The Relative and Incremental Valuation Effects of Embedded Value Disclosure by Life Insurers: Evidence from Cross-Listed Firms in the U.S.

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir M. El-Gazzar ◽  
Rudolph A. Jacob ◽  
Scott P. McGregor
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
Joint Project ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Valuation Effects ◽  
Life Insurers ◽  
Embedded Value

SYNOPSIS European life insurers began disclosing embedded value information (EV) over a decade ago due to concerns with traditional local accounting standards. EV is an estimate of the present value of future net cash flows from in-force life insurance business. However, U.S.-based life insurers have yet to adopt this disclosure, although several surveys and empirical studies suggest that EV disclosure provides valuable information in assessing life insurers' performance. This paper examines the incremental valuation effects of EV disclosure in the presence of U.S. GAAP. We utilize a sample of cross-listed life insurers as surrogates to assess the valuation effects of EV disclosures for U.S. life insurers. Our empirical results show a higher association between EV and stock market prices than those of traditional accounting metrics such as earnings or book value. The results also show that EV has incremental explanatory power beyond those of traditional U.S. GAAP accounting measures. Our findings provide vital input to FASB and IASB as they currently engage in a joint project to develop uniform globally acceptable, comparable accounting standards for life insurers.

The valuation effects of embedded value disclosure by life insurers

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir M. El Gazzar ◽  
Rudolph A. Jacob ◽  
Scott McGregor
Keyword(s):  
Valuation Effects ◽  
Life Insurers ◽  
Embedded Value

Valuations of electricity distribution and retail companies in an emerging market

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-349
Author(s):  
Hasan Alma ◽  
Mehmet Baha Karan
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Market ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Electricity Distribution ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Distribution Company ◽  
Energy Companies ◽  
Extreme Scenario

Purpose This paper is aimed to evaluate recently privatized 18 electricity distribution and retail companies, using the data and conditions at the time they were privatized. The main hypothesis of the study is that most of the privatized companies in this research are underpriced similar to previous experiences in developed and emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach Values of the companies are calculated considering the formal procedures of Turkish energy authorities. These companies are valued under the base, moderate and extreme scenarios created from different sets of assumptions considering conditions and existing data at the time they were privatized. Discounted cash flows (DCF) methodology is used in the estimations. The market prices obtained in their privatization tenders are compared with those theoretically calculated values (intrinsic prices). Findings The findings reject the hypothesis and indicate an overpricing in general in the privatizations of Turkey. Even the extreme scenario which gives the highest intrinsic values supports the findings. Research limitations/implications Research is limited with 18 regional electricity distribution company in Turkey. Originality/value The paper is one of the initial empirical studies on the valuation of energy companies using DCF methodology in an emerging market.

Unregulated Corporate Financial Disclosure and Analysts’ Forecast Properties: The Case of Embedded Value Reporting by Life Insurers

2022 ◽  
pp. 0148558X2110632
Author(s):  
Samir M. El-Gazzar ◽  
Rudolph A. Jacob ◽  
Scott P. McGregor
Keyword(s):  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Forecast Accuracy ◽  
Fair Value ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Corporate Management ◽  
Life Insurers ◽  
Embedded Value ◽  
Information Set

This paper investigates the association between life insurers’ voluntary disclosure of embedded value (EV), an unregulated market-driven fair value measure, and analyst forecast accuracy and dispersion. EV is an estimate of the present value of future net cash flows from in-force life insurance business. Advocates of this disclosure believe that EV is a better measure of economic performance than traditional GAAP measures. Others argue that corporate management has discretion in estimating and reporting EV. Further, analysts may have access to information that allows the development of possibly more accurate estimation metrics in the absence of EV disclosure. It is then an empirical issue to determine whether EV disclosure has any incremental effect on analysts’ forecast properties. Using a multi-country setting, we find that EV disclosure is positively associated with analysts’ earnings forecast accuracy and negatively related to forecast dispersion. This result is consistent with the alternative hypothesis that disclosure of EV provides a richer information set that enriches analysts’ forecasts beyond their own in-house developed surrogates. As guidance for insurance accounting and disclosure evolves, our findings support the value of continuing to provide EV information to the public.

An Exploratory Study of the Valuation Properties of Cross-Listed Firms' IAS and U.S. GAAP Earnings and Book Values

2002 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hollis Ashbaugh ◽  
Per Olsson
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Equity Market ◽  
Residual Income ◽  
International Accounting Standards ◽  
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Valuation Model ◽  
Accounting Principles ◽  
Book Values

Despite the increasing integration of global capital markets, there is little evidence on the valuation properties of cross-listed, non-U.S. firms' accounting variables. We use the relative performance of the earnings capitalization, the book value, and the residual income valuation models to explore the valuation properties of International Accounting Standards and U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles earnings and book values reported by non-U.S., cross-listed firms trading in a common equity market. Using non-U.S./non-U.K. firms whose shares trade on the International Stock Exchange Automated Quotation system in London, we find that the earnings capitalization model is the dominant accounting-based valuation model when crosslisted firms report under International Accounting Standards. In contrast, we find that when cross-listed firms report under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the residual income model is the dominant accountingbased valuation model. Our exploratory study provides insights into the valuation implications of allowing a dual reporting system for foreign registrants trading in a common equity market.

scholarly journals Simulation evidence on the properties of alternative measures of working capital accruals

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-394
Author(s):  
Javad Izadi Zadeh Darjezi ◽  
Homagni Choudhury ◽  
Alireza Nazarian
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Estimation Error ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Working Capital ◽  
Accrual Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Uk

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the specification and power of tests based on the DD and modified DD model through the UK data between years 2000 and 2013, and make comparisons with tests using working capital accruals creating a measure of accruals quality as the standard deviation of the residuals value from firm-specific regressions base on working capital accruals on last, current and one-year-ahead cash flows from operations. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses both on the DD model and modified DD model to find out which of them can more accurately capture total working capital accrual estimation error and accrual quality. According to the DD model, the past, current and future net cash from operating activities as the three years’ operating cash inflows or outflows become omitted and correlated variables. In this study, the authors continue to document residuals from the DD and MDD models to demonstrate properties that are more consistent with behaviours of accruals estimation errors. Therefore, in this study, the authors are looking to compare the results from both the MDD and DD models and find which one of them is more effective in explaining the working capital accruals in the UK. Findings The authors find that adding additional explanatory variables may add additional explanatory power of variables to the DD model and extent to which accruals map into cash flow insights based on the UK data. This study is empirically well fitting with the internal workings of cash flows. As investors fixate only on the accounting earnings, they may fail to reflect fully on information contained within cash flow components and working capital accruals of current and future earnings. Originality/value The authors compare different equation to cover more items of working capital accruals. In addition, after examining earnings and accrual quality, the findings show that the average UK company behaviour was quite similar to the behaviour that was founded earlier for both models in the USA. Furthermore, this study results show that more volatility of sales, cash flow, accruals and earnings make a lower accrual quality. The results demonstrate that both models can capture the power to predict working capital accruals. Moreover, we find that adding additional explanatory variable of employee growth rate adds additional explanatory variables to DD model.

scholarly journals Dimensional analysis of price-value correspondence: a spurious case of spurious correlation

2011 ◽  
Vol 69 (274) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Valle Baeza
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Marxist Theory ◽  
Measures Of Association ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
Labor Theory Of Value ◽  
Spurious Correlation ◽  
Labor Theory ◽  
New Energy ◽  
Theory Of Value

Labor theory of value has received considerable attention among Marxists and their critics. No agreement has been reached as to what labor theory of value is (Foley, 2000), Itoh, 1988; Kliman, 2006; Laibman, 1992 and Mohun, 2000). Paradoxically there are empirical studies showing strong association between labor values and market prices. Such works could inject new energy into Marxist theory of value; nevertheless some critics have questioned such empirical findings because: a) there is a problem of spurious correlation involved, and b) measures of association vary with changes in the physical units of the analyzed merchandises.

scholarly journals A critical revision of the empirical literature on Chinese outward investment: A new proposal

2011 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 715-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Rodríguez ◽  
Ricardo Bustillo
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Market Size ◽  
Foreign Investors ◽  
Manufacturing Location ◽  
Critical Revision ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Large Host

Research on China?s role in the globalization of economic activity focuses mainly on its involvement in trade and on its competitiveness as a manufacturing location for foreign investors. However, since the mid-1990s China?s outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has become an important part of its integration into the global economy. This dimension is poorly understood, and few empirical studies about the drivers behind Chinese OFDI have been published thus far. After reviewing critically the empirical literature, which provides ambiguous results about the explanatory power of some of the large list of determinants put forward, we aim to provide a more accurate description of the motives behind Chinese OFDI. Using a panel data approach for the period 1995 to 2009 and for a large host country sample, we identify some key drivers. We find that host market size, natural resources and FDI openness are of paramount relevance. However, the asset seeking hypothesis is not confirmed.

The relative information content of cash flows and earnings affected by their extremity

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 646-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wael Mostafa
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Information Content ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nested Models ◽  
Relative Information ◽  
Security Returns ◽  
Relative Information Content

Purpose – Many studies examine the relative information content of earnings and cash flows from operations. Most studies find that earnings have higher information content than cash flows. An interesting question that follows is whether these findings hold after controlling the extremity of earnings and cash flows. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relative information content of earnings and cash flows in the following four different cases: first, moderate earnings vs moderate cash flows, second, extreme earnings vs moderate cash flows, third, moderate earnings vs extreme cash flows, and fourth, extreme earnings vs extreme cash flows. Design/methodology/approach – To assess the relative information content of earnings and cash flows for each of the four cases mentioned above, the authors compare the explanatory power for regression of returns on unexpected earnings relative to regression of returns on unexpected cash flows. Therefore, the author compares the adjusted R2 of the model with earnings variables and the model with cash flows variables using Vuong's test, that examines the statistical significance of the difference between adjusted R2s of the rival (non-nested) models, and interpret a statistically higher adjusted R2 as an indicator for higher relative information content. Findings – The results show that: first, when both earnings and cash flows are moderate, earnings are more highly associated with stock market price changes than cash flows, second, when both earnings and cash flows are extreme, earnings also have greater relative information content than cash flows, third, when the extremity differs between earnings and cash flows, the moderate variable is superior to the other extreme variable in explaining security returns. These results suggest that earnings are definitely more value relevant than cash flows. However, only in cases when cash flows from operations are moderate and earnings are extreme, cash flows possess higher information content than earnings. Practical implications – The explanatory power for stock returns will be higher for earnings or cash flows depending on which is more highly persistent. This result reverses the conventional finding of the superiority of earnings over cash flows in explaining security returns. Originality/value – In contrast to previous studies, the authors control for the extremity of earnings and cash flows when evaluating the relative information content of earnings and cash flows from operations.

Asset Insulators

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Chodorow-Reich ◽  
Andra Ghent ◽  
Valentin Haddad
Keyword(s):  
Market Value ◽  
Value Of Life ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Security Level ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
Life Insurers ◽  
Pass Through

Abstract We construct a new data set tracking the daily value of life insurers’ assets at the security level. Outside of the 2008–2009 crisis, a ${\$}$ 1 drop in the market value of assets reduces an insurer’s market equity by ${\$}$ 0.10. During the ?nancial crisis, this pass-through rises to ${\$}$ 1. We explain this pattern by viewing insurance companies as asset insulators, institutions with stable, long-term liabilities that can ride out transitory dislocations in market prices. Illustrating the macroeconomic importance of insulation, insurers’ market equity declined by ${\$}$50 billion less than the duration-adjusted value of their securities during the crisis.

Auswirkungen der anhaltenden Niedrigzinsen auf das Versicherungswesen

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinrich R. Schradin
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Life Insurance ◽  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Fair Value ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Capital Adequacy ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Life Insurers ◽  
Low Interest Rates ◽  
German Life

AbstractFocusing the perspective of German life insurance industry, this article starts with a brief description and discussion of the financial impact of the persistently low interest rate environment. Based on an empirical data set of German life insurers, the author illustrates actual limitations to generate sufficient investment income for to meet the given specific financial guarantees. Moreover, the core problem, caused by the use of volatile timingrelated interest rates for to evaluate long-term cash flows, becomes obvious. The currently observed regulatory interventions are trying to overcome the existential consequences of the so-called fair value measurement. In consequence, the author derives four central theses:1. Life insurance in Germany suffers from insufficient capital adequacy.2. Persistent low interest rates threaten the fulfillment of financial guaranty commitments of German life insurers.3. The generally accepted principals of economic evaluation do not satisfy to the traditional business model of German life insurers.4. Under a business perspective, the development of new life insurance products is inevitable.

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