Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on the Currency Exchanges of Selected Countries

The paper aims to analyse the impact of the COVID outbreak on the currency market. The study considers spot rates of seven major currencies (i.e., EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, AUD/USD, USD/CAD, USD/CHF, and CHF/JPY). To capture the impact of the outbreak on returns and the volatility of returns of seven currencies during pandemic, the study has segregated in two window periods (i.e., pre- [1st Jan 2019 to 31st Dec, 2019] and post-outbreak of COVID-19 [1st Jan, 2020 to 22nd Dec, 2020]). The study has applied various methods and models (i.e., econometric-based compounded annual growth rate [CAGR], dummy variable regression, and generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity [GARCH]). The result of the study captures the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on three currencies—USD/JPY, AUD/USD, and USD/CHF—and positive significant impact on EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CAD, and CHF/JPY. Investors can take short position in these while having long position in other currencies. The inferences drawn from the analysis are providing insight to investors and hedgers.

Effect of Ownership Structure on Firm Performance Evidence From Non-Financial Listed Firms

In modern organizations, there is a separation between ownership and control of the firm. On the lenses of agency theory, this study statistically examines the relationship between ownership structure (i.e., ownership concentration and owner identity) and firm performance of non-financial listed firms of Pakistan by taking firm-level control variables of size, age, liquidity, financial leverage, and growth of the firm. Secondary data is collected from annual reports of 65 non-financial listed firms for the year 2008 to 2012. The least-square dummy variable model followed by the random effect model has been employed to statistically determining the impact of ownership structure on firm performance. The results of the least square dummy variable model reveal that the ownership concentration has a significant positive impact on firm performance. The owner identity (such as dispersed, family, institutional, and government ownership) has a significant causal effect on firm performance as indicated from t and p values.

Impact of stock health on fish prices: Evaluation and implications for food accessibility

The continuous rise of the world’s population has made food security a major point of the global agenda, with fisheries providing a key source of nutrition, especially in developing countries. Ensuring their health is key to maintain the availability of the resource, but its effect over accessibility is yet unclear. In this paper, we discuss the relevance of stock health for ensuring the price accessibility of the resource. A Least Square Dummy Variable panel model is proposed for bluefin tuna prices, with a biological explanatory component, and dummy variables reflecting changes in fishing trends. Both have proven to be significant to explain annual price variations, with improvements in stock health achieving price reductions.

ممارسات متنوعة في قياس عامل الإنتاجية الكلية للعراق: دراسة تحليلية للمدة (1970-2017)

The index of the total productivity factor is one of the most important measures expressing the efficiency of resource use, and an important indicator of technological development among the countries of the world. His great contribution to economic growth reveals his ability to lead economic growth. The strong negative changes taking place in the total factor productivity of the country confirm a series of successive events such as the decline in economic growth (negative growth), for example the decline in total productivity during the Great Depression of 1929, and the slowdown in total productivity in the United States of America in the seventies. On the other hand, achieving distinct real economic growth means improved efficiency and performance and a clear rise in the efficiency of resource utilization accompanied by a distinctive technological development for the country concerned, as has happened in China for the past two decades. It was revealed to us by measuring the growth in the total productivity factor of Iraq in the long term, and after using five diverse productivity functions through which (calculating economic growth) was applied, and using three methods (formulas) for each of the five functions and they are; (Solo remainder, regression, and Ferguson's dummy variable method for instability), we have fifteen time series of TFP growth. It has become clear that the calculation of the total productivity factor suffers from a (technological illusion), and there is no technological development in Iraq for the period (1979-2003), at the very least, as "it became clear to us that there is a clear weakness in the contribution of the factor of total productivity to economic growth," and it became clear that the efficiency of resource utilization did not rise to the level of ambition, and the reason is mainly due to political instability, accompanied by the misuse and distribution of resources, which contributed to the deterioration of the economic and social conditions of Iraq specifically during the period (1980-2017). It was also found that the dummy variable of political instability has taken many forms and continuously influencing, was reflected in the fluctuation of growth values in the factor of total productivity calculated by methods and formulas, totaling fifteen practices of the total production function. The successive political events with their diversity were a concomitant characteristic and negatively affecting the Iraqi economic growth during the mentioned period.

Auditing and earnings management in New Zealand

<p>The research summarised in this thesis focuses on two research issues of particular importance to the New Zealand economy. First, the thesis examines the impact of audit factors on the level of earnings management. Second, the thesis empirically assesses the relationship between the level of earnings management and the audit fees charged by audit firms. In the empirical work summarised in this thesis I use the absolute value of discretionary accruals (DACCs) as a proxy for earnings management. I estimate DACCs for each sample firm by using the modified Jones (1991) model. Moreover, several auditor characteristics have been employed in the thesis as proxies for auditor quality and independence. I use a BIG4 dummy variable (that equals 1 if the auditor is a Big 4 audit firm and 0 otherwise), an AOFFICE dummy variable (that equals 1 if the audit firm’s office is located in Wellington or Auckland and 0 otherwise), an AO dummy variable (that equals 1 if the client firm receives a qualified or conditional audit opinion and 0 otherwise) and a FISCAL dummy variable (that equals 1 if the client firm’s fiscal year-end falls in the period from March to June and 0 otherwise) as proxies for audit quality. I also use a RNAF variable (as measured by the ratio of non-audit fees to total fees paid) and a C_AUDITOR dummy variable (that equals 1 if a client firm changes its audit firm and 0 otherwise) as proxies for auditor independence in relation to the level of DACCs. The empirical results summarised in the thesis show that the level of DACCs is significantly and negatively associated with the BIG4 and AOFFICE variables. This result is consistent with the common perception that higher quality auditors will lead to a higher audit quality and that this in turn will reduce level of DACCs. I also find a positive and statistically significant relationship between the FISCAL variable and the level of DACCs. This result indicates that DACCs are likely to be higher if the audit is conducted during the busy audit season. The empirical results summarised in the thesis also show a positive and significant relationship between the audit opinion (AO) variable and the level of DACCs. This means that a qualified or conditional audit opinion is more likely to occur if the financial statements involve a relatively higher level of DACCs. However, the empirical results summarised in the thesis report an insignificant relationship between the level of DACCs and the C_AUDITOR and RNAF variables. These results mean that auditor independence does not appear to have any impact on the level of DACCs. In part two of this thesis, I examine whether the level of DACCs in the current year is associated with the level of the audit fee in the next ensuing year. Here it is well known that each year the auditor will review both the general and specific factors affecting their audit responsibilities in relation to a particular audit client. Hence, the agreed audit fee for the next ensuing year is likely to reflect information about the level of earnings management in prior years and of how the issues arising out of these earnings management procedures have been resolved between the client firm and the audit firm. In order to test this hypotheses, I employ the audit fee model of Simunic (1980) as refined by Choi et al. (2009), Francis and Simon (1987), Hay et al. (2006b) and Menon and Williams (2001). As expected, the second set of empirical results summarised in the thesis show a positive and statistically significant relationship between the level of DACCs in the current year and the level of the audit fee in the next ensuing year. This means that a high level of DACCs in the current year will impact positively on the level of the audit fee in the next ensuing year.</p>

Auditing and earnings management in New Zealand

<p>The research summarised in this thesis focuses on two research issues of particular importance to the New Zealand economy. First, the thesis examines the impact of audit factors on the level of earnings management. Second, the thesis empirically assesses the relationship between the level of earnings management and the audit fees charged by audit firms. In the empirical work summarised in this thesis I use the absolute value of discretionary accruals (DACCs) as a proxy for earnings management. I estimate DACCs for each sample firm by using the modified Jones (1991) model. Moreover, several auditor characteristics have been employed in the thesis as proxies for auditor quality and independence. I use a BIG4 dummy variable (that equals 1 if the auditor is a Big 4 audit firm and 0 otherwise), an AOFFICE dummy variable (that equals 1 if the audit firm’s office is located in Wellington or Auckland and 0 otherwise), an AO dummy variable (that equals 1 if the client firm receives a qualified or conditional audit opinion and 0 otherwise) and a FISCAL dummy variable (that equals 1 if the client firm’s fiscal year-end falls in the period from March to June and 0 otherwise) as proxies for audit quality. I also use a RNAF variable (as measured by the ratio of non-audit fees to total fees paid) and a C_AUDITOR dummy variable (that equals 1 if a client firm changes its audit firm and 0 otherwise) as proxies for auditor independence in relation to the level of DACCs. The empirical results summarised in the thesis show that the level of DACCs is significantly and negatively associated with the BIG4 and AOFFICE variables. This result is consistent with the common perception that higher quality auditors will lead to a higher audit quality and that this in turn will reduce level of DACCs. I also find a positive and statistically significant relationship between the FISCAL variable and the level of DACCs. This result indicates that DACCs are likely to be higher if the audit is conducted during the busy audit season. The empirical results summarised in the thesis also show a positive and significant relationship between the audit opinion (AO) variable and the level of DACCs. This means that a qualified or conditional audit opinion is more likely to occur if the financial statements involve a relatively higher level of DACCs. However, the empirical results summarised in the thesis report an insignificant relationship between the level of DACCs and the C_AUDITOR and RNAF variables. These results mean that auditor independence does not appear to have any impact on the level of DACCs. In part two of this thesis, I examine whether the level of DACCs in the current year is associated with the level of the audit fee in the next ensuing year. Here it is well known that each year the auditor will review both the general and specific factors affecting their audit responsibilities in relation to a particular audit client. Hence, the agreed audit fee for the next ensuing year is likely to reflect information about the level of earnings management in prior years and of how the issues arising out of these earnings management procedures have been resolved between the client firm and the audit firm. In order to test this hypotheses, I employ the audit fee model of Simunic (1980) as refined by Choi et al. (2009), Francis and Simon (1987), Hay et al. (2006b) and Menon and Williams (2001). As expected, the second set of empirical results summarised in the thesis show a positive and statistically significant relationship between the level of DACCs in the current year and the level of the audit fee in the next ensuing year. This means that a high level of DACCs in the current year will impact positively on the level of the audit fee in the next ensuing year.</p>

INDEX FUTURES INTRODUCTION AND STOCK MARKET VOLATILITY: EMPIRICAL STUDY IN VIETNAM

This paper aims at answering the question whether the VN30 index futures introduction has an impact on stock market volatility in Vietnam. Apply GARCH model of volatility with additive dummy variable from 28/7/2000 to 10/9/2020, the result shows that when the first listed index futures contract appears, it makes the volatility of VNIndex increases. The result is still robust after excluding the turmoil period of Vietnam stock market. This paper implies that policy maker should be more careful in promoting derivatives market in Vietnam.

Readability as a measure of textual complexity: determinants and evidence in Brazilian companies

ABSTRACT The aim of this article was to evaluate the effect of company earnings and of harmonization with IFRS on the readability of Management Reports in the Brazilian stock market. There is a gap to be filled both in the elaboration and adaptation of readability measures to the context studied, as the studies tend to replicate the original formulas, and in identifying the determinants of the readability of Brazilian company reports, as the research in this field remains in its infancy and the results are inconclusive. The results provide indications for investors to identify complex textual information and may help public policymakers to establish a simple writing manual, along the lines of the SEC’s 1998 Plain English Handbook. The modified metrics and the one developed overcome the criticisms regarding the use of readability formulas in accounting research and could be used in substitution of the original metrics in future studies. An econometric model was used that presents the determinants of readability. Readability was calculated for the Results Analysis section of the Management Report. The resulting construct is understood via three attributes: persistence, current performance, and the reference benchmark. Harmonization with IFRS is a dummy variable, which delimits the pre- and post-IFRS periods. The hypotheses were tested in a sample of Brazilian companies made up of 714 company-year observations covering the period from 2006 to 2019. The descriptive results show that there is an apparent improvement in the readability of the reports in the pre- and post-IFRS period comparison. The econometric evidence shows that, in general, companies with persistent and positive earnings present less complex reports and are more likely to have highly readable reports, because managers publish reports with better readability to signal positive results to the market.

VIABLE HEALTH FUNDING IN TIME OF DEMOGRAPHIC AGEING

In the past several decades a new challenge has arisen, and it refers to the rapid demographic ageing of the population in developed and developing countries, quite opposite to the previous understanding of overpopulated planet. Increase in the older population brings its implications to different segments of the society, and the national health system and its funding is one of them. This paper tends to analyze if there is a relationship between the government health expenditure and the increase in the older population in fourteen countries from the European Union that are experiencing most intense process of demographic ageing. Also, other possible determinants of the health expenditures are included, such as government social spending, gross domestic product per capita and dummy variable to estimate the effect of the global recession onto the health expenditure.

Asymmetric Effects of Quality of Life on Residents’ Satisfaction: Exploring a Newborn Natural Disaster Tourism Destination

Developing disaster tourism has become an important means of post-disaster recovery, but the relationship between attributes of quality of life (QOL) and residents’ satisfaction toward newborn natural disaster destination (NNDD) development has not been explored. This study examines the asymmetric effects of QOL on residents’ satisfaction using the dummy variable regression approach based on the Three-Factor Theory. A mixed-method approach was used to develop QOL scale, and a questionnaire was developed to survey 379 residents from China’s Wenchuan. This study identifies the types (positive asymmetric, symmetric, and insignificant effect) of seven QOL attributes that influence residents’ satisfaction. This study provides a valuable supplement to the literature on residents’ QOL by focusing on the NNDD context, and is a pioneering attempt to apply the Three-Factor Theory from the perspective of local residents. Practically, some implications for policy optimization are proposed to help NNDD development.