Firm Risk Research Articles

Tax Avoidance and Firm Risk: New Insights from a Latent Class Mixture Model

ABSTRACT We examine the relations between tax avoidance and two components of firm risk (priced risk and idiosyncratic risk) using latent class mixture models. OLS regressions suggest that tax avoidance is negatively related to both priced risk and idiosyncratic risk. However, results from latent class mixture models reveal that 35.6 (58) percent of the sample exhibits a significant positive association between tax avoidance and priced (idiosyncratic) risk and firm characteristics are strikingly different across the latent classes. We use these differences to develop parsimonious models to predict latent class assignments, which we then use to demonstrate that firms predicted to have a positive relation between tax avoidance and priced risk or idiosyncratic risk have more negative future tax outcomes, including higher relative cash tax rate volatility, larger additions to tax reserves, larger payouts to tax authorities, and more negative tax-related news coverage over the following three years. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: M41; G12; D81.

Financial market development and corporate risk management: Evidence from Shanghai crude oil futures launched in China

This paper investigates the impact of China's crude oil futures (COF) on risk management at the firm level in China. The empirical results based on a sample from 2014 to 2021 show that the launch of China's COF significantly reduces idiosyncratic risk in energy-dependent firms, and this conclusion remains significant even after a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis reveals that the launch of China's COF reduces firms' idiosyncratic risk mainly through the cash flow and volatility within the corporate internal channels and the attention from external market information channels. Further analysis finds that the inhibitory effect is more pronounced among large firms and firms with higher competitive pressures. Our study contributes firm-level evidence on the relationship between China's COF and corporate risk management and provides insights into energy policy.

The mediating role of firm risk: The case of the insurance sector in Saudi Arabia

This study aims to examine the mediating effect of firm risk on the relationships between board structure and firm performance. The multivariate panel data regression technique is employed to analyse the mediating impact of firm risk on 27 listed insurance companies on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) from 2016 to 2021. The findings of this study indicate that firm risk partially mediates the relationship between audit independence and Tobin's Q. In contrast to the existing literature, the study reveals that boards composed of independent members may lack effectiveness in their monitoring role, leading to higher risk-taking behaviour. This paper contributes to the literature on corporate governance and firm performance by examining the association through the lens of firm risk.

Emission rights mortgage and stock price crash risk: evidence from China

ABSTRACT Using the emission rights mortgage (ERM) policy in China as an exogenous shock, we employ a difference-in-differences approach to examine how ERM affects stock price crash risk of heavy-polluting firms. We find that the implementation of the ERM policy reduces stock price crash risk. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that this effect is stronger for firms with more severe financial constraints, those with lower information disclosure quality, those located in regions with greater local government’s environmental concerns, and non-SOEs. Our findings further our understanding of the economic consequences of ERM policy.

FACTORS AFFECTING AUDIT FEES IN FINANCIAL SECTOR COMPANIES IN INDONESIA STOCK EXCHANGE

The purpose of this study is to collect data from empirical studies on the relationship between audit fees and firm size, profitability firm risk, and status of audit firm. 43 companies in the financial sector that have been listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for three years, from 2018 to 2020, represent the research sample. Secondary data was used in this study. Panel data regression was chosen as the data analysis model in this study, and EViews 12 SV was used to process the data. The findings of this study indicated that a company's size had a positive effect on audit fees. According to the study's findings, audit fees are not significantly affected by profitability, firm risk, or the status of the audit firm.

Labor leverage and firm risk: Evidence from Korea

Labor expenditure can induce a form of operating leverage at the firm level due to the relative smoothness of wages compared to output. This study investigates the effect of labor-induced operating leverage (i.e., labor leverage) measured by labor share on a firm's risk dimensions in the Korean stock market. We find that labor share increases both equity returns and the default probability at the firm level. Moreover, the amplification of liability risk translates into the riskiness of a firm's assets proxied by asset volatility. Finally, we show that the value premium is stronger for high labor share firms, suggesting a new channel of the book-to-market effect in the cross-section of returns.

Impact of Financial Liberalization on Firm Risk

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of financial liberalization on firm risk and examines the relationship between liberalization and firm risk from a global perspective by using three different measures of financial liberalization to analyze the entire sample as well as four different subsamples by using firms from different countries as our samples. Design/methodology/approach: We use the pooled ordinary least squared (OLS) regression model and a series of robustness checks to conduct our analysis by using our sample that includes 63 countries, 18,317 firms, and 161,317 firm-year observations from 1991–2017. Findings: Our empirical analysis concludes that financial liberalization has a significantly negative effect on firm risk. Following a series of robustness checks, we find that the results remain unchanged after categorizing our sample into subsamples according to the level of financial liberalization, controlling for changes in the economic development status, and dividing the sample periods based on the time of the financial crises. Moreover, the quantile regression reveals the asymmetric effect of financial liberalization on firm risk. The findings of our study contribute to a clear perception of how financial liberalization affects firm risk. Originality/value: In this paper, we use the data from multination to know clearly how different countries respond to the financial liberalization policies which may affect the firm risk. Then, we conduct a series of robustness checks to make sure that our result is robust. According to the result, we can see that the negative significant relationship between financial liberalization and firm risk remains unchanged after categorizing our sample into subsamples according to the level of financial liberalization, controlling for changes in the economic development status, and dividing the sample periods based on the time of the financial crises. Furthermore, the quantile regression reveals the asymmetric effect of financial liberalization on firm risk. We note that our findings are new in the literature. Practical Implication: The findings of our paper give suggestions to multinational corporations regarding the proper management of corporate finance in response to adjustments in financial liberalization policies.

Six decades of corporate disclosure research: a bibliometric review

PurposeCorporate disclosures are essential because they provide transparent and accurate information about a company's financial health, performance, risks and governance practices. They enable investors to make informed decisions, promote market efficiency and maintain trust in the financial system. This paper uses bibliometrics to identify the intellectual composition of the literature on corporate disclosure.Design/methodology/approachBased on the bibliometric information of 4,551 articles on corporate disclosure research, the authors conducted citation, keyword co-occurrence, bibliographic coupling and publication analyses to elucidate the leading articles, authors, sources, institutions, countries, themes and topics in the field of corporate disclosure from the 1960s to 2021.FindingsThe findings of this review demonstrate that corporate disclosure research is based on four broad themes – the role of disclosure in capital markets, non-financial disclosure, determinants of corporate disclosure and firm risk and intellectual capital disclosure. This review suggests that management should pay attention to the financial and non-financial corporate information that investors, regulators and the government emphasise.Originality/valueThis paper is the first comprehensive bibliometric review on corporate disclosure. It summarises the regulatory shifts, technological changes and industry trends that have influenced corporate disclosure research. Besides identifying broad research themes, the authors performed bibliographic coupling for research on disclosure sources, including annual reports, management forecasts, earnings calls, press releases, the Internet and social media, to reveal the thematic clusters related to these sources.

The joint effects of litigation risk and regulation on non‐GAAP reporting

AbstractWe examine the joint effects of litigation risk and regulation in shaping firms’ financial reporting decisions. Specifically, we investigate how these disciplining mechanisms influence firms’ disclosure of non‐GAAP earnings metrics, which have been at the forefront of the SEC's regulatory concerns in recent years. We employ a plausibly exogenous shock to litigation risk based on a US circuit court ruling to explore how litigation risk influences firms’ non‐GAAP earnings disclosures. We find a robust negative relation between litigation risk and both the likelihood and aggressiveness of non‐GAAP reporting. However, we find a significant attenuation in the sensitivity of non‐GAAP disclosure to litigation risk after the implementation of Regulation G (Reg G), despite evidence that aggressive non‐GAAP reporting persists in the post‐Reg G environment. Additional analyses indicate that this attenuation is actually the net result of two unique effects. First, we find that Reg G created a de facto “safe harbor” for non‐GAAP reporting among firms in circuits with higher litigation risk and a “curtailment effect” among firms in the circuit with the lowest litigation risk. Overall, Reg G led to a convergence in non‐GAAP reporting practices irrespective of firms’ circuit‐specific litigation risk. We posit that this net attenuation of litigation risk's influence on non‐GAAP reporting is likely an unintended consequence of Reg G.

When do stock options affect CEO risk‐taking? The moderating role of CEO regulatory focus

AbstractExecutive stock options are provided to risk‐averse CEOs to encourage risk‐taking. We show that the efficacy of such stock options is moderated by CEOs’ regulatory focus—their intrinsic motivations to avoid losses or achieve gains. We show that stock options have a negligible impact on the risk‐taking behavior of CEOs who are intrinsically motivated to avoid losses or take on risks. The impact of stock options on firm risk is strongest among CEOs whose regulatory focus is moderate and whose behavior is thus more malleable. Our paper shows that CEO intrinsic risk‐taking motivations have important implications for the effectiveness of extrinsic risk‐taking incentives provided by stock options.

The Influence of the Increase in Energy Prices on the Profitability of Companies in the European Union

This study evaluates the influence of rising energy prices on firm-level profitability. According to the policies of the European Union, the aim is to achieve an energy union that offers all community economic agents safer, cleaner, and more affordable energy. For this study, 1342 updated observations from 16 European countries for the year 2022 were used, studying the influence of increasing energy prices on the decrease in profit. The increase in energy prices influences the risk of firms experiencing negative profitability in 2022 compared to 2018, as measured by the increase in the number of firms that register a profit of less than or equal to zero. Company characteristics, such as size and age, which positively influence the level of profitability, are statistically significant. Furthermore, this study shows that the business sector in which the firm operates influences the level of profitability in a differentiated manner. Linear and logistic regression methods were employed for the methodology.

Boardroom diversity (task- and relation-oriented diversity) and financial stability: evidence from Chinese financial listed firms

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of boardroom diversity on the financial stability of Chinese financial listed firms. Boardroom diversity is quantified in the following aspects: relation-oriented diversity and task-oriented diversity.Design/methodology/approachPanel data on Chinese financial listed firms between 1998 and 2017 are used in this study. Panel regression is used to analyze the firm data for fixed effects and robust standard errors.FindingsTask-oriented diversity of the board increases financial stability. Regarding the impact of boardroom diversity on firm risk, the results reveal that task-oriented diversity of the board reduces firm risk, which supports the predictions of this research. Regarding the moderating effect of state ownership on the relationship between boardroom diversity (task- and relation-oriented diversity) and financial stability, the results show that state ownership enhances the positive impact of the board’s task-oriented diversity on financial stability.Practical implicationsTask-oriented diversity of the board enhances the financial stability of Chinese financial listed firms. As existing studies on bank boards in China are limited, the findings of this research can be used when crafting policy initiatives to enhance financial stability.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the effect of boardroom diversity, particularly task- and relation-oriented diversity, on financial stability. It provides empirical support that boardroom diversity positively affects the financial stability of Chinese financial listed firms. This research also offers empirical evidence that state ownership enhances the positive impact of the board’s task-oriented diversity on financial stability.

Research on U-shaped relationship between short-term debt for long-term use and supply chain enterprise default risk: Evidence from Chinese listed firms.

This paper empirically investigates the impact mechanism of short-term debt for long-term use and the default risk of supply chain firms with the data of Chinese A-share listed firms from 2007 to 2021. The study shows that there is a significant U-curve relationship between short-term debt for long-term use and supply chain firms' default risk, and too high or too low a level of short-term loans and long-term investments will worsen firms' default risk. In addition, firm performance plays an mediating effect in the process of short-term debt for long-term investment affecting the default risk of supply chain firms. Finally, customer effect and firm heterogeneity play a moderating role in the impact of short-term loans and long-term investments on the default risk of supply chain firms, and the U-shaped relationship will be strengthened under the high-intensity customer effect. This study has important theoretical and practical significance for analyzing the impact of default risk contagion in supply chain enterprises.

The Role of Audit Committee and Risk Monitoring Committee on Firm’s Hedging Practice

This study aims to analyze the role of audit committee and risk monitoring committee (RMC) on firm risk management measured by hedging. Firms with both committees will have better governance in monitoring risk. The population of this study is companies listed in IDX. This study uses samples of 104 non-financial companies. Using panel data regression, we find that the composition of audit committee members who have financial and/or accounting background have a significantly positive effect on hedging, meaning that an audit committee with such a higher composition will encourage firms to hedge more to reduce risk exposure. Meanwhile meetings and size of audit committee are insignificant. The presence of RMC has a negatively significant effect on firm hedging, meaning that the firm is more capable in identifying risk to determine the most appropriate way to mitigate risk, where not all risk can be mitigated by hedging.
 Keywords: Audit Committee; Risk Monitoring Committee; Hedging

Capital market liberalization and systemic risk of non-financial firms: Evidence from Chinese Stock Connect scheme

This paper examines the causal effect of capital market liberalization on the systemic risk of non-financial firms (NFFs), a topic that has received little attention in the literature. We exploit the launch of China's Stock Connect scheme as a quasi-natural experiment to identify the causal effect and find that capital market liberalization significantly raises the systemic risk of NFFs in China, especially for those with more concentrated supply chains and more reliance on trade credit. We explain this result by three main channels: increased market concentration, interfirm connectedness, and exposure to financial shocks. We also provide evidence that the inquiry letter and the Stock Connect Northbound Investor ID Model system, two regulatory measures implemented during the liberalization of China's capital market, mitigate the adverse effect of liberalization on the systemic risk of NFFs. Our findings offer new insight into the nexus between financial liberalization and instability and highlight the importance of strengthening regulations of capital markets to enhance the benefits of liberalization and reduce its risks for economic and financial stability.

Cross-listing and predation risk in product markets

This study examines the relationship between cross-listing and product market predation risk by using cross-listed firm-level data in both A and H shares. Results investigate that firms which cross-listing in different capital markets could significantly alleviate the threat of predatory from rivals in the product market. Consistent with competitive advantage and information asymmetry hypotheses, the mechanism analysis shows that higher competitive position and better subsequent corporate accounting information environment may lead to lower predation risk for cross-listed firms. Moreover, subsample evidence suggests that cross-listing is more likely to be used as a device to decline predatory threats in countries with incomplete markets with more government intervention, higher judicial civilization, and greater financial development. Cross-listing could also decrease the firms' stock price crash risk in the capital market. Lastly, research findings offer powerful evidence and references to firms in emerging markets attempting to cross-list in other developed markets.

Dampak Keputusan Investasi, Pendanaan, dan Kebijakan Dividen Terhadap Nilai Perusahaan Sektor Pertambangan di Indonesia: Kajian Mediasi Resiko Perusahaan

This study aims to study the impact of investment decisions, financing decisions and dividend policies on firm value in the mining sector in Indonesia, with firm risk as the mediating variable. The subject of this study includes companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the period 2018-2023. Investment decisions that have a direct impact on corporate value, focus on decisions that reflect future investment opportunities, such as introducing new products, expanding existing products, replacing replacement of equipment or facilities, research, development, and exploration. The results of the deterministic analysis show that the coefficient of determination (R^2) is 0.955, indicating that only about 95.5% of the variation in firm value (book value) can be explained simultaneously. by investment decisions, financing decisions and dividend policies. This means that the company's risk is not directly affected by these variables. Furthermore, the analysis results show that the coefficient of determination (R^2) is 0.041, indicating that only about 4.1% of the variation in firm risk can be explained by variations in investment decisions. investment, financing decisions and dividend policy. The remainder, about 96.9%, shows that firm risk does not play a mediating role between investment decisions, financing decisions, dividend policy, and firm value. In other words, firm risk does not partially link these variables to firm value. The results of this study indicate that although investment decisions, financing decisions and dividend policies have a significant impact on firm value, firm risk does not play a mediating role in the relationship. relationship between these variables.

The impact of ESG on the default risk of family firms: International evidence

This research is focused on studying the relationship between ESG performance and default risk of family firms. The sample consists of the 500 largest family firms worldwide (including all continents) for the period 2015–2021. This study shows a positive and a statistically significant relationship between ESG score and Z-score. This is confirmed for ESG environmental and ESG social scores. We include ownership concentration of family members as well as the percentage of family members in the board of directors. In the first case, we detect a non-linear relationship between ownership concentration and Z-score (inverted U shape) and for the second variable we find a negative relationship between the family participation in the board and Z-score. Finally, financial constraints of family firms reduce the impact of ESG score on Z-score.

Changes in Risk Factor Disclosures and the Variance Risk Premium

ABSTRACT This paper examines how changes in risk disclosures affect uncertainty about risk. We measure changes in risk disclosures using the addition and removal of individual risk factors to firms’ 10-K filings, identified via textual analysis of the risk factors section. Our market outcome is the variance risk premium (VRP), which captures the market’s pricing of uncertainty about firm risk. Following recent theoretical predictions, we predict and empirically document that newly disclosed signals of risk factor exposure—reflected in added and removed individual risk factors—decrease the uncertainty surrounding firm risk, as proxied via the VRP. We further confirm that individual risk factors offer incremental insights compared with alternative textual risk measures. Collectively, our findings suggest that textually evaluating individual risk factors reveals information about the uncertainty regarding firm risk. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: G18; G32; M40.

Macro-prudential policy and systemic risk of real estate firms: Evidence from China

Using data of listed real estate firms (REFs) in China, we examine how macro-prudential policy affects their systemic risk. Employing a two-dimensional measure of systemic risk contribution and vulnerability, we find that macro-prudential policy reduces both dimensions of systemic risk. Deleveraging and lowering risk interconnectedness are two plausible channels. Asset-based policy instruments, including loan-to-value limits, are more effective than capital- and liquidity-based instruments. Moreover, rational use of macro-prudential tools helps stablize REFs’ operating performance by reducing their systemic risk. Our findings highlight the critical role of macro-prudential policy in balancing risk prevention and economic growth.