Firm Investment Research Articles

Monetary policy and corporate investment: evidence from India

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of quantity-based and price-based monetary policy on corporate investment in India. Also the study investigates the impact of firm-level factors on corporate investment under quantity-based and price-based monetary policy. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on sample of 3,782 non-financial Indian firms (45,238 observations) and the data has been collected for a period 2000–2023. The study applies instrument variable approach to arrive at the results. Findings The study finds that both quantity-based and price-based monetary policy significantly affects corporate investment of firms and the transmission of monetary policy to corporate investment is constrained by firm-specific factors. This paper find that firm-specific factors play a significant role in transmitting the effects of both quantity-based as well as price-based monetary policy respectively and such results have also been witnessed across manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in the Indian context that examines the impact of quantity-based and price-based monetary policy on corporate investment.

MANAGING THE “S” IN ESG: HOW ASSET MANAGERS DISCLOSE AND CONSIDER HUMAN RIGHTS

Objective: The purpose of the research was to evaluate the commitment and due diligence measures directed at human rights in a sample of the largest international and European asset management companies, under OECD guidelines. Theoretical Framework: According to the OECD, companies can impact most internationally recognised human rights. However, there is a lack of studies that directly assess the human rights due diligence in investment companies. Method: A documentary and qualitative analysis of 45 investment companies was applied. Five key performance indicators were created to measure human rights commitment and due diligence practices such as disclosure of human rights policies, cascading of compliance/obligations to investees, due diligence before and during the investment and collaboration with industry and non-industry initiatives. All companies were classified and rated according to these criteria. Results and Discussion: This research reveals that there is a dichotomy between recommendations of human rights integration in investment and actual commitment and compliance, indicating that only a minority of companies were compliant and committed to considering human rights in their investment. Research Implications: The results provide an initial benchmark of the state of the commitment towards human rights in the investment sector, allowing for further investigations to be conducted to assess the development of this dimension of ESG and CSR, particularly in this sector Originality/Value: The analysis consisted of accessing and evaluating the public information of the larger investment firms from an individual investor perspective, which provides an innovative view of human rights awareness and compliance in the investment sector.

The power of oversight: institutional investors as moderators of the earnings quality-information asymmetry nexus in Europe

Purpose While there is some evidence of a relationship between earnings quality and information asymmetry, there is limited evidence on the moderating role of institutional investors in this relationship. To fill this gap, this study aims to examine how institutional ownership affects the relationship between earnings quality and information asymmetry, with a focus on the impact of different investment horizons. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a sample of listed European firms from 2000 to 2022. Earnings quality is measured using the McNichols (2002) modification of the Dechow and Dichev (2002) model. The analysis examines the moderating effect of institutional ownership on the relationship between earnings quality and information asymmetry. Findings This study finds that the relationship between earnings quality and information asymmetry is more pronounced in firms with a higher percentage of institutional ownership. This study finds that the monitoring role of long-term institutional investors is more effective than that of short-term institutional investors. This study also finds that the influence of institutional investors is more significant in firms with incentives to engage in earnings management. Practical implications The findings provide evidence suggesting that institutional investors are an important class of investors in terms of exercising an effective monitoring role to mitigate information asymmetry and demand higher earnings quality from their investee firms. These findings are informative for many financial reporting participants, including investors, analysts, regulators and managers. Originality/value This study extends the existing research examining the relationship between earnings quality and information asymmetry (e.g. Affleck-Graves et al., 2002; Ascioglu et al., 2012; Bhattacharya et al., 2013; Jayaraman, 2008; Liu and Elayan, 2015) by examining the moderating effect of institutional ownership on this relationship. It further contributes to the literature by distinguishing between long- and short-term institutional investors and their respective monitoring roles. In addition, this study broadens the geographical scope of the research by using cross-country data from European firms, providing evidence that country-specific factors do not uniformly affect the relationship between earnings quality and information asymmetry.

How bankruptcy system innovation affects firm investment behavior: A quasi-natural experiment based on the establishment of bankruptcy courts in China

This study investigates the effects of bankruptcy system innovation on firm investment behavior. Taking the establishment of bankruptcy courts in China as a quasi-natural experiment and using the difference-in-differences method, we show a significant positive relationship between the bankruptcy system and firm investment in financial assets. Improving creditor protection, increasing firms' financing constraints and costs, and increasing the bankruptcy reorganization rate are the main mechanisms through which the establishment of bankruptcy courts promotes firm investment in financial assets. Moreover, the effects of bankruptcy court establishment on firm investment in financial assets are more significant for non-state-owned firms, firms with CEOs who do not have a financial background, and firms in regions with better institutional environments. Finally, we find that the increased investment in financial assets by firms after the establishment of the bankruptcy court balances the efficiency of investment in financial assets at the same time. The findings of this study can provide a reference for optimizing the allocation of market resources and improving the financial rules of the legal system.

Downward Revision of Investment Decisions after Corporate Tax Hikes

This paper estimates the causal effect of corporate tax hikes on firm investment based on more than 1,400 local tax changes. By observing planned and realized investment volumes in a representative sample of German manufacturing firms, we can study how tax hikes induce firms to revise their investment decisions. On average, the share of firms that invest less than previously planned increases by 3 percentage points after a tax hike. This effect is twice as large during recessions. (JEL D22, E32, G31, H25, H32, H71, L60)

Can digital transformation promote hospitality and tourism firms’ investment? Moderating effect of financing constraints and economic policy uncertainty

ABSTRACT Research on corporate investment is widely acknowledged as essential in the realm of financial management within the hospitality and tourism sector. Drawing on information asymmetry and resource dependency theories, this study examines the effect of digital transformation on hospitality and tourism firm investment and explores how financing constraints and economic policy uncertainty moderate these effects. We utilized firms engaged in tourism, hotel, catering, and transportation, listed on the A-share market of China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2009 to 2022, as our research sample. Our findings indicate that digital transformation enhances investment in hospitality and tourism companies. Furthermore, this positive effect was more pronounced for firms with reduced financing constraints and heightened economic policy uncertainty. These findings reveal ignored tourism and hospitality investment antecedents and enrich academic understanding by expanding firm-specific boundaries. This study provides practical insight into how hospitality and tourism firms can boost investment through digital transformation.

How Does Tax Avoidance Affect a Firm's Investment Inefficiency in Taiwan's Semiconductor Industry?

ABSTRACTThis study examines an important issue regarding how tax avoidance affects a firm's investment inefficiency in Taiwan's semiconductor industry. In addition, the dynamic effect of a firm's investment inefficiency and spillover effect of investment inefficiency from competitors are also explored. This study adopts 44 listed firms from 2013 to 2021 and constructs the “competitor‐dependence matrix” to replace the “spatial‐dependence matrix” in the dynamic spatial autoregressive model. According to the difference generalized method of moments estimation, the primary finding of this study is that the tax avoidance has a statistically and significantly positive effect on a firm's investment inefficiency while it is overinvestment, but a negative effect while it is underinvestment. Moreover, the dynamic effect is statistically insignificant, but the spillover effect is statistically and significantly negative.

Impact of Data Breach on IT Investment: Embracing Both Failure Learning and Threat Rigidity

The extant literature has provided valuable insights into the post-failure behavior of organizations, highlighting two distinct tendencies: failure learning and threat rigidity. While failure learning involves organizations embracing change and seeking improvements after experiencing failures, threat rigidity leads to a more conservative and resistant approach to change during such times. In our study, we used a pioneering approach by integrating these seemingly competing perspectives within the context of data breaches. Employing a propensity score matching (PSM)-combined-difference-in-differences (DiD) approach, we uncovered a dual impact of data breaches on firms’ information technology (IT) investment—after data breaches, firms tend to increase their IT investment intensity (a promoting effect) while simultaneously reducing their new IT investments (an inhibiting effect). Furthermore, we found that a firm with a strong quality culture exhibits a stronger tendency to increase its IT investment intensity following a data breach, while a firm highly valuing innovation demonstrates a weaker trend in reducing new IT investments after a breach. In post hoc analyses, we found that the impact of data breaches on IT investments is contingent on a series of factors related to the nature of the breach and the specific type of IT investments considered. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the complex and diverse relationship between data breaches and IT investments in firms.

A long-term analysis of research unbundling: implications for research provision and market quality

AbstractThis replication study assesses the long-term effects of MiFID II’s research unbundling rules on investment research provision and stock market quality. We extend existing studies by utilizing a post-event period exceeding five years, by regional differentiation within Europe, and by incorporating the new option to rebundle payments for order execution and research services for SMEs. In line with existing studies, we find a decrease in analyst coverage after MiFID II, particularly for large caps, while SMEs remain unaffected. These findings are consistent across different European regions but not for the United Kingdom. Market quality experiences a decline, with lower trading volume and increased volatility, offset by liquidity improvements for larger firms. After the introduction of rebundling, which has not been analyzed by existing studies, SME research coverage declines, suggesting that investment firms are not utilizing this option. Our findings offer insights for evidence-based policy-making as regulatory discussions on research unbundling persist in different jurisdictions.

Protectionism or let go? Evidence from IT investment in Chinese manufacturing firms

ABSTRACT From a global perspective, economic and trade disputes between countries are gradually increasing. Under the influence of the COVID-19 epidemic and war, the competition among the countries has become more intense. Lower trade barrier for economic cooperation or trade protection is becoming a concerned topic for governments and researchers around the world. This study uses the IT investment data from Chinese manufacturing enterprises from 2015 to 2022 to test the impact of international competition on technological development under environmental heterogeneity. The research results show that the external environment has an important impact on the technology performance of enterprises. After the COVID-19 epidemic, the IT investment performance of enterprises shows a “productivity paradox” situation. Further research shows that reducing tariffs and introducing international competition will be conducive to the development and utilization of IT by enterprises, which is supported in different market environments. This study verified that lowering trade barriers and introducing international competition to achieve win–win cooperation is still an important method for economic and firm development.

Upstream propagation of shocks in supply chains: Evidence from earthquakes

AbstractWe investigate how natural disaster shocks to customers propagate upstream to suppliers’ investment. Using data from the major customers of Chinese listed firms and earthquake information during 2009–2019, we investigate the impact of customers’ earthquake exposure on corporate investment. We find that firms significantly reduce investment after their customers experience earthquakes, particularly for non‐state‐owned enterprises, firms with higher product uniqueness, firms in competitive industries, and firms in nondurable goods industries. Furthermore, our analysis highlights firms’ sales as one of the potential channels through which customers’ earthquake exposure influences firm investment. We also find that following an earthquake supplier firms reduce their transactions with the affected customers and develop alternative customers.

The Impact of SARS Epidemic on Firm Investment: Evidence from Listed Firms in China

ABSTRACT The outbreak of SARS in 2003 brought a great shock to China’s socio-economic development, but empirical studies on its long-term economic impact are relatively scarce. We use the outbreak of SARS as a quasi-natural experiment, employing city-level case data and listed firm data to study the impact of the pandemic on fixed investment. Compared with cities without SARS cases, firms in cities with SARS cases significantly increased their fixed investment by 26.4%. After conducting a series of endogeneity tests, represented by PSM-DID, our conclusions remain robust. Credit conditions in the affected cities were relaxed after the epidemic. This shift led to a notable decrease in firms’ financial constraints and burdens, thereby offering substantial financing support for fixed investments. To offset the losses endured during the epidemic, firms bolster their investment in high-risk projects. The results of our heterogeneity analysis also support the two mechanisms.

A Review of IT Investment in Firms: What Can We Do in the New Era

Many studies on IT investment in companies have been conducted in the past, but our team combined them by summarizing the latest research. Compared to previous work, we revise a larger universe of firm IT investment, focus on more recent IT investment researches, refine the focus of current researchers pay attention to and address the problem of insufficient reference for enterprise practice. Through a review of the literature to synthesize the understanding of IT investment to (i) IT investment performance, (ii) IT adoption decision, (iii) IT governance, and (iv) IT labor (worker), we could highlight the research gaps that we encountered. Finally, based on the current research conclusions, we give practical suggestions from the early, middle and late stages of IT investment. This study contributes to the growing amount of literature on IT investment, both academically and practically.

From Russia with love: International risk-sharing, sanctions, and firm investments

We propose a novel explanation for why sanctions on Russian firms might not work as intended: these firms’ ability to diversify sanction risks via partner countries friendly with Russia. Using indirect links with partner firms as a plausibly exogenous proxy for this risk-sharing channel, we show that exposed Russian firms were able to leverage these links to alleviate the negative impacts of sanctions in 2014.

The costs of corporate debt overhang

We make use of rich U.S. data to show that debt overhang significantly reduces firm asset-, capex-, and employee-growth. We show these contractions are likely driven by firm decisions as opposed to the result of credit constraints or changes in investment opportunities. Our measure of overhang – liabilities to cash flow — aligns with traditional theory and focuses on the importance of a firm’s debt servicing capacity. It further allows us to capitalize on the COVID-19 shock as a quasi-natural experiment to confirm the impact of overhang on firm investment and growth.

Top management team stability and outward foreign direct investment of Chinese firms

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of top management team (TMT) stability on outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) of Chinese firms and the moderating effects of state ownership and managerial ownership on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach An empirical analysis based on the ordinary least square regression model is conducted using Chinese A-share listed firms that engaged in OFDI from 2008 to 2021. Findings TMT stability has a positive effect on firms’ OFDI. Moreover, state ownership significantly strengthens the positive relationship between TMT stability and OFDI, while managerial ownership weakens this positive relationship. Practical implications The findings help firms to effectively retain TMT talents and promote the smooth internationalization of firms, thereby enhancing their long-term development capabilities and competitive advantages. Originality/value This study expands the investigation of the factors influencing OFDI at the micro level of the TMT, providing valuable decision-making insights for firms.

Regional bombs and firm investment decisions: Evidence from the Vietnam War

This study examines the impact of historical bomb density on the investment decisions of Vietnamese firms, particularly in infrastructure. Employing an instrumental variable approach, this study examines the causal relationship between bomb density and tangible asset investments. The findings indicate that bomb density significantly influences these investments, with infrastructure quality and literacy rates as mediating factors.

Tax incentives and corporate digital transformation: Evidence from China’s accelerated depreciation policy

Corporate digital transformation is a significant path for industrial upgrading and sustainable development. This study employs China’s accelerated depreciation (AD) policy as a quasi-natural experiment to explore the impacts of tax incentives on the digital transformation of enterprises. Using panel data of China’s listed companies from 2010 to 2019, we find that AD policy significantly promotes firms to engage in digitization practices through the channels of firm investment and firm innovation. We also find that the policy effects are more pronounced for firms with a higher level of digitization, firms with stronger financial constraints, non-state-owned enterprises, and firms located in East China. Moreover, we also present a positive relationship between digital transformation and firm performance. Our study supplements the literature on the determinants of digital transformation and provides insights into how tax policy shapes firms’ incentives to be more digitized.

The Impact of Sustainability Considerations on Investment Intentions—The Case of Generation Y

When investing, the investment motives of return, liquidity, and risk play a role in decision-making. However, due to the increasing relevance of environmental and social issues and the higher availability of sustainable investments, sustainability is an additional investment motive. The attitude of an individual toward sustainability has implications for other investment motives. This paper examines the interplay between the established financial investment motives of return, liquidity, and risk on the one hand and sustainability considerations on the other hand, with a view to the Generation Y cohort. A questionnaire approach was used to collect data from randomly selected Generation Y retail banking customers from Germany. The data were analyzed using correlation and regression methods. The findings of the paper confirm that there is a negatively directed relationship between the profit maximization motive and the green tradeoff intention. Furthermore, education moderates the relationship between the risk minimization motive and the green tradeoff intention. The paper contributes to different stakeholders. Practical implications result for retail banks and investment firms, which could continue to motivate Generation Y customers for sustainable investments and generate stronger financial education through targeted marketing and information campaigns.

Property rights protection and intangible investment in the Sub-Saharan African non-financial firms

This empirical study examines the impact of property rights on intangible investments in sub-Saharan African (SSA) non-financial firms using firm-level data. The study employs a local projections methodology for twelve SSA countries over the period 1996–2020. Our empirical results show that property rights protection increases intangible investment in non-financial firms in the SSA region. This effect is significant for the SSA region in the long run.