The impact of qualified audit opinion on stock returns: an empirical study at Amman stock exchange

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rana Bayo Flees ◽  
Sulaiman Mouselli
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Market Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Going Concern ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Audit Opinions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of qualified audit opinions on the returns of stocks listed at Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) after the introduction of the recent amendments by the International Auditing and Assurance Standard Board (IAASB) on audits reporting and conclusions. It further investigates if results differ between first time qualified and sequenced qualifications, and between plain qualified opinion and qualifications with going concern. Design/methodology/approach Audit opinions’ announcements and stock returns data are collected from companies’ annual reports for the fiscal years 2016 to 2019 while stock returns are computed from stock closing prices published at ASE website. The authors apply the event study approach and use the market model to calculate normal returns. Cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) and average abnormal returns (AARs) are computed for all qualified audit opinions’ announcements. Findings The empirical evidence suggests that investors at ASE do not react to qualified audit opinions announcements. That is, the authors find an insignificant impact of qualified audit opinion announcements on stock returns using both CAR and AAR estimates. The results are robust to first time and sequenced qualifications, and for qualifications with going concern. Results are also robust to the use of risk adjusted market model. Research limitations/implications The insignificant impact of qualified audit opinions on stock returns have two potential conflicting research implications. First, the new amendments introduced to auditors’ report made them more informative and reduce the negative signals contained in the qualified opinions. That is, investors are now aware of the real causes of qualifications and not overreacting to the qualified opinion. Second, the documented insignificant impact confirms that ASE is not a semi-strong form efficient. Practical implications The apparent excessive use of qualifications should ring the bell on whether auditors misuse their power or companies are really in trouble. Hence, the Jordanian regulatory bodies need to warn auditors against the excessive use of qualifications on the one hand, and to raise the awareness of investors on the implications of auditors’ opinions on the other hand. Originality/value This study is innovative in twofold. First, it explores the impact of qualified audit opinions on stock returns after the introduction of new amendments by IAASB at ASE. In addition, it uses event study approach and distinguishes between first time qualified and sequenced qualifications, and between plain qualified opinion and qualifications with going concern. The results are consistent with efficient market theory and behavioral finance explanations.

The announcement and implementation reaction to China's margin trading and short selling pilot programme

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saqib Sharif ◽  
Hamish D. Anderson ◽  
Ben R. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Event Study ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Short Selling ◽  
Market Model ◽  
Short Sales ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pilot Programme ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the announcement and implementation of short sales and margin trading regulation affects Chinese stock returns and trading volume. On 31 March 2010, the Chinese regulators launched a pilot programme, allowing short sales and margin trading for 50 Shanghai Stock Exchange and 40 Shenzhen Stock Exchange stocks. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses an event study approach to compare market model abnormal returns (ARs) of the pilot firms with two distinct matched firm samples. A volume event study is also conducted to examine abnormal trading activity surrounding the key events in the pilot stocks. Findings – Negative ARs follow both the announcement and implementation of short selling and margin trading. This suggests the negative impact of short sales dominates the positive impact of margin trading on an average. Volume also declines, which is consistent with uninformed investors’ seeking to avoid trading against informed traders. Originality/value – The paper appears to be the first to address the impact of both the announcement and implementation of short selling and margin trading rule changes on returns and liquidity using individual stock data.

Do firms harvest from political connections during general elections? Case of Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 258-273
Author(s):  
Ayesha Ashraf ◽  
M. Kabir Hassan ◽  
Khurram Abbas ◽  
Qamar Uz Zaman
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Share Price ◽  
Market Model ◽  
Political Connections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Connected Group ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
General Elections ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of general elections on the stock returns of the politically connected group affiliated firms of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach This study uses the market model to assess the impact of political connections (PCs) on abnormal stock returns, before and after election events. We have used share price data of non-financial firms of Pakistan for the years 2008-2013. Findings It has been found that behavior of cumulative average abnormal returns (CAAR) is significantly different for standalone and politically connected group affiliated firms. The results reveal that CAARs of politically connected group affiliated firms have experienced less deviation as compared to stand alone firms. Therefore, it is argued that politically connected group firms may reduce the impact of political uncertainty on stock returns in comparison to stand alone firms. Practical implications This study is helpful for policy regulators of Pakistan to devise appropriate policies to maintain a level playing field for politically connected and standalone firms. Originality/value This study provides a new dimension to understand the role and association of PCs and general elections with stock markets returns.

AN ANALYSIS OF ABNORMAL RETURNS ASSOCIATED WITH STOCK SPLIT

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
JYOTI PANDEY ◽  
VINAY KANDPAL ◽  
NEERAJ NAUTIYAL
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Stock Prices ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Market Model ◽  
Stock Splits ◽  
Event Window ◽  
Stock Split ◽  
Secondary Information ◽  
The Impact

A stock split is when a company’s outstanding shares are divided into multiple shares by issuing more shares to current shareholders without eroding their stake’s value. The company typically takes these actions to increase liquidity and marketability, lower stock prices, attract new investors and so on. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of stock splits on the stock returns during the study period. Companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and those included in the S&P BSE 500 Index are included in the stock split data. The study period covers 14 years, between 2008 and 2021. Market model event study methodology is being employed to analyze the average abnormal returns (AARs), cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) and cumulative AAR (CAARs) using an event window period consisting of 31 days ([Formula: see text]). The study is largely based on secondary information from the CMIE Prowess IQ Database and the official BSE website. The [Formula: see text]-test, mean and standard deviation were used to investigate the influence of stock split announcements on share prices and the performance of stock splits before and after the announcement. The study found that on ([Formula: see text]), ([Formula: see text]), ([Formula: see text]) and ([Formula: see text]) and on the day of the announcement ([Formula: see text]), the market reacted favorably with significant positive abnormal returns. On ([Formula: see text]) and ([Formula: see text]) days, however, there were significant negative abnormal returns. The null hypothesis is accepted as the CAR for the whole 31-day event window, which is 0.0221, with a [Formula: see text]-statistic of 1.692, which is insignificant.

Impact of Stock Splits and Rights Issue Announcements on Market Price: Evidence from India

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Babitha Rohit ◽  
Prakash Pinto ◽  
Shakila B.
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Stock Returns ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Market Price ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Market Model ◽  
Stock Splits ◽  
Indian Stock Market ◽  
Rights Issue ◽  
The Impact

The current paper studies the impact of two events i.e stock splits and rights issue announcement on the stock returns of companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The study consists of a sample of 90 announcements for stock splits and 29 announcements for rights issue during the period 2011-2014. Market model is used to calculate the abnormal returns of securities. Positive Average Abnormal Returns were observed for the two events on the day their announcements, however they are not statistically significant. The study concludes that the Indian stock market is efficient in its semi-strong form.

Asymmetric price responses to stock addition to and deletion from the Athens Stock Exchange Index

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-423
Author(s):  
George Papachristou ◽  
Stephanos Papadamou ◽  
Eleftherios Spyromitros
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Stock Index ◽  
Market Model ◽  
Investment Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Negative Effect

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the response of investors to the announcements on the inclusion and exclusion of companies from the FTSE-ASE 20 index. Design/methodology/approach Data on the inclusion and exclusion of companies from the FTSE-ASE 20 index in the period 2000-2012 were used. The authors performed an event study analysis using a constant return model and a market model. Two different measures of aggregated abnormal returns, namely the cumulating abnormal returns and the buy-and-hold abnormal return, were used in this investigation. Findings The results suggest that the exclusion of a company from the index has a significant negative effect on stock returns. Specifically, such a stock takes more than 15 days to recover. However, for a company’s inclusion in the index, the authors observe short-lived positive reactions on stock returns. Practical implications Capital market regulators and investors should find the policy implications of this paper meaningful. Investment strategies can be implemented on the basis of the news of exclusion from the index, which can lead to higher performance for investors. As far as authorities are concerned, the decision of inclusion and exclusion to the most significant stock index in the Greek market should be carefully considered because it creates financial instability for a significant time period. Originality/value By using a battery of parametric and non-parametric econometric tests, the existence of abnormal returns of the FTSE-ASE 20 index is explored over a long time period, including the recent financial crisis.

The performance of the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment compliant listed property firms in South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omokolade Akinsomi ◽  
Katlego Kola ◽  
Thembelihle Ndlovu ◽  
Millicent Motloung
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Sharpe Ratio ◽  
Economic Empowerment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Black Economic ◽  
Black Economic Empowerment ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) on the risk and returns of listed and delisted property firms on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The study was investigated to understand the impact of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) property sector charter and effect of government intervention on property listed markets. Design/methodology/approach – The study examines the performance trends of the listed and delisted property firms on the JSE from January 2006 to January 2012. The data were obtained from McGregor BFA database to compute the risk and return measures of the listed and delisted property firms. The study employs a capital asset pricing model (CAPM) to derive the alpha (outperformance) and beta (risk) to examine the trend amongst the BEE and non-BEE firms, Sharpe ratio was also employed as a measurement of performance. A comparative study is employed to analyse the risks and returns between listed property firms that are BEE compliant and BEE non-compliant. Findings – Results show that there exists differences in returns and risk between BEE-compliant firms and non-BEE-compliant firms. The study shows that BEE-compliant firms have higher returns than non-BEE firms and are less risky than non-BEE firms. By establishing this relationship, this possibly affects the investor’s decision to invest in BEE firms rather than non-BBBEE firms. This study can also assist the government in strategically adjusting the policy. Research limitations/implications – This study employs a CAPM which is a single-factor model. Further study could employ a multi-factor model. Practical implications – The results of this investigation, with the effects of BEE on returns, using annualized returns, the Sharpe ratio and alpha (outperformance), results show that BEE firms perform better than non-BEE firms. These results pose several implications for investors particularly when structuring their portfolios, further study would need to examine the role of BEE on stock returns in line with other factors that affect stock returns. The results in this study have several implications for government agencies, there may be the need to monitor the effect of the BEE policies on firm returns and re-calibrate policies accordingly. Originality/value – This study investigates the performance of listed property firms on the JSE which are BEE compliant. This is the first study to investigate listed property firms which are BEE compliant.

Stock Market Reaction on Green-Bond Issue: Evidence from Indian Green-Bond Issuers

2021 ◽  
pp. 097226292110225
Author(s):  
Rakesh Kumar Verma ◽  
Rohit Bansal
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Stock Price ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Bond Issue ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: A green bond is a financial instrument issued by governments, financial institutions and corporations to fund green projects, such as those involving renewable energy, green buildings, low carbon transport, etc. This study analyses the effect of green-bond issue announcement on the issuer’s stock price movement. It shows the reaction of the stock price after the issue of green bonds. Methodology: This study is based on secondary data. Green-bond issue dates have been collected from newspaper articles from different online sources, such as Business Standard, The Economic Times, Moneycontrol, etc. The closing prices of stocks have been taken from the NSE (National Stock Exchange of India Limited) website. An event window of 21 days has been fixed for the study, including the 10 days before and after the issue date. Data analysis is carried out through the event study method using the R software. Calculation of abnormal returns is done using three models: mean-adjusted returns model, market-adjusted returns model and risk-adjusted returns model. Findings: The results show that the issue of green bonds has a significant positive effect on the stock price. Returns increase after the green-bond issue announcement. Although the announcement day shows a negative return for all the samples taken for the study, the 10-day cumulative abnormal return (CAR) is positive. Thus, green-bond issues lead to positive sentiments among investors. Research implications: This research article will help the government issue more green bonds so that the proceeds can be utilized for green projects. The government should motivate corporations and financial institutions to issue more green bonds to help the economy grow. In India, very few organizations have issued a green bond. It will be beneficial if these players issue green bonds, as it will increase the firms’ value and boost returns to the investors. Originality/value: The effect of green-bond issue on stock returns has been analysed in some studies in developed countries. This is the first study to examine the impact of green-bond issue on stock returns in the Indian context, to the best of our knowledge.

Epidemics and Chinese firms' stock returns: is COVID-19 different?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Quang Thi Thieu Nguyen ◽  
Dao Le Trang Anh ◽  
Christopher Gan
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Market Performance ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Stock Exchanges ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Event Study Method ◽  
Economic Shock ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study investigates the Chinese stocks' returns during different epidemic periods to assess their effects on firms' market performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs an event study method on more than 3,000 firms listed on Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges during periods of SARS, H5N1, H7N9 and COVID-19FindingsEpidemics' effect on firms' stock returns is persistent up to 10 days after the event dates. Although the impact varies with types and development of the disease, most firms experience a negative impact of the epidemics. Among the epidemics, COVID-19 has the greatest impact, especially when it grows into a pandemic. The epidemics' impact is uneven across industries. In addition, B-shares and stocks listed on Shanghai Stock Exchange are more negatively influenced by the epidemic than A-shares and those listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of the study contribute to the limited literature on the effects of disease outbreaks as an economic shock on firm market performance. Given the possibility of other epidemics in the future, the study provides guidance for investors in designing an appropriate investing strategy to cope with the epidemic shocks to the market.Originality/valueThe research is novel in the way it compares and assesses the economic impact of different epidemics on firms and considers their impact at different development stages.

Stock markets' reaction to COVID-19: evidence from the six WHO regions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anas Ali Al-Qudah ◽  
Asma Houcine
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Stock Markets ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Panel Data Regression ◽  
Daily Stock Returns ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study investigates the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on daily stock returns for the six major affected WHO Regions, namely: Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South-East Asia and Western Pacific.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses an event study method and panel-data regression models to examine the effect of the daily increase in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases on daily stock returns from 1 March to 1 August 2020 for the leading stock market in major affected countries in the WHO regions.FindingsThe results reveal an adverse impact of the daily increasing number of COVID-19 cases on stock returns and stock markets fell quickly in response to the pandemic. The findings also suggest that negative market reaction was strong during the early stage of the outbreak between the 26th and 35th days after the initial confirmed cases. We further find that stock markets in the Western Pacific region experienced more negative abnormal returns as compared to other regions. The results also confirm that feelings of fear among investors turned out to be a mediator and a transmission channel for the effect of COVID-19 outbreak on the stock markets.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to financial literature in two ways. First, we contribute to existing literature that has examined the effect of various catastrophes and crises on the stock markets Second, we contribute to the recent emerging literature that examines the impact of COVID-19 on financial markets.Practical implicationsThe study may have implications for policymakers to deal with this outbreak without triggering uncertainty in stock markets and reassure investors' confidence. The study may also be of interest to investors, managers, financial analysts by revealing how the stock markets quickly respond to outbreaks.Originality/valueThis study is the first study to examine the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the leading stock markets of the WHO regions.

Towards a more ethical market: the impact of ESG rating on corporate financial performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Landi ◽  
Mauro Sciarelli
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper fits in a research field dealing with the impact of Corporate Ethics Assessment on Financial Performance. The authors argue how environmental, social and governance (ESG) paradigm, meant to measure corporate social performance by rating issuance, can impact on abnormal returns of Italian firms listed on Financial Times Stock Exchange Milano Indice di Borsa (FTSE MIB) Index, developing a panel data analysis which runs from 2007 to 2015. Design/methodology/approach This study aims at exploring whether socially responsible investors outperform an excess market return on Italian Stock Exchange because of their investment behavior, testing statistically the relationship between the yearly ESG assessment issued by Standard Ethics Agency on FTSE MIB’s companies and their abnormal returns. To verify the impact of an ESG Rating on a company’s abnormal return, the authors developed a panel data analysis through a Fixed Effects Model. They measured abnormal returns via Fama–French approach, running a yearly Jensen’s Performance Index for each company under investigation. Findings The empirical results denote in Italy both a growing interest to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability by managers over the past decade, as well as an improving quality in ESG assessments because of a reliable corporate disclosure. Thus, despite investors have been applying ESG criteria in their stock – picking operations, the authors found a not positive and statistically significant impact in terms of market premium, when they have been undertaking a socially responsible investment (SRI). Practical implications The findings described above show that ethics is not yet a reliable fundraising tool for Italian-listed companies, despite SRIs having a positive growth rate over past decade. Investors seem to be not pricing CSR on Stock Exchange Market; therefore, listed companies cannot be rewarded with a premium price because of their highly stakeholder oriented behavior. Originality/value This paper explores, for the first time in Italy, when market extra-returns (if any) are related to corporate social performance and how managers leverage ethics to build capital added value.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document