The Impact of Voluntary Disclosure on a Firm's Investment Policy

In this paper we provide a model which describes how voluntary disclosure impacts on the timing of a firm’s investment decisions. A manager chooses a time to invest in a project and a time to disclose the investment return in order to maximise his monetary payoff. We assume that this payoff is linked to the level of the firm’s stock price. Prior to investing, the profitability of the project and the market reaction to the disclosure of the investment return are uncertain, but the manager receives signals at random points in time which assist in resolving some of this uncertainty. We find that a manager whose objective can only be achieved through voluntarily disclosing the return is motivated to invest at a time that would be sub-optimal for an identical manager with a profit maximising objective

Clawback Provisions in Real Estate Investment Trusts

Using a sample of 195 unique real estate investment trusts (REITs), we examine factors related to the adoption of clawback provisions within managerial compensation contracts. In general, we find strong and consistent empirical evidence that clawback provision are directly related to firm size, complexity, leverage, growth options, monitoring incentives, and CEO performance incentives. We also find that clawbacks are associated with enhanced market and accounting performance, with stronger performance relations observed for adoption decisions tied directly to regulatory mandates. In sum, we conclude compensation clawback provisions represent a value-relevant, strategic governance mechanism for REITs

Cross listing and firm value - corporate governance or market segmentation? An empirical study of the stock market

This study investigates the economic consequences of cross-listing on the Chinese stock market. We argue that by adopting a higher disclosure standard through cross- listing firms voluntarily commit themselves to reducing information asymmetry. As a result, cross-listed firms are able to benefit from growth opportunities with less appropriated cash flow and lower cost of capital. The empirical evidence shows that cross-listed firms indeed command higher valuations than their non-cross-listed counterparts, after controlling for certain firm-specific attributes. This lends support to the corporate governance hypothesis of cross-listing on the Chinese stock market. The study also argues that an overall upgrad-ing of accounting standards cannot substitute for the cross-listing mechanism.corporate governance; listing; China

The impact of corporate characteristics on social and environmental disclosure (CSED):the case of Jordan

The corporate business environment is surrounded by strong public scrutiny from diverse stakeholder groups that are calling on businesses to accept accountability for not only their financial actions, but also the non-financial implications of their activities. Many corporate businesses are today paying attention to the needs of their stakeholders of social and environmental information. As such, in this study we examined how corporate characteristics could influence the amount of Corporate Social and Environmental Disclosure (CSED) in the manufacturing sector in Jordan. Firm size, profitability, audit firm, ownership, type of industry and financial market level are the main factors examined in this study. Drawing from Ernst and Ernst methodology, the study developed a disclosure index to measure the amount of CSED for three years (2010, 2011 and 2012). Using panel data regression, we model the relationship between disclosure amount and the key drivers of CSED via random effect estimation. The results of our model indicated that the firm size, type of audit firm and financial performance in Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) are significantly associated with the amount of CSED. On the other hand, we also find that firm profitability, age, type of industry and ownership are not related to the practices of CSED

An empirical study of the impact of internet financial reporting on stock prices

This study examines the economic consequences of internet financial reporting (IFR) in Taiwan. The results show that the stock prices of IFR firms change more quickly than those of the non-FR firms using Akaike’s (1969) Final Prediction Error (FPE) methodology. Second, the results from the event study methodology show that the cumulative abnormal returns of the firms with IFR are significantly higher than those of the firms without IFR. Lastly, the results indicate that firms with a higher degree of information transparency yield a higher abnormal return on theirstock prices

Corporate Governance, Disclosure Content and Shareholder Value: Impacts and Interrelationships from the US Banking Sector

The recent financial crisis was the largest shock to the financial system in decades. Its implications on banks' performance, corporate image and stakeholders' trust are of a high concern for all interested parties. Banks market capitalisation dropped significantly, risk levels increased and stakeholders’ confidence was shaken. This raises the importance of researching this particular area of primary concern to seek potential approaches intended to help banks to recover through increased disclosures, helping to rebuild trust and manage risk levels. Acknowledging societal needs and having effective dialogue with shareholders and stakeholders regarding banks' social profile as well as risk management practices is likely to reduce the uncertainty gap, shape banks' image and manage trust. These are indeed valuable in the wake of the financial crisis for bank continuity and enhancing shareholder value. I argue that effective corporate governance is likely to encourage more corporate social responsibility (CSR) and risk management (RM) disclosure, which in turn is expected to improve stock prices and reduce return volatility. The study examines potential solutions that assist in the management of the increasing risk levels, shaken confidence and falling market values resulting from the recent financial crisis. It contributes toward better understanding to the influence of internal corporate governance mechanisms on CSR and RM disclosure content and their substantive consequences on shareholder value. Examining a sample of US national commercial banks in the wake of the financial crisis indicates that boards with larger size, higher independence and CEO duality are inclined toward reporting a wider range of CSR and RM disclosures in annual reports, aiming to benefit the bank’s transparency and stakeholders’ long-term mutual relationship. Contrary to CSR disclosures, the number of audit committee financial experts was found to encourage better RM disclosure content implying the difference in influence on voluntary and mandatory disclosures. Insights into the desirable consequences CSR and RM disclosures content have on shareholder value are also evidenced. The study finds evidence supporting the association between CSR disclosure content and stock return indicating investors’ interest in, and consideration of, CSR information when valuing assets and building their trading decisions. The results also suggest that higher RM disclosure score reduces uncertainties of bank risk environment and provides investors with valuable information to assess financial assets and monitor management practices. This was reflected as an improvement to stock return and reduction to return volatility. Thus, effective corporate governance is more tending to enhance shareholder value through encouraging better CSR and RM disclosure content. Corporate governance should sponsor and introduce the perception of doing business responsibly and benefit from RM disclosure as a preventive tool assisting in the management of agency problems and bank risks. The economic consequences of CSR and RM disclosures imply that CSR engagement and reporting is an investment rather than an expense, and RM disclosure is a preventive tool rather than an exercise to comply with legislation requirement. Consequently, considering their content is important for better shareholder value

The Effect of Firm Size, Profitability, and Liquidity on The Firm Value Moderated by Carbon Emission Disclosure

Research aims: The purpose of this study is to examine carbon emission disclosure in moderating the effect of firm size, profitability, and liquidity on the firm value.Design/Methodology/Approach: The sample used in this study was firms engaged in the oil, gas, and coal fields and operating in non-Annex 1 member countries registered in the Osiris database. The study period was following the commencement of the Kyoto Protocol's second commitment from 2015 to 2018. Data analysis in this study used Partial Least Square (PLS) with Warp PLS 4.0 application.Research findings: The study results showed that firm size and liquidity had a positive and significant effect on firm value. However, profitability had a positive and insignificant effect on firm value. Besides, carbon emission disclosure moderated the effect of firm size and profitability on firm value. However, carbon emission disclosure did not moderate the effect of liquidity on firm value.Theoretical contribution/ Originality: This study provides insight that carbon emission disclosure can moderate the effect of firm size and profitability variables on firm value.Practitioner/Policy implication: This study is expected to encourage firms to be more concerned about the environment. Furthermore, the political contribution that can be provided by the results of this study is expected to motivate the government to apply more stringent regulations to firms that have the potential to generate carbon emissions.Research limitation/Implication: Limitation in this study is the amount of data from oil firms, gas, and coal contained in the Osiris database in 2015 until 2018 was very limited.