Small regulators will be a locus of US finance fights

Significance The settlement indicates the ability of regulatory bodies to establish themselves by aggressive actions, and the risks for businesses that do not assess their strength accurately. Impacts Populist regulatory themes are resonating at the electoral level, most forcefully driven by Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. A more lenient stance toward financial regulation may not be possible for the Republican presidential nominee. The recent departure of the DFS's first superintendent, Benjamin Lawsky, will not weaken the agency's aggressive actions.

Subject President Donald Trump and banking reform. Significance President Donald Trump attacked Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of the November 2016 election over her paid speaking appearances at Wall Street financial institutions before her second presidential run. Although he has appointed several former bankers to administration positions and advanced a deregulatory agenda as president, as a candidate Trump criticised big banks and proposed restoring the Glass-Steagall rule separating commercial and investment banking in the 1933 US Banking Act, enacted during the Great Depression but repealed in 1999. The idea has gained some traction in Congress and Trump called for a “21st century version” of Glass-Steagall in a May 1 interview. Impacts When the Fed normalises interest rates, it will help US banks’ profitability when combined with less-stringent compliance requirements. Stricter stances on financial regulation are likely to be an ideological litmus test for Democratic candidates seeking nomination. Finance-friendly appointments to and legislative restrictions on federal agencies will curtail Washington’s regulatory power.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enoch Nii Boi Quaye ◽  
Charles Andoh ◽  
Anthony Q.Q. Aboagye

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to assess the level and variability of Ghanaian property and liability insurer’s reserve estimates to examine its sources and ascertain if reserve errors are random or not (i.e. manipulated or not). Design/methodology/approach – It uses information on insurer claim reserve provisions, claims outstanding, claims incurred and claims paid for the period of 2000-2010. Categorizing the sources of variation as endogenous and exogenous, the authors use the panel correlated standard error regression model to determine sources and magnitude of industry reserve error. Findings – The study finds that size, age, lag of loss reserve error, inflation rate and real gross domestic product are significant in determining the degree of reserve error variation. Type of ownership (domestic or foreign) is, however, not a significant source of variation. Further, the authors found that industry reserve errors are random (not manipulated) across firms, suggesting that sampled insurers act independently on reserve error decision making and are not influenced by industry trends and competition. Research limitations/implications – The main research study limitation is the difficulty involved in obtaining annual statements from insurance companies in Ghana. Reluctance of companies to make statements available impeded on the smooth flow of the study during data collection. Practical implications – Policy-wise, this suggest that regulatory bodies can uniquely set reserve error levels for existing firms with little influence on competition. Further, the Ghanaian insurance regulator does not to focus on the type of ownership (foreign or local) when setting regulatory standards. However, size of the company and age (length of operation) should be considered. Originality/value – This paper is the first empirical study to examine the loss reserve error and loss reserve variability of Ghanaian property and liability insurance companies.


Author(s):  
Gayani Karunasena ◽  
Kosala Rajagalgoda Gamage

Purpose The construction industry in many developing countries is reluctant to apply value engineering (VE) due to uncertainty of outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing practices of VE techniques and make recommendations to organisations and national construction regulatory bodies, to standardise VE practices. A decision-making formula is introduced to determine profitability of VE applications prior to implementation. Design/methodology/approach A broad literature review and six case study projects that applied VE were selected. Thirty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data within cases. Six expert interviews were conducted as confirmatory interviews to clarify and validate research outcome. Content analysis and cognitive mapping were used to analyse data among case studies. Findings Application, knowledge and experience on VE techniques among construction professionals are unsatisfactory. Recommendations include reducing contractor’s design responsibility, introducing proper VE guidelines and statutory regulations. A framework is introduced to assist authorities to standardise application of VE techniques. A decision-making formula is suggested to determine margins of contractor’s portion due to VE techniques and original profits gained. Originality/value The formula can be used as a decision-making tool by construction industry practitioners to determine successfulness of proposed VE techniques, and the proposed framework can be used to guide construction professional bodies to standardise VE practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Abubakr Naeem ◽  
Mustafa Raza Rabbani ◽  
Sitara Karim ◽  
Syed Mabruk Billah

Purpose This study aims to examine the hedge and safe-haven properties of the Sukuk and green bond for the stock markets pre- and during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Design/methodology/approach To test the hedge and safe-haven characteristics of Sukuk and green bonds for stock markets, the study first uses the methodology proposed by Ratner and Chiu (2013). Next, the authors estimate the hedge ratios and hedge effectiveness of using Sukuk and green bonds in a portfolio with stock markets. Findings Strong safe-haven features of ethical (green) bonds reveal that adding green bonds into the investment portfolios brings considerable diversification avenues for the investors who tend to take fewer risks in periods of economic stress and turbulence. The hedge ratio and hedge effectiveness estimates reveal that green bonds provide sufficient evidence of the hedge effectiveness for various international stocks. Practical implications The study has significant implications for faith-based investors, ethical investors, policymakers and regulatory bodies. Religious investors can invest in Sukuk to relish low-risk and interest-free investments, whereas green investors can satisfy their socially responsible motives by investing in these investment streams. Policymakers can direct the businesses to include these diversifiers for portfolio and risk management. Originality/value The study provides novel insights in the testing hedge and safe-haven attributes of green bonds and Sukuk while using unique methodologies to identify multiple low-risk investors for investors following the uncertain COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariya Gubareva

PurposeThis paper provides an objective approach based on available market information capable of reducing subjectivity, inherently present in the process of expected loss provisioning under the IFRS 9.Design/methodology/approachThis paper develops the two-step methodology. Calibrating the Credit Default Swap (CDS)-implied default probabilities to the through-the-cycle default frequencies provides average weights of default component in the spread for each forward term. Then, the impairment provisions are calculated for a sample of investment grade and high yield obligors by distilling their pure default-risk term-structures from the respective term-structures of spreads. This research demonstrates how to estimate credit impairment allowances compliant with IFRS 9 framework.FindingsThis study finds that for both investment grade and high yield exposures, the weights of default component in the credit spreads always remain inferior to 33%. The research's outcomes contrast with several previous results stating that the default risk premium accounts at least for 40% of CDS spreads. The proposed methodology is applied to calculate IFRS 9 compliant provisions for a sample of investment grade and high yield obligors.Research limitations/implicationsMany issuers are not covered by individual Bloomberg valuation curves. However, the way to overcome this limitation is proposed.Practical implicationsThe proposed approach offers a clue for a better alignment of accounting practices, financial regulation and credit risk management, using expected loss metrics across diverse silos inside organizations. It encourages adopting the proposed methodology, illustrating its application to a set of bond exposures.Originality/valueNo previous research addresses impairment provisioning employing Bloomberg valuation curves. The study fills this gap.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hüseyin Temiz

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of firms’ disclosure practices on firm value and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Firms’ disclosure scores were calculated based on unique hand-collected data by using the S&P transparency and disclosure index (S&P TD index). Ordinary least squares with year/firm fixed effects and two-stage least square methods were used to test the hypothesis. Findings It is observed that firms’ disclosure scores have positive and statistically significant effects on firm value. However, firms’ disclosure scores do not have significant effects on firm performance. This result is mostly observed in sub-categories of the index. Practical implications Results show that disclosed information has an impact on firm value. Therefore, standardization and increasing the reliability of this information are necessary for both information users and firms. It is important to standardize the information published by the firms and to increase their reliability by implementing new regulations by regulatory bodies in Turkey. Social implications Firms bear the costs due to their disclosure practices. However, the benefits derived from this situation may be higher than the cost incurred. Hence, it is suggested that firms that are traded in Turkey consider this in the determination of their disclosure policy. Originality/value This is the first study that investigates the effects of firms’ disclosure scores on both firm value and firm performance by using the S&P TD index in the Turkish context.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Umar Habibu Umar ◽  
Sulaiman Musa

Purpose This paper aims to establish whether Jaiz Bank Nigeria, Plc (JBNP) adopts the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice and disclosure of Islami Bank Bangladesh (IBBL) as the latter provided managerial and technical assistance to the former. Design/methodology/approach The data were extracted from the annual reports and accounts of the banks from 2013 to 2017. Findings The study established that over the period, IBBL had clearly disclosed sector-wise CSR expenditures and the number of beneficiaries, such as humanitarian and disaster relief, education, health and environment, among others, for the welfare of the poor and the needy in the country. However, the CSR practice and disclosure of IBBL have not yet been adopted by JBNP. It only discharges CSR activities through its foundation called Jaiz Foundation, with unlawful income based on the doctrine of necessity, as approved by the Financial Regulation Advisory Council of Experts (FRACE) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Further, the total amount to expend for CSR activities is located in the statement of sources and uses of charity funds. Research limitations/implications The study covered only two Islamic Banks. Besides, only CSR aspects for the community service and development over five years were examined. Practical implications It is suggested that JBNP should adopt the CSR practice and disclosure of IBBL for the welfare of the poor and the needy in Nigeria. Social implications Adopting the IBBL CSR practice and disclosure by JBNP would contribute to the minimization of the incidence of poverty in Nigeria. Originality/value This study, to the best knowledge of the researchers, is among the few of its kind that deeply evaluated the CSR expenditure of Islamic banks solely for the welfare of the poor and the needy of the society.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Hafij Ullah ◽  
Ruma Khanam

Purpose Shari’ah is the foundation of Islamic banks. Although all the Islamic banks required complying with the Shari’ah requirements fully, the level of compliance differs among the Islamic banks. At the same time, Islamic banks have been performing well, but all do not demonstrate similar financial performance. This paper aims to explore whether Shari’ah compliance efficiency makes any difference in financial performance of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL). Design/methodology/approach This study used IBBL as a case. For exploring the issue of study, this paper applied an e-mail interview approach and interviewed 24 interviewees including financial analysts, IBBL clients and executives of regulatory bodies, the IBBL and other Islamic- and interest-based traditional banks. Interview opinions are then analyzed and interpreted for a deeper understanding of the topic. Findings The study observed that some other factors influence the financial performance of IBBL, but Shari’ah compliance is the dominant instinct of acquiring the leading position. Superior Shari’ah compliance creates internal strengths and external opportunities that facilitate IBBL in achieving higher financial performance. Most interviewees argued that Shari’ah is the only disposition that makes IBBL unique. Moreover, the bank that considerably follows Shari’ah gets better financial outcomes. Research limitations/implications The study used a qualitative method using interview responses only for evaluating the relationship between Shari’ah compliance and financial performance. Further study may be conducted based on a quantitative approach. Practical implications This paper expects to uphold the significance of Shari’ah in improving the financial performance of IBBL and simultaneously motivating the parties associated with the Islamic banks in enhancing the level of Shari’ah compliance. Moreover, this study provides new insights into the importance Islamic banks and their performance in relation to the choice of customers. Originality/value This study explores the significance of Shari’ah compliance in creating avenues for greater financial performance and develops a model showing the ways how Shari’ah compliance leads Islamic banks to achieve higher financial positions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooja Jha ◽  
Munish Makkad ◽  
Sanjiv Mittal

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to conceptualize, develop and validate a scale reflecting performance dimensions of women entrepreneurs. The study intends to address the important aspects of women entrepreneur such as identifying factors influencing performance of women entrepreneur in emerging economies including India, and to develop a reliable and valid scale for measuring performance from women entrepreneurs’ perspective, which will help to explain the phenomena of entrepreneurship among women by using a holistic approach.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth literature reviews were conducted to identify manifest item measuring the latent scale dimensions. Semi-structured interview with women entrepreneurs also contributed toward item generation. A total of 1,032 valid and usable questionnaires were used for the final statistical data analysis. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) also conducted to confirm factors-item composition considered for the study.FindingsA final scale comprising six dimensions of entrepreneurial performance has been developed. These dimensions are business environment, motivation (pull/push), training and skill development, networking and market information, socio–cultural and financial. Dimensions are reflecting perception of women entrepreneurs on performance. Psychometrically properties of the proposed scale were tested and the model fitness was established through CFA.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed scale will be beneficial for both existing and nascent entrepreneurs toward gaining awareness regarding what accounts for their performance enhancement in the respective ventures undertaken. At the same time, the finding carries implications for regulatory bodies and policymakers as well, which are engaged in drafting guidelines catering to the development of women entrepreneurship in respective economies.Originality/valueThe authors believe that the proposed scale offers superior ability to explain factors that affect the performance of women entrepreneurs in emerging economies such as India.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Brophy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the operational and regulatory positions of the employment of Blockchain in the insurance industry. Blockchain technology has attracted wide interest from various stakeholders. Many theorists are predicting that this technology will disrupt financial services, including insurance. As stated that the development of blockchain is dependent on regulatory acceptance of this technology, it is essential to establish the current state of play with regard to the application and use of blockchain from a commercial and regulatory standpoints. Design/methodology/approach This review encompasses a number of approaches to view the current status of Blockchain applications. From a commercial approach, this research lists the current applications of blockchain within the insurance industry. From a regulatory point of view, the current positions of the EU and national regulatory bodies are enquired upon to establish how they are examining FinTech and Blockchain technologies within their regulatory processes. Findings This review illustrates a number of Blockchain applications in situ from a commercial point of view. From a regulatory setting and following a call from international and EU levels, it appears that various regulatory bodies have begun the process of formulating testing processes for FinTech applications. There are two predominant types in operation, while others are forming points of contact for advice for FinTechs and a small amount who have not begun the process at all. Research limitations/implications This review illustrates the current state of play of blockchain in insurance from a commercial and regulatory point of view. While this has been observational, this review pulls together information from various sources to encapsulate the regulatory positioning of evaluating FinTech and Blockchain technologies for academia, regulatory and industry audiences. Originality/value This review offers a central resource of information with regard to the current state of blockchain technologies in operation and regulatory approaches to this and other FinTech developments.


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