Equity Returns to Small Bank Investors

Unlike most other small firms, there is an excellent record of the initial equity capitalization details of banking organizations when they are formed, as well as subsequent changes, because of the chartering application and reporting requirements of the banking regulatory authorities. By combining these records with the actual approved acquisition price of small banks, the return received by small bank investors from the time of organization through acquisition is determined. For small banks organized after 1972 and acquired from 1980 and through 1988, yearly mean rates of return ranged from 23.07 percent to 10.49 percent. Generally, these returns exceed S&P 500 returns for similar holding periods, but on a Sharpe Performance Index risk adjusted basis were inferior to S&P portfolios in six of nine holding periods and consistently weaker by the same measure to small company investment on the NYSE for this entire period. This inferior risk adjusted performance was unexpected

The Importance of Audit Firm Characteristics and the Drivers of Auditor Change in UK Listed Companies

This paper explores the importance of audit firm characteristics and the factors motivating auditor change based on questionnaire responses from 210 listed UK companies (a response rate of 70%). Twenty-nine potentially desirable auditor characteristics are identified from the extant literature and their importance elicited. Exploratory factor analysis reduces these variables to eight uncorrelated underlying dimensions: reputation/quality; acceptability to third parties; value for money; ability to provide non-audit services; small audit firm; specialist industry knowledge; non-Big Six large audit firm; and geographical proximity. Insights into the nature of 'the Big Six factor' emerge. Two thirds of companies had recently considered changing auditors; the main reasons cited being audit fee level, dissatisfaction with audit quality and changes in top management. Of those companies that considered change, 73% did not actually do so, the main reasons cited being fee reduction by the incumbent and avoidance of disruption. Thus audit fee levels are both a key precipitator of change and a key factor in retaining the status quo