Non-financial Corporations Research Articles

Practical assessments on the use of financial derivatives as risk management tools

This study examines the risk management strategies of non-financial corporations in less efficient financial markets, such as Portugal and Spain. These markets have liquidity constraints and limited availability of derivatives to hedge corporate risk exposures. The study analyzes how these companies dealt with these challenges and how their hedging strategies affected their performance. The results show a complex relationship between the use of derivatives, earnings volatility, and the market value of companies. The study contributes to business practice by helping companies assess the effectiveness of their hedging strategies and may also influence regulators to adapt rules for less liquid markets.

Business models of Polish fuel and energy companies in integrated reports

The business model is undoubtedly a new issue in scientific research and currently enjoys great popularity, in recent years, it has attracted increasing attention in relation to both financial and non-financial corporate reporting. The purpose of the article is to identify business model disclosures of fuel and energy companies in Poland presented in integrated reports. The study, which examined 70 integrated reports for 2013 and 2021, involved analysing disclosures of information about the business model, analysing the content of integrated reports of companies and checking the scope and content of disclosed information in the part of the report concerning the business model. The content analysis method was used in the study, and the Likert scale was used to measure the level/quality of disclosures. The quality assessment of business model disclosures in integrated reporting is comprised of two steps: analysis of average scores of disclosures in each of the analysed years and case study analysis to compare the practical approach to disclosing information about the business model. The findings proved that the business model disclosures are at a high level. In most cases, the companies use the capital approach, complementing the business model presentations with value creation schemes. The results of the study allow for a better understanding of the logic of running a business of fuel and energy companies for all stakeholders. The article is the result of original empirical research concerning the analysis of non-financial information disclosed by Polish companies and fills a gap in scientific research on disclosing information about the business model in integrated reports. The research presented in the article contributes to the current literature on integrated reporting by using the novel dataset.

Credit Supply or Demand? The Changing Role of Structural Market Forces in Bank Lending*

ABSTRACT Recent crises have shown that disruptions in credit markets can have serious macroeconomic consequences. This paper aims to assess the structural drivers of the bank lending market to non-financial corporations using the structural VAR methodology in a small, open, and bank-based euro area economy – Slovakia. The results show that credit demand shocks (loans demanded by firms) are at least as important as credit supply shocks (loans supplied by banks) in the lending market, and that this importance changes over the cycle. These findings have important policy implications, as responding to these shocks may require different policy measures.

Subprime Crisis Shockwaves: Impacts On Capital Structure In Non-Financial Corporations

Based upon a dataset spanning about 2,780 non-financial firms in France over the period 2007- 2019, we explore the impact of the subprime crisis on their leverage ratio and capital structure, comparing the experience of the largest listed and unlisted non-financial corporates. Our results highlight that both listed and unlisted corporates tend to reduce their overall indebtedness ratios during the subprime crisis period and its aftermath, generalizing a significant corporate deleveraging for listed and unlisted firms especially during the post-crisis period. In addition, our findings show that listed corporates become more dependable on short- and medium-term credits than the long-term which may increase the exposure of these corporates to credit and liquidity shocks. While our outcomes reveal a clear preference to long-term debt for unlisted firms by expanding their debt maturities, relying on long-term credits and reducing their dependence on short- and medium-term debt which burden these corporates with short-term charges and payments that cannot afford during the crisis and post-crisis periods.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on sales and employment of the non-financial corporate sector in Slovenia

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on sales and employment of the non-financial corporate sector in Slovenia

Characteristics of financial capital flow circulation and the risk transmission effect in China

Financial capital is an important force driving China's economic modernisation. Examining the characteristics of financial capital flow circulation across sectors and risk transmission laws is crucial in guiding financial market operations and deepening financial system reforms. This study establishes a 2011–2020 China matrix that includes capital fund flow statements for non-financial corporations, financial institutions, the general government, households, and foreign sources and examines changes in capital flow circulation by developing a financial flow multiplier system model to measure the direct and indirect transmission effects of capital flows between sectors from the perspective of liabilities. Results show that China's overall scale of financial capital flows has increased, but fluctuations have emerged in the last decade. The sectors' financing structure has changed significantly, with financial institutions remaining the primary capital inflow and outflow sectors of the financial market; however, the proportion of liability and investment in the household sector has increased, resulting in increased risk transmission. Moreover, the sectoral fund surpluses and shortages are highly volatile and uncertain, with non-financial enterprises serving as the primary drivers of real-economy investment. The capital flow from financial services to the real economy shows a fluctuating growth trend, primarily flowing to non-financial corporations; however, the proportion exhibits a downwards trend. Finally, we find that the flow transmission relationship between different sectors and financial transactions in the financial market is complex, with both direct and indirect risk transmission effects between sectors. Changes of financial institutions' liabilities significantly affect the liabilities and investments of other sectors.

WHAT AUDIT FEATURES IMPACT VALUE RELEVANCE OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION?

Research Purposes. The objective of this research is to ascertain how audit quality affects the value and relevancy of accounting data, where audit quality is proxied by audit company size, audit partner gender, audit fees, audit reporting delays, and auditor opinion. Research Methods The study examining the relationship between variables using a fixed-effects model focuses on 780 non-financial corporations registered on the Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2020 and 2021, chosen through non-probability-purposive-judgment sampling techniques. Research Results and Findings. The study's conclusions indicate that while audit fees and latency in reporting can decrease the value relevance of accounting information, public accounting firms associated with the Big Four and the presence of female audit partners can enhance it. Additionally, the auditor's opinion section yields some intriguing results, as it increases the relevance of book value while decreasing that of profit value.

ДИНАМИКА РАЗВИТИЯ БИЗНЕС-ДЕМОГРАФИИ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЙ В УСЛОВИЯХ ЦИФРОВОЙ ЭКОНОМИКИ И ЕЕ ВЛИЯНИЕ НА ПОДХОДЫ К ОЦЕНКЕ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ

The relevance of the research is justified by the change in the external environment of organizations’ activities, which is manifested in the integration of ICT technologies into the sphere of organizations’ activities. The turbulence of the external environment also affects the business demography of organizations that require detailed analysis. The study presents the cur - rent structure of organizations in the cross-section of various organizational and legal forms and reveals the current share of non-financial corporations in the gross value added of Russia. Shows changes in the business demographics of domestic com- mercial organizations by form of ownership, current number, opening and closing in the 21st century. The dynamics of activity in the registration of new IT-organizations and in the use of special software by commercial organizations is reflected, and the dynamics of IT-industry development by main indicators is revealed. The growth of the share of IT-organizations in the total number of different organizations over time is revealed. The influence of the dynamics of development of business demogra- phy of commercial organizations on the established approaches to assessing the effectiveness of their activities has been es - tablished. The necessity to revise these approaches in the conditions of the digital economy has been substantiated, and the corresponding proposals have been put forward.

The effect of corporate governance on financial fragility in non-financial companies: a Minskyian approach

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effect of corporate governance (CG) mechanisms on financial fragility in non-financial corporations, using Nishi’s operationalization of Minsky’s financial instability hypothesis. Specifically, the study investigates the influence of board size, board independence, CEO duality and audit quality on the financial fragility of non-financial companies (NFCs).Design/methodology/approachUsing a panel logit regression model, the authors analyse annual data from (66) NFCs listed on the Amman Stock Exchange, spanning over the period 2015–2021. This methodology enables us to assess the relationships between the identified CG mechanisms and the categorical proxy of financial fragility.FindingsThe findings of this study reveal that a large share of NFCs fall within Minsky’s “Ponzi” classification, indicating elevated levels of financial vulnerability. Remarkably, the analysis demonstrates that larger board sizes and the CEO-Chairman duality exacerbate financial fragility within these firms. Conversely, the study results suggest that board independence and audit quality exhibit limited effects on financial fragility. In addition, profitability, firm size and financial leverage are identified as key predictors of financial fragility.Originality/valueThis study adds to the current literature by using a financial fragility index grounded in Minsky’s financial instability hypothesis. The constructed index is then used to examine specific CG factors in relation to financial fragility, which offers new insights into the dynamics influencing the default exposure of NFCs. Furthermore, the study findings have direct implications for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to enhance CG practices and foster financial stability in the private sector.

Financial Hedging of Operational Risk Constraints: A General Framework

We consider the operation of a non-financial corporation and present a novel risk-management framework that supports the joint optimization of the firm’s operational and financial decisions. Specifically, we study the problem of maximizing the firm’s operating profits when these profits depend on movements in the financial markets, and where the decision maker—the firm’s manager—is risk averse. Critically, our framework (i) imposes risk aversion through a generic class of risk constraints, and (ii) considers explicitly the differences that can exist between the shareholders’ and manager’s beliefs about future market risks. Together, these aspects allow us to remove speculation so that financial instruments can only be used for hedging purposes. We analyze our problem in an incomplete financial market setting and consider different informational assumptions. Within this framework, we characterize the optimal financial hedging strategy so that the problem reduces to a constrained maximization over operational policies. Our results show how financial hedging can be effectively used to expand the set of admissible operating policies, and identify conditions under which the risk constraint can be completely ignored when solving for an optimal operating policy. We illustrate our methodology in the context of an exporter firm which faces exchange rate risk in trading.

From carry trades to trade credit: Financial intermediation by non-financial corporations

We use detailed firm-level data from Mexico to document that non-financial corporations engage in carry trades by borrowing in foreign currency (FX) and lending in domestic currency, largely in the form of trade credit, accumulating currency risk in the process. Firms are more active in carry-trades when FX borrowing is relatively cheaper and build currency risk by accumulating peso assets. We use the 2009 Mexican peso depreciation to show that firms that were more active in carry trades experienced larger reductions in investment. Nevertheless, their extension of trade credit remained stable, insulating their trading partners from their balance sheet exposure to the shock.

Modelling Loans to Non-Financial Corporations in the Eurozone: A Long-Memory Approach

This paper uses fractional integration and cointegration methods to analyze the long-run relationship between loans to non-financial corporations, real gross domestic product, real gross fixed capital formation, the cost of borrowing differential between long- and short-term rates, and a proxy for the cost of debt, securities, and equity issuance. The analysis includes four Eurozone countries, namely Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, and spans the most recent decades. More precisely, fractional integration and cointegration models are estimated to investigate the persistence of the series as well as their long-run relationships and short-run dynamics using both unrestricted and restricted specifications. The univariate results are heterogeneous, the highest degrees of integration being found in the case of loans to non-financial corporations, whilst the multivariate ones provide evidence of a single fractional cointegration vector as well as of a lower adjustment speed to the long-run equilibrium compared to previous studies in all four countries. Moreover, both the short- and long-run response of loans to exogenous shocks to real gross domestic product and the cost of borrowing differentials differs across countries because of country-specific factors.

Global Companies’ Dynamic Response to Business Environment Uncertainty through Digital Transformation: Sustainable Digital Quality–Customer Value–Market Performance Relationships

This study examines the relationship between digital transformation and both the corporate image and brand awareness of global companies through the mediating effects of functional value, symbolic value, experiential value, emotional value, and social value, all of which are components of customer value. This study mainly focuses on the structural relationship in which digital quality, which is subdivided into system quality, information quality, and service quality, affects non-financial corporate image as a company with good corporate governance, a company that is good at social contribution activities, and an eco-friendly company through the mediating function of customer value. As part of the empirical analysis, an online survey was conducted among 504 employees from different global companies in China, and the PLS structural equation model was employed as a specific analysis tool. Key findings indicate that changes in system quality, information quality, and service quality resulting from digital transformation have varying influences on the five components of customer value. These factors also deliver the effect of improving corporate image in the ESG dimension by penetrating customers’ emotional and social values. Essentially, all components of dynamic capability significantly impact all components of customer value. Furthermore, all components of customer value influence corporate performance, while uncertainty affects a company’s market performance.

The impact of top management team members diversity on corporations’ performance and value: evidence from emerging markets

The study contributes to understanding the impact of top management team (TMT) member diversity on corporations’ performance and value in emerging markets. It examines three dimensions of diversity in TMT: gender, education, and foreign nationalities, providing insights into how these factors influence corporate performance and value. The study’s quantitative analysis of 70 non-financial corporations from Brazil, Egypt, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey from 2013 to 2022 using cross-sectional unit analyzes helps establish empirical evidence on the relationship between TMT diversity and corporate performance in emerging markets. Study’s findings can inform corporations in emerging markets about the importance of promoting diversity in their top management teams to improve performance and value. The study found a significant impact of top management team diversity based on education and foreign nationalities but a non-significant impact on gender on some key performance indicators (KPIs). The study can explain the non-significant impact of gender according to shifting the prevailing theory from sexual selection theory to prospect theory. On the other hand, the study believes that the optimal mass of diversification, or the weight of members with diverse backgrounds, determines whether the impact of diversification is positive (it leads to increased creativity, innovation, problem-solving ability, talent attraction and retention, and employee engagement and productivity) or negative (it leads to increased organizational conflict and communication difficulties). If it is less than this mass, the benefits of diversity are limited, but if the mass is greater than it, the harms of diversity are greater than the benefits. The study also highlights the need for future research in the area of diversity in top management and provides a plan outlining steps to enhance diversity in top management teams.

In Search of Sustainable Finance

Financial market is expected to play an important role in transition towards more sustainable setup of the business environment. The European Commission published the EU’s Strategy for Financing the Transition to a Sustainable Economy in 2021, requiring the inclusion of environmental, social and governance considerations into investment decision making. Yet, small, open EU economies, such as Slovakia, are in a specific position when implementing this legal framework. For instance, Slovakia does not have any meaningful stock market to speak of, although its bond and collective investment markets perform better. To assess the adoption of sustainable finance elements and to assess the convergence on the Slovak bond market towards standard practice, we investigated current practices on the corporate bond market of nonfinancial corporations. We conducted our research through a review of corporate bonds prospectuses published during 2020-22, in which, to assess current market practices, we examined and evaluated selected criteria and indicators related to issuers and bonds and compared them. These criteria include for example issuer´s business and purpose of finance, form, yield, security, or transferability of bonds. We find that relevant variable criteria and indicators related to reviewed bonds, compared in our research, are similar, indicating that the market converged into a standard practice. Finally, we find almost no evidence of adoption of the sustainable finance elements although there are hints of market uptake of sustainable practices.

Corporate foreign bond issuance and interfirm loans in China

We use firm-level data to analyze international bond issuance by Chinese non-financial corporations, distinguishing those by sectors classed as ‘risky’. Dollar issuance is positively correlated with the differential between domestic and foreign interest rates, and this effect is particularly strong for firms in risky sectors. Strikingly, firms in risky sectors use the proceeds to do more interfirm lending than firms in non-risky sectors. Moreover, this lending rose significantly after the authorities sought to restrict the financial activities of risky sectors in 2008–09. Firms in risky sectors compound risk by engaging in speculative activities that mimic the behavior of financial institutions while escaping prudential regulation.

70 years of US corporate profits

We construct and compare aggregate measures of profits for the U.S. non-financial corporate sector over the period 1946–2016. The measures commonly show that the profit share is declining from 1946 to the early 1980s and has been increasing since. As a share of gross value added, profits today are higher than they were in 1984, but lower than their value in the years after World War II.

Shareholder value orientation, corporate cash piles, and the myth of financial accumulation

Financialization scholars argue that the growing financial balance sheets of non-financial corporations indicate a “financial turn in accumulation” driven by the rise of shareholder value orientation (SVO). In this paper, I test whether greater shareholder influence or shareholder-aligning managerial incentives can explain the more rapid accumulation of financial assets among US NFCs. I find that shareholder power is associated with some increase in short-term financial assets but only in the case of certain shareholder types, in particular high turnover institutional investors. The magnitudes of the effect are small however, and only pertain to smaller firms. Moreover, ownership concentration by these impatient investor types is declining. The results suggest that changing corporate governance patterns have little capacity to explain balance sheet financialization. I argue that mainstream accounts focused on the precautionary savings of new, research-intensive firms and tax arbitrage amongst multinationals offer a better explanation for growing financial balances than the financial accumulation hypothesis. Neither of these imply a substitution of financial for real investment, which calls into question an important mechanism thought to connect financialization to secular stagnation and rising inequality.

The stability of government bond markets’ equilibrium and the interdependence of lending rates

AbstractIn this paper, we introduce test procedures for no fractional cointegration against possible breaks to a fractional cointegrating relationship in a segment of the data. We base the proposed tests on the supremum of the Hassler and Breitung (Econom Theor 22(6):1091–1111, 2006) test statistic for no cointegration over possible breakpoints in the long-run equilibrium. We show that the new tests correctly standardized converge to the supremum of a Chi-squared distribution and that this convergence is uniform. An in-depth Monte Carlo analysis provides results on the finite sample performance of our tests. We then use the new procedures to investigate whether there was a dissolution of fractional cointegrating relationships between the yields of government bonds of eleven EMU countries (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Belgium, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and France) as a consequence of the European debt crisis and to understand the degree of interdependence of lending rates to non-financial corporations across these eleven countries.

Supply chain ESG and non-financial corporate shadow banking: Evidence from China

This paper examines the impact of supply chain ESG on non-financial corporate shadow banking using data on Chinese listed firms from 2009 to 2022. We find that improved supply chain ESG performance effectively inhibits non-financial corporate shadow banking. Mechanism tests indicate that supply chain ESG enhances information transparency, encourages entity investment and alleviates financial constraints. In addition, the negative effect is more pronounced in more marketized regions. Overall, this paper approaches shadow banking from a brand-new perspective that integrates supply chain and ESG.