis to examine the potential of ESG to act as a downward risk hedging mechanism. The authors test whether superior ESG scores function as insurance and resilience signals that lock investors in through times of high probability of divestments.

Findings indicate that ESG weighs in investment decisions during economic downturn and poor returns. The nature of this positive relationship is not static but dynamic contingent on overall risk materiality considerations.

The authors update regulators, firms, investors and academics on ESG, risk and crisis management. The shifting materiality and the altering impact of ESG practices is our core implication, as well as limitation, in terms of metrics, temporal evolution and interaction with institutional factors, along with portfolio alpha and safe haven potential in ESG asset classes.

The authors extend current literature focusing on portfolio returns and firm valuations to highlight the role of ESG in shareholder retention during poor return periods. The authors further add to existing studies by examining the shifting materiality of ESG pillars during different crisis settings.

The awarding of terminals to private operators is considered a prime task of landlord port authorities. Yet, terminal concessions in seaports have only recently gained interest in academic circles. The awarding process poses a complex set of managerial challenges to port authorities, one of the key issues being the determination of the duration of the concession.

Despite the importance of the duration of terminal concessions in seaports, the issue has not received much attention in academic circles. Factors impacting on the duration of contracts, leases or concessions have, however, been studied extensively in other research areas, such as agriculture, coal contracts, franchising and natural gas. This paper uses insights from these academic studies to obtain a better understanding of the impact of concession duration on the stakeholders involved and relates them to empirical evidence on concession length in European seaports. The paper then proposes a classification scheme for the exogenous determination of concession duration, based on techniques developed for Public-Private-Partnerships in large infrastructure projects. In the last section the paper discusses the importance of concession durations to various stakeholders in seaports and illustrates these principles using a case study.

This study aims to investigate whether significant performance differences between cooperatives and investor-owned firms (IOFs) may exist.

Based on data from a sample of Italian wine firms for the period from 2009 to 2018, an adjusted measure of performance called earnings before interests, taxes, depreciations and amortizations gross the raw materials cost was adopted to consider the different objectives of cooperatives relative to those of IOFs.

Empirical evidence shows that in the context under analysis, cooperatives have performed better than IOFs.

Despite the theoretical literature suggesting that the cooperative form of organizations suffers from many weaknesses, these results highlight that cooperatives operating in the wine sector are at least as economically efficient as other organizations, and more specifically, they perform better than for-profit firms. Consequent implications for theory and practice are discussed.

The central aim of this study is to examine the relationship between ESG metrics and financial outcomes in the real estate industry, honing in on particular sectors and geographical areas. Utilizing ESG ratings and pillar scores as indicators of sustainability performance, this research endeavors to discern their effects on measures of profitability and market performance.

Drawing on a dataset encompassing more than 200 publicly listed companies in the real estate sector, this research utilizes a fixed effects regression model and instrumental variables to scrutinize the data. This approach enables a thorough evaluation of how governance, environmental and social dimensions influence the financial and market outcomes of these entities.

The research reveals a complex relationship between ESG factors and financial performance, defying any simplistic, universal application. The connection is marked by diversity, deeply influenced by the unique aspects of each real estate industry segment and the particularities of regional markets. Specifically, the environmental aspect often corresponds with an increase in ROA, yet this pattern is not consistent throughout all cases. On the other hand, the social aspect is frequently associated with diminished performance indicators, while the influence of governance factors varies, affecting financial outcomes less predictably.

With its pioneering methodology, the research delves into the granular impacts of ESG factors within individual real estate sectors and specific countries. Insights into the Real Estate Rental, Development and Operations sector as well as firms operating in Oceania, extend the conversation in an area of ESG literature that has been relatively uncharted. Moreover, the study’s illumination of how environmental, social and governance elements distinctly influence financial results injects fresh viewpoints into the ongoing dialogue on sustainable business practices.