John Capstaff and Andrew Marshall
Several papers have investigated the use of foreign exchange (FX) derivatives but evidence on the use of international cash management meth ods to hedge FX is scarce. This paper…
Abstract
Several papers have investigated the use of foreign exchange (FX) derivatives but evidence on the use of international cash management meth ods to hedge FX is scarce. This paper contributes to the existing evidence by considering the use of international cash management systems to hedge foreign exchange (FX) risks using a sample of French and UK companies. We find that matching, netting and pricing policies are the most commonly used techniques in both the UK and French samples al though there is evidence of greater use of all cash management techniques in the UK. We also consider whether the theoretical explanations of hedging determine the use of cash management techniques for FX hedging, and if there are differences between the UK and French samples. We find support for the theoretical prediction that FX hedgers have higher levels of financial distress, and that these firms tend to be larger, more international and less liquid. We find little support for the under investment theory. The extent of internationalisation appears to play no role in the decision of French firms to use cash management techniques to manage FX risk, and the use of all cash management techniques were lower than in UK firms. These latter findings may be explained by the reduction in FX risk facing French firms following the introduction of the euro.
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Apostolos Dasilas, Katerina Lyroudi and Demetrios Ginoglou
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate stock price and trading volume reactions to simultaneous interim dividend and earnings announcements by the Greek firms…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate stock price and trading volume reactions to simultaneous interim dividend and earnings announcements by the Greek firms listed on the Athens stock exchange (ASE).
Design/methodology/approach
Classical event study methodology was employed to examine the share price and trading volume reaction to interim dividends and earnings announcements.
Findings
Results confirm the signaling hypothesis which predicts positive market reaction to the joint dividend and earnings announcements. However, the magnitude of the price reaction initiated by the final dividend announcement seems to be higher than the one by the interim dividend announcement.
Research limitations/implications
The observations are not many, although the whole population was included, since there are no data available prior to 1998.
Practical implications
The findings are useful to researchers, practitioners and investors who have an interest in firms listed on the ASE for their proper strategic decision making.
Originality/value
For the first time, the stock price and trading volume behaviour of firms listed on the ASE around contemporaneous dividend and earnings announcement dates is examined.
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Omaima A.G. Hassan, Gianluigi Giorgioni, Peter Romilly and David M. Power
This paper seeks to examine the association between corporate voluntary disclosure and systematic (market or beta) risk for a sample of Egyptian listed companies.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to examine the association between corporate voluntary disclosure and systematic (market or beta) risk for a sample of Egyptian listed companies.
Design/methodology/approach
Using panel data analysis, beta is regressed on the level of voluntary disclosure and the following control variables: dividend payout, asset growth, gearing, firm size and book‐to‐market ratio.
Findings
The results generally show a negative relationship between voluntary disclosure level and beta, consistent with predictions of a differential information model and theories about the economic consequences of increased disclosure. The results are dependent on the specification of the model and the market index used to estimate beta, suggesting a need for further research on the link between risk and voluntary disclosure in the context of emerging markets.
Practical implications
The main implication of these results is that more voluntary information about listed companies seems preferable to less in order to reduce the perceived riskiness of a company. This should act as an incentive for listed companies to enhance public disclosure.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to explore the economic consequences of increased disclosure in an emerging capital market using panel data analysis. Another distinctive feature is that market betas are estimated using different measures to obtain greater confidence in the overall conclusions.
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This research began by acknowledging that conventional analysis on the foreign exchange exposure could not adequately reflect firms’ risk management strategies, which firms take…
Abstract
Purpose
This research began by acknowledging that conventional analysis on the foreign exchange exposure could not adequately reflect firms’ risk management strategies, which firms take actions against uncertainties raised by foreign exchange. In order to conceptualize uncertainty aroused by foreign exchange, the purpose of this paper is to develop an index that could measure corporate profits’ sensitivity to foreign exchange uncertainty and examine its possibility of utilization.
Design/methodology/approach
As an alternative to foreign exchange exposure, the present research derived the foreign exchange volatility exposure and analyzed the determinants of foreign currency-denominated debt in terms of foreign exchange volatility exposure. The foreign exchange volatility exposure draws from partially differentiating a firm’s operating profits to the exchange rate volatility.
Findings
The major findings are as follows. First, before the Asian financial crisis, South Korean enterprises had similar responses to the exchange volatility exposure as compared with the exchange exposure on procuring foreign-denominated debt. Second, since the global financial crisis (GFC), not only have Korean firms’ response mechanisms to both exposures changed, but also the significance of exchange volatility exposure has been further emphasized. Furthermore, Korean companies have dealt with exchange uncertainties by decreasing foreign-denominated debt as their foreign exchange volatility exposure increased after GFC. In contrast, the influence of conventional exchange exposure on foreign-denominated debt has diminished.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should focus on several points. First, additional research could extend to foreign investors who have divergent perception and consideration in regard to foreign exchange risk management. Second, research on decision making and motivation in foreign currency choice should be conducted in order to deepen academic understanding. Third, research that refines the variables added in the current research should be conducted. Finally, as a way to manage foreign exchange volatility exposure, further investigation based on this study is possible.
Practical implications
The results of this study have several important theoretical and empirical implications for companies’ foreign exchange risk management strategy. First, through foreign exchange volatility exposure, which can usefully take over the role of the existing foreign exchange exposure, the authors can confirm market uncertainty as being relevant to the foreign exchange risk management strategy. Second, through the financial influence that the foreign exchange volatility exposure has on the foreign currency-denominated debt, the authors can observe the Korean firms’ paradigm shifts in their foreign exchange risk management strategies.
Originality/value
This research confirms the importance of foreign exchange volatility exposure in the research works dealing with firms’ exchange risk management, also the possible influence of foreign exchange volatility exposure in the future might be increased as uncertainty is raised from foreign exchange escalating.
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The authors compare the post-issue stock and operating performance of rights issue versus public offer firms using Korean data. The authors find that the stock returns of rights…
Abstract
The authors compare the post-issue stock and operating performance of rights issue versus public offer firms using Korean data. The authors find that the stock returns of rights issue firms are less negative than those of public offering firms during the three years subsequent to the seasoned equity offering. The authors further find that the profitability of rights offering firms is superior to those of public offering firms and that the ratio of sales to assets for rights issue firms is much higher over the post-issue period. The results substantiate Heinkel and Schwartz’s (1986) and Eckbo and Masulis’ (1992) theoretical models that posit firms with better quality tend to select the rights issue rather than public offer method when issuing seasoned equity.
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Effiezal Aswadi Abdul Wahab, Anwar Allah Pitchay and Ruhani Ali
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between Bumiputra (in reference to Malay indigenous race) directors, a proxy for culture and analysts forecast. In…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between Bumiputra (in reference to Malay indigenous race) directors, a proxy for culture and analysts forecast. In addition, the study investigates whether corporate governance affects that relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample of this study is based on 664 firm-year observations from 193 firms during the 1999-2009 periods. The authors employ a panel least square regression with both period and industry fixed effects. The authors retrieved of analyst data from the Institutional Broker Estimate System (I/B/E/S) database while the authors hand collected the corporate governance variables. The remaining data were collected from Compustat Global.
Findings
The authors find a positive relationship between the proxy of culture, Bumiputra directors and analysts forecast error suggesting that cultural values influences the level of information in the Malaysian capital market.
Research limitations/implications
The research is dependent on the data availability from I/B/E/S database.
Originality/value
The authors extend the work of Haniffa and Cooke (2002) in investigating how cultural values influence the capital market. In addition, this is the first study that investigates culture values and the analysts forecast.
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Alison Fox, Gwen Hannah, Christine Helliar and Monica Veneziani
The purpose of this paper is to examine the opinions of national stakeholders on the costs and benefits of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) implementation and to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the opinions of national stakeholders on the costs and benefits of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) implementation and to determine whether countries with disparate social, economical and political backgrounds have different experiences when complying with IFRS.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with preparers, users and auditors of annual reports and accounting regulators in the UK (including Ireland) and Italy.
Findings
There were some differences in the experiences of IFRS implementation between stakeholders from different countries. However, there was widespread agreement that costs exceeded the benefits of reporting under the new standards. Further it is recognised that international standard‐setters have a large set of stakeholder views to manage and it is therefore important that standard‐setters are aware of the costs and benefits of their accounting requirements.
Originality/value
This analysis is useful for companies that have not already adopted IFRS. It explains the differences and similarities of the costs and benefits of IFRS implementation from an Anglo‐Saxon and an EU continental perspective.
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Using a sample of UK FTSE 350 companies continuously listed in the period 2007-2011, this paper aims to investigate the impact of the quality and quantity of corporate…
Abstract
Purpose
Using a sample of UK FTSE 350 companies continuously listed in the period 2007-2011, this paper aims to investigate the impact of the quality and quantity of corporate environmental disclosure on analysts’ recommendations.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a method based on that developed by Beck et al. (2010). The “CONI” approach measures information diversity, content and volume. It involves dual qualitative and quantitative measurement, which is suitable for the purpose of this paper.
Findings
The findings suggest that the quality of environmental disclosure is associated with more favourable buy recommendations. Mere volume of disclosure is insufficient for effective signalling about environmental strategies. Further tests show that only discretionary quality disclosure that is influenced by managerial intervention receives optimistic recommendation, suggesting that analysts are more likely to give better recommendation when managers have a higher level of discretion in their disclosures.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the academic literature by empirically examining the association between sell-side analyst recommendations on both innate and discretionary components of environmental disclosures (quality and volume) within the UK context. This is a significant extension of the existing literature, which has focused on the related association between analyst recommendations and corporate social responsibility, mainly measured by corporate social responsibility ratings or a dummy variable reflecting the existence of supplementary corporate social responsibility reports in different international setting. The topic is of interest to contemporary accounting scholars and responds to calls for more research into how analysts use nonfinancial data such as environmental data in making recommendations.