Quantifying the hedge and safe-haven properties of bond markets for cryptocurrency indices

PurposeThis study quantified the hedge and safe haven features of bond markets for multiple cryptocurrency indices from June 2014 to April 2021 to highlight whether bond markets offer hedging facilities to uncertainty indices of cryptocurrencies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed the methodology of Baur and McDermott (2010) and AGDCC-GARCH model to measure the hedge and safe-haven characteristics of three bond markets (BBGT, SPGB and SKUK) for three uncertainty indexes of cryptocurrencies (UCRPR, UCRPO and ICEA).FindingsThe authors find that bond markets are neither hedge nor safe havens except for SKUK which is a safe haven investment for cryptocurrency indices and offers substantial diversification during the periods of economic fragility. In addition, the hedge effectiveness of SPGB outperforms other bonds during crisis periods and provides sufficient diversification potential for cryptocurrency indices.Practical implicationsThe findings are important for policymakers, regulatory bodies, financial firms and investors in assessing hedge and safe haven characteristics of bond markets against cryptocurrency indices.Originality/valueEmploying the novel methodology of AGDCC-GARCH with three different bond markets and three uncertainty indices of cryptocurrencies, the current study adds to the existing strand of literature in terms of quantifying hedge and safe-haven attributes of bond markets for cryptocurrency uncertainty indexes.

The effect of the financial crisis on audit quality: European evidence

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of the recent financial crisis on audit quality by analysing discretionary accruals. Design/methodology/approach This study considers a sample of German, French, Italian and Spanish non-financial firms from 2005 to 2013 to investigate the auditor’s independence. It uses a cross-sectional and time-series ordinary least squares regression model to control for other predictors of the auditor’s independence when the financial crisis produces a decrease in audit quality. Findings The proportion of the non-financial firms having lower audit quality was higher during the financial crisis. In addition, during the crisis auditors were less likely to provide a higher audit quality for these non-financial firms. The level of audit quality returned to normal levels during the post-crisis years when the crisis had ceased. Originality/value These findings contribute to the literature on the impact of economic and financial changes on audit quality. In addition, this research finds that the Big Four accounting firms provide a higher audit quality in different circumstances from non-Big Four accounting firms, and that audit quality decreased during the crisis and returned to normal in the post-crisis period.

Audit Committee Competence and Earnings Management in Europe

This study analyses the association between the competence of audit committee members and earnings management in a sample of 142 non-financial firms from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom over the 2006–2013 period. We measure members’ competence through their dedication and expertise. We find that outside directorships have a dual effect, such that a balanced level of dedication to the audit committee (roughly two outside directorships) reduces earnings management. We examine four types of expertise: audit, non-audit accounting, non-accounting financial, and supervisory expertise. We find a negative relation between earnings management and the audit experience of committee members, and that the other types of expertise play no relevant role. We also find that the contribution of audit experts to curbing earnings management proves particularly important in smaller and less active committees, as well as in smaller and busier boards. Este estudio analiza la asociación entre la competencia de los miembros del Comité de Auditoría y la gestión de los beneficios en una muestra de 142 empresas no financieras de Francia, Alemania, Italia, España y el Reino Unido durante el período 2006-2013. Se mide la competencia de los miembros a través de su dedicación y experiencia. Se descubre que el cargo de consejero externo tiene un efecto doble, de modo que un nivel equilibrado de dedicación al comité de auditoría (aproximadamente dos cargos de consejero externo) reduce la gestión de beneficios. Se examinan igualmente cuatro tipos de experiencia: de auditoría, contable no relacionada con la auditoría, financiera no contable y de supervision, encontrándose una relación negativa entre la gestión de beneficios y la experiencia en auditoría de los miembros del comité, y que los otros tipos de experiencia no desempeñan ningún papel relevante. También se descubre que la contribución de los expertos en auditoría para limitar la gestión de beneficios resulta especialmente importante en los comités más pequeños y menos activos, así como en los consejos más pequeños y más ocupados.

OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE AND FINANCIAL REPORTING QUALITY IN LISTED NON-FINANCIAL FIRMS IN NIGERIA

The objective of this study is to appraise the effect of the ownership structure on the quality of financial reporting in Nigeria. The study used data from 41 non-financial firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for the 2011 to 2019 period. The Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) technique was adopted for the study which is vigorous to the threat of heteroskedasticity and endogeneity. The study findings revealed that institutional and foreign ownership has a significant negative relationship with earnings management, thereby, improving the reporting quality. However, the results show that managerial ownership has an insignificant negative relationship with earnings management. The finding of this study is also robust in scope concerning the issue of unobserved heterogeneity which prior studies have failed to address. Thus, future corporate governance reforms should recognize and sustain these efforts. The study recommends that Firms should expand their institutional and foreign ownership by providing sufficient shares to them. This is important because they frequently deploy their professionalism and wealth of experience to the firms towards meeting corporate goals and agitation of good reporting practice. On the other hand, Firms should ensure that the shareholding of the insider managers is not too high in such a way that the proportion of their shareholding should be minimal. Their shares should not exceed 10% of the total shareholding in the company as it was found to be among the variables that reduce firms' performance.

Board Gender Diversity, Firm Performance and Risk-Taking: The Case of Non-Financial Firms of Pakistan

This paper examines the influence of board gender diversity on firm performance and risk taking. We employed the panel data of seventy-five non-financial firms of KSE-100 index listed in the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The data consists of 2005-2018 period. Results of panel regression reveal that board gender diversity have adverse influence on the firm performance i-e Tobin’s Q and return on assets. Moreover, it further provides that board gender diversity has decrease the firm’s risk-taking i-e insolvency risk. Overall, the inclusion of females in the boardroom reduces the financial performance and decrease the risk-taking of non-financial firms in Pakistan. This study provides the managerial and practical implications in compliance with SECP Act of 2017, to include the females in boardroom to discourage the risk-taking behavior of firms.

Antecedents to the Audit Quality of Non-Financial Firms Listed in Iraq Stock Exchange: The Moderating Role of Accounting Fairness

The main objective of the current study is to examine audit fee, financial reporting quality, going concern, and earning management as antecedents to the audit quality of non-financial firms listed in Iraq stock Exchange. In addition to that the study has also examined the moderating role of accounting fairness in the relationship between audit fee, financial reporting quality, going concern, earning management and audit quality of non-financial firms listed in Iraq stock Exchange. The data of 60 firms listed on Iraqi stock exchange over the period of 4 years from 2017-2021 is taken from the audited accounts. The study basically employs panel data analytical tools in achieving the set goals of the research. The choice of panel data approach is informed by a number of methodological advantages it offers. Results indicates that that as interest in the agency theory grows, the importance of fairness as a principle will grow, and that it is expected that the value of this concept would grow as a means of resolving conflict and exploiting interests that arise between the many stakeholders in the firm. on the concept of fairness, agreeing that the interests of particular parties should not trump fairness, which he referred to as clarity. The results of the study have provided support to the hypothesis of the study. The findings of the study will be helpful for policymakers, and researchers on the issues related to accounting fairness ,audit fee, financial reporting quality, going concern, earning management and audit quality of non-financial firms listed in Iraq stock Exchange.

The determinants of corporate cash holdings: evidence from Shariah-compliant and non-Shariah-compliant corporations

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the difference between the determinants of cash holdings of Shariah-compliant and non-Shariah-compliant firms, for non-financial corporations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).Design/methodology/approachThe data include all non-financial firms listed in six GCC markets over a period 2005–2019. The IdealRatings database is used to identify Shariah-compliant firms in the GCC. To examine the determinants of cash holdings, a static model is used. To confirm the applicability of the method applied, the Breusch–Pagan Lagrange Multiplier (LM) and Hausman (1978) are used to choose the most efficient and consistent static panel regression.FindingsThe results show that, for Shariah-compliant firms, the relevant determinants of cash holdings are leverage, profitability, capital expenditure, net working capital and operating cash flow. For non-Shariah-compliant firms, the only relevant determinants of cash holdings are leverage, net working capital and operating cash flow. The findings suggest that the cash holding decisions of Shariah-compliant firms can be best explained using the pecking order theory. This reveals that Shariah-compliant firms use liquid assets as their first financing option, due to the Shariah regulations.Research limitations/implicationsFuture studies may investigate the optimal levels of cash holdings and compare the adjustment speeds toward target cash holdings of both the Shariah-compliant firms and their conventional counterparts.Originality/valueThis study is the first to investigate the difference between the determinants of cash holdings of Shariah-compliant and non-Shariah-compliant firms.

COVID-19 Disclosure: A Novel Measurement and Annual Report Uncertainty

This paper provides a unique COVID-19 disclosure measurement and investigates the association between the level of COVID-19 disclosure and uncertainty within annual reports for UK FTSE-All share non-financial firms. We used automated textual analysis to score the sampled annual reports. The results show that the level of COVID-19 disclosure varies from industry to industry. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between COVID-19 disclosure and uncertainty in annual reports. Firms with larger boards exhibit more significant uncertainty in annual reports with COVID-19 disclosure. However, the significance of uncertainty in annual reports with COVID-19 disclosure remains at the same level with different board independence percentages. The unique findings of this paper are extremely relevant to governments, shareholders, policymakers, suppliers, and creditors.

COVID-19 Pandemic and the Performance of Financial Firms in Nigeria

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performance and capital adequacy of Nigerian banks is explored in this article. The aim of the study was to see how the virus outbreak affects the performance and capital adequacy of Nigerian banks. For the purposes of this study, an actual post-research budget was used. The number of confirmed positive cases in Nigeria since 2020 is used as an indicator of the virus, with capital adequacy measured by capital adequacy ratio (CAR) and bank financial performance measured by the performance of assets (ROA). In one model, positive cases of the Covid virus were linked to the banks' CAR, while in the other, positive Covid cases were linked to the banks' ROA. Secondary statistics are included in CBN's annual report for the year ended 2020, to be released in 2021. Conventional least squares (OLS) regression estimates were used to analyze the data. . According to the results, the Covid pandemic has had a positive and significant effect on the capital adequacy of Nigerian banks. This can be seen in CBN’s announcement of a higher equity level for 2020 of 15.2%, up from 14.6% in 2019