Macromomentum: Returns Predictability in International Equity Indices

This study examines momentum and reversals in international stock market indices. We find that country stock indices exhibit momentum during the first year after the portfolio formation date and reversals during the subsequent 2 years. Positive currency momentum predicts low stock index returns in the future, thereby weakening momentum and strengthening reversals in U.S. dollar-denominated stock index returns. Cross-sectional regression tests involving individual stock indices confirm the portfolio findings. Our results are consistent with a key prediction of recent behavioral theories, that initial momentum should be accompanied by subsequent reversals.

Effect of Corporate Governance on Bond Ratings and Yields: The Role of Institutional Investors and Outside Directors

This article provides evidence linking corporate governance mechanisms to higher bond ratings and lower bond yields. Governance mechanisms can reduce default risk by mitigating agency costs and monitoring managerial performance and by reducing information asymmetry between the firm and the lenders. We find firms that have greater institutional ownership and stronger outside control of the board enjoy lower bond yields and higher ratings on their new bond issues. However, concentrated institutional ownership has an adverse effect on yields and ratings. These results are robust to a specification that controls for institutional ownership being influenced by bond yields.

The Association between Outside Directors, Institutional Investors and the Properties of Management Earnings Forecasts

We investigate the relation of the board of directors and institutional ownership with the properties of management earnings forecasts. We find that firms with more outside directors and greater institutional ownership are more likely to issue a forecast and are inclined to forecast more frequently. In addition, these forecasts tend to be more specific, accurate and less optimistically biased. These results are robust to changes specification, Granger causality tests, and simultaneous equation analyses. The results are similar in the pre- and post-Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD) eras. Additional analysis suggests that concentrated institutional ownership is negatively associated with forecast properties. This association is less negative in the post-Reg FD environment, which is consistent with Reg FD reducing the ability of firms to privately communicate information to select audiences. Copyright 2005 The Institute of Professional Accounting, University of Chicago.