Credit ratings and audit opinion: evidence from Tunisia

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanen Moalla ◽  
Rahma Baili

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether credit ratings issued by Fitch predict auditor’s opinion for the Tunisian financial companies. It studies the association between Fitch’s credit rating and the audit opinion. Design/methodology/approach The whole population was analyzed. It is composed of 35 banks, leasing companies and factoring companies in Tunisia. The hand-collected data over 11 years (2005–2015) were used and a multiple-ordered logistic regression was performed. Findings The findings show that firms with a high short-term grade, a high long-term grade or a positive outlook are more likely to receive an unqualified audit opinion. In addition, companies with a stable outlook are more likely to receive an explanatory paragraph, a qualification or a going-concern opinion. Originality/value Studies examining the relationship between credit ratings and audit opinion are rare. This piece of research adds to knowledge about the relationship between different components of agency ratings and the auditor’s opinion in a developing country. Previous studies have investigated the case of developed countries and have been interested in the only impact of the long-term credit rating. This study analyzes three components of credit rating, namely long-term credit rating, short-term credit rating and rating outlook. In addition, it sheds light on the effect of various rating grades issued by rating agencies on the audit opinion. It gives a broader view of the relationship between credit ratings and audit opinion.

Author(s):  
Li Sun ◽  
Joseph H. Zhang

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of goodwill impairment losses on bond credit ratings. Design/methodology/approach The authors use regression analysis to examine the relationship between goodwill impairment losses and bond credit ratings. Findings The empirical results show a negative relationship between the amount of goodwill impairment losses and bond credit ratings, suggesting that firms with goodwill impairment losses receive lower credit ratings. The authors perform various additional tests, including subsamples in good or bad market time, changes analysis, first time goodwill impairment firms vs subsequent impairment and the two-stage least squares regression analysis to address potential endogeneity issues. The main results persist. Originality/value This paper links and contributes to two streams of literature: goodwill impairment in accounting literature and bond credit ratings in finance literature. Whether a firm’s goodwill impairment losses affect the firm’s bond credit rating remains an interesting question that has not been examined previously. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that directly examines the relationship between goodwill impairment losses and bond ratings at the firm level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-564
Author(s):  
Patrycja Chodnicka-Jaworska

Covid-19 Impact on Countires’ Outlooks and Credit Ratings The aim of the study is to examine the impact of the financial crisis caused by COVID-19 on chang­es in outlooks and credit ratings of major rating agencies. The research hypothesis was as follows: the financial crisis caused by COVID-19 negatively affected the change in outlooks and credit ratings of countries. The study used long-term and short-term credit ratings and outlooks collected from the Thomson Reuters / Refinitiv database regarding liabilities expressed in foreign currency and macroeconomic data from the International Monetary Fund databases, for 2010–2021. The analysis was carried out using ordered logit panel models. The presented results showed a weak significant im­pact of the COVID-19 pandemic on credit rating. The agency that changed its notes in connection with this situation is Standard & Poor’s (S&P). However, the attitude responded to the situation un­der investigation. During the crisis, country ratings have become less sensitive to growing debt, which may be dictated by widespread loosening of fiscal policy. The rate of GDP growth has a par­ticular impact during the COVID-19 period in the event of a change of outlook. Rising inflation is particularly dangerous in the age of pandemics. It may be related to monetary policy easing.


Significance A former South African Reserve Bank (SARB) governor and minister of labour, Mboweni faces a crucial first few weeks in his new post as the government attempts to placate rating agencies and engineer an economic turnaround. Mboweni’s initial moves may be determined by Moody’s credit rating review expected today. Impacts In the short term, Mboweni’s appointment will be a boost for Ramaphosa’s bid for fiscal consolidation and growth. In the medium-to-long term, Mboweni will likely prove a more polarising figure inside the ANC than Nene. Allegations linking the Economic Freedom Fighters with a major banking scandal could give Mboweni and the ANC an early political 'win'. Mboweni's previous social media utterances could be further exploited by opponents, both left and right, in the months ahead.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Turner ◽  
Craig A. Turner ◽  
William H. Heise

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce and test a portfolio view of a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Drawing from stakeholder theory and the dynamic capabilities literature, the authors introduce CSR portfolio diversity and dynamism as key portfolio characteristics that have differential impacts across short- and long-term performance contexts. Design/methodology/approach The study draws from the Kinder, Lydenberg and Domini database to examine CSR portfolio diversity and dynamism across seven dimensions of CSR activities. The authors test the direct and indirect relationships between CSR portfolio characteristics and both short- and long-term performance outcomes to assess the opportunities and challenges associated with managing a diverse and dynamic CSR portfolio. Findings The findings suggest that a diverse portfolio of CSR activities positively impacts long-term performance; however, CSR portfolio diversity yields negative performance outcomes in the short-term. The authors also find that CSR portfolio dynamism moderates the relationship between CSR level and firm performance, such that a dynamic portfolio of CSR positively moderates the relationship between a firm’s CSR level and long-term performance; however, it negatively moderates the relationship between CSR level and short-term performance. Originality/value This study integrates insights from the literature that examine the independent effects of individual CSR activities and the broader perspective that assesses the aggregated summation of CSR activities in relation to firm performance. By taking a portfolio perspective, the present study provides a unique integration of these two research streams to examine the performance implications of engaging in a diverse and dynamic range of CSR activities.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dror Parnes

PurposeThis study empirically examines, from the first quarter of 1981 until the fourth quarter of 2017, the relations across customary domestic issuer credit ratings (long-term, short-term and subordinate) and three popular corporate risk-taking measurements (the variability of operating profitability, net profitability, and research and development expenses).Design/methodology/approachThe author deploys categorical regressions and robustness tests with control variables, interaction terms, fixed effect variables, lag variables and delta variables.FindingsThe author documents that both short-term and subordinate domestic credit ratings are key determinants of the volatility of operating profitability. The author also identifies long-term credit ratings as secondary factors, yet they do affect broader corporate risk-taking behavioral features (along all three measurements). Furthermore, the author finds that the higher (lower) the credit ratings assigned, i.e. the superior (inferior) the credit quality externally judged, the more (less) overall risk firms tend to undertake.Originality/valueIt is the first research to examine both the inclusive influence and the granular effects of credit ratings on corporate risk-taking (CRT) behavior. It is also the only enquiry to inspect the specific relationships along three types of domestic issuer credit ratings: long-term, short-term and subordinate ratings.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Jacobs Jr ◽  
Ahmet K. Karagozoglu ◽  
Dina Naples Layish

Purpose This research aims to model the relationship between the credit risk signals in the credit default swap (CDS) market and agency credit ratings, and determines the factors that help explain the variation in such signals. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive analysis of the differences in the relative credit risk assessments of CDS-based risk signals and agency ratings is provided. It is shown that the divergence between credit risk signals in the CDS market and agency ratings is explained by factors which the rating agencies may consider differently than credit market participants. Findings The results suggest that agency credit ratings of relative riskiness of a reference entity do not always correspond with assessments by CDS spreads, as the price of risk is a function of additional macro and micro factors that can be explained using statistical analysis. Originality/value This research is unique in modeling the relationship between the credit risk assessments of the CDS market and the agency ratings, which to the best of the authors' knowledge has not been analyzed before in terms of their agreement and the level of discrepancy between them. This model can be used by investors in debt instruments that are not explicitly CDSs or which have illiquid CDS contracts, to replicate market-based, point-in-time credit risk signals. Based on both market-based and firm-specific factors in this model, the results can be used to augment through-the-cycle credit risk assessments, analyze issues surrounding the pricing of CDSs and examine the policies of credit rating agencies.


10.26414/a090 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-34
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mansoor ◽  
Nazima Ellahi ◽  
Qaiser Ali Malik

Shariah Governance is an essential characteristic that differentiates Islamic financial institutions from Conventional financial institutions. The study’s purpose is to explore the effect of corporate governance attributes and Shariah board attributes on the long term and short-term credit rating of Islamic banks in Pakistan. The study develops six different models based on corporate board characteristics, Shariah board attributes and credit ratings, and collected data from annual reports of Pakistani Islamic banks for the period 2013- 2019. This study used Long term credit rating scale used by Grassa (2016) and, Ashbaugh-Skaife, Collins, and LaFond (2006), and developed a Short term credit rating scale. The study applied descriptive statistics, correlations and ordered logit regression. The results confirmed that corporate governance and Shariah governance attributes are significantly associated with the long term and short-term credit ratings of Islamic banks. The study concludes that credit rating agencies in Pakistan i.e. PACRA and JC-VIS, and other international credit rating agencies including Fitch, Moody and Standard & Poor’s must consider Shariah governance attributes as key determinants while assigning long term and short term credit ratings to Islamic banks.


Significance The zloty resumed a depreciating trend on July 4, following the announcement of radical pension reform by Development Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. A combination of investor unease over the new proposals and jittery equity markets following the UK's referendum vote to leave the EU ('Brexit'), which has pushed up yields on long-term government bonds, will weigh on Polish business sentiment and fixed investment in the second half of 2016. Impacts Poland's capital market is likely to receive a setback in the short term, with fewer listings on WIG20, as some pension funds leave Poland. Locally owned investment vehicles will gradually come to play a greater role. Labour market growth and rising domestic demand will help offset investor jitters or sluggish private investment activity later in 2016. While pension reform will provide a short-term boost to public finances, public debt will rise after 2017, absent any fiscal consolidation.


Author(s):  
ِِAfef Feki Krichene ◽  
Walid Khoufi

<p>In this paper, we examine the impact that various financial and business profile variables have on credit ratings issued for the S&amp;P500 firms by Moody’s. Our ordered probit model indicates that firms’ financial policy, size, liquidity, interest and debt coverage have the most pronounced effect on credit ratings. Our results show that different coefficients are associated to the increments of interest and debt coverage ratios. Business profile variables are not significant. Liquidity variable is also a significant determinant of the issuer long-term credit rating and not just the short term one.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Xu ◽  
Yuhui Wu ◽  
Lingling Zhai

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how credit ratings affect corporate financial behavior from the perspective of merger and acquisition (M&A) decisions. The goal is to test the financing and supervisory effects of credit ratings and study the economic consequences of credit ratings in the context of China. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies over the 2008–2017 period, this paper empirically examines the effect of credit ratings on firms’ M&A decisions. The authors used a probit model for regression when they tested the effect of credit rating on M&A likelihood and a tobit model when they tested the effect of credit rating on M&A intensity. Findings First, rated enterprises tend to make more acquisitions compared with non-rated enterprises, consistent with the hypothesis that credit ratings alleviate financing constraints. Second, high-rated enterprises are more cautious toward M&As due to concerns about preserving their ratings, which indicates that credit ratings also play a supervisory role in the M&A process. Additional tests show that enterprises reduce M&A activity after a rating downgrade to avoid further deterioration in their ratings; this further supports the supervisory role of credit ratings. Originality/value This paper adds incremental evidence to the literature on the impact of credit ratings on corporate financial behavior and extends the literature on the factors influencing M&As. The authors provided empirical evidence from emerging capital markets for the financing and supervisory effects of credit ratings and provided theoretical guidance for promoting the stable, long-term development of China’s credit rating industry.


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