The Long-Run Performance of IPOs in Italy： A Comparison of Venture and Non-Venture-Backed Companies

The phenomena associated with the performance of newly listed companies has increased the interest of many researchers who have developed a vast literature on long-term underpricing and underperformance, which together with hot and cold issue markets, represent the three anomalies that have always accompanied with Initial Public Offerings （IPOs）. The objective of this work is to investigate the long-run performance of IPOs of venture and non-venture-backed companies. The analysis of a sample of 102 IPOs carried out in Italy in 1998-2005 revealed that both companies （venture-backed and non-venture-backed） showed negative values, thus, confirming the phenomenon of underperformance. During the 36 months following their listing, venture-backed companies seemed to register negative and statistically significant values both with the CARsVB methodology （-93.99%） and the Buy and Hold Abnormal Returns methodology （BHARsVB -88.37%）. Venture-backed companies, unlike non- venture-backed companies, seem to be able to restrain the losses, measured by both methods, in the first 12 months （CARsB - 12.38% -20.15% CARSNNVB; BHARsVB - 10.17%; BHARsNVB - 15.51%）. During the 36 months, however, the IPOs showed negative and statistically significant values regardless of whether they were venture or non-venture-backed. The test on the difference between the average abnormal returns of the two methodologies （CAARS and BHAARs） did not produce statistically significant results. The Wealth Relative was calculated and from the results it would appear that the portfolio of venture-backed IPOs does not register ＂brilliant＂ performances. The portfolio of 102 IPOs does not seem to beat the ＂market portfolio＂. In conclusion, therefore, the phenomenon of underperformance seems to be real in our country and is documented by strongly negative and statistically significant values obtained from the samples of IPOs analyzed.

Pyramidal Structure of Chinese Publicly-Listed Private Firms:Motivations, Correlations and Paths to Governance

It is generally believed in academia that there are two theoretical explanations of tunneling and financing advantage for the creation of pyramidal structure. However, there is no definitive conclusion on which explanation holds sway. Based on non-equilibrium panel data of seven years between 2004 and 2010, this empirical study uses the product market competition variables of ＂inter-sector competition＂ and ＂intra-sector competition＂ and the hierarchy and complexity of pyramidal structure, examines the correlation between pyramidal structure of Chinese private manufacturing listed firms and product market competition and patterns of change, and reveals the major causes of pyramidal structure. Empirical result indicates that, for Chinese private manufacturing listed companies, there is a significant negative correlation between product market competition and the hierarchy and complexity of pyramidal structure, which indicates that the creation of pyramidal structure has a preference on tunneling by controlling shareholders. On the basis of further considerations on corporate tunneling and financing restraint categorization, high-tunneling firms and firms with low financing restraint demonstrate significant tunneling motivations; low-tunneling firms and firms with high financing restraint demonstrate significant effect of financing advantage, which further testifies both theoretical explanations for the creation of pyramidal structure. Conclusions of these studies have not only enriched and supplemented relevant studies on the root causes for the creation of pyramidal structure by Chinese private business groups, but provide practical support for firms to make correct and effective use of pyramidal structure as well.

Environmental Disclosure of Chemical Industry:Evidencefrom Chinese A-Share Market

Environmental pollution and environmental reporting have increasingly drawn the attention of the countries around the world. The paper selects A-share listed companies of chemical industry in China. Using logistic model, we research the impact of financial performance of listed companies upon environmental reporting. The conclusion of the study shows that the total number of enterprises which disclosed environmental information (EI) has increased year by year, and EI content and volume disclosed by heavy pollution corporations have increased annually. And the more profitability the listed companies attain, the more EI they are inclined to disclose. Moreover, companies will have an ability to disclose EI so as to reduce the agency costs arising from informa-tion asymmetry. Furthermore, the development capability of com-panies is of negative correlation to environmental reporting, and the liabilities degree of listed companies is of negative correlation to environmental reporting, but it is not significant. This paper also offers policy recommendations that enhance EI transparency and regulate EI reporting of listed companies.

The Post-Merger Performance： Evidence From Italy

The objective of this paper is to investigate whether mergers create value for shareholders in both the short and long term. For this purpose, 120 announcements of mergers that were registered in Italy during the period 1994-2006 among listed companies were examined. The short-term analysis was conducted using the event study methodology in order to estimate the cumulative abnormal returns （CARs） in the time window around the announcement date （-10, ＋10）. In this work, the sample of 120 mergers was divided into two sub-samples： the first considers the mergers that were carried out in all sectors of the economy, and the second focuses only on bank mergers. From the results obtained it would appear that, while the sub-sample of all mergers registered a statistically significant value creation for the shareholders of both the bidder and target companies, values also confirmed by combined analysis, the second sub-sample registered negative values for bidder companies and positive values for target companies. Negative values also seem to be confirmed by the results of the combined analysis both at the date of announcement and throughout the entire period of observation. For the long-term analysis, the Buy and Hold Abnormal Returns （BHARs） methodology was used, with which it was possible to observe the returns for three years. In the 36 months following the merger, the portfolios showed a significant destruction of value

Effects of China's BT-to-VAT Reform on Listed Companies' Turnover Tax Burden

Using the data of China's listed companies during 2010-2014 as samples, this paper employs the PSM and DID methods to respectively investigate the effects of BTto-VAT reform on the turnover tax burden for companies in pilot regions(Shanghai and eight other provinces and municipalities) and the rest of China. Our study arrived at the following findings: Compared with pilot sectors in non-pilot regions, BT-to-VAT reform has no significant effect on the turnover tax burden of pilot companies in pilot regions; compared with non-pilot companies, BT-to-VAT reform slightly increased the turnover tax burden in the short run and somewhat reduced the turnover tax burden for pilot companies in the long run. Further differentiation of ownership nature led to the discovery that BT-toVAT reform somewhat reduced the turnover tax burden of SOEs and central SOEs, slightly increased the turnover tax burden for non-SOEs and local SOEs in pilot regions, slightly increased the turnover tax burden in the short run and somewhat reduced the turnover tax burden in the long run after nationwide pilot programs were introduced; BT-to-VAT reform has more significant effects on non-SOEs and local SOEs. In general, BT-to-VAT reform has no significant effects on the turnover tax burden of companies and after differentiating pilot regions, pilot sectors and ownership nature, we did not discover any significant effect, which is generally consistent with policy expectations.

The IAS/IFRS application on the intangible assets of non-listed companies

With the introduction of IFRS （International Financial Reporting Standards） most of the intangibles are expensed on the income statement and hence they ＂disappear＂ from the balance sheet, while investments in tangible assets are capitalized. Based on a sample of 128 firms, made up of 99 SMEs （Small and Medium Enterprises） and 29 large firms, and through a simulation of IAS （International Accounting Standards） transition, the authors＇ study finds that IAS 38 reduces the amount of intangible assets recognized on the balance sheet of SMEs, while large firms do not appear to experience such large reductions in their intangible assets. The differential effect of IAS 38 on SMEs and large firms can be explained by the different growth strategies of these firm types. SMEs largely depend on internal paths of growth and intangibles assets that typically arise from internal growth strategies are eliminated from the balance sheet under IAS 38. Larger firms are less exposed to such reductions in their intangibles assets, because they mostly follow external paths of growth and the treatment of those intangible assets that typically arise from external growth strategies requires the impairment test.

Tracing Ultimate Shareholders＇ Double Control Chain in Listed Companies- Using the Theory of Organizational Routine Evolution

Based on the epistemology and methodology of organizational routine evolution, this paper presents a systematic analysis on how ultimate shareholders control listed companies by means of equity control chain in a pyramid structure and social capital control chain hidden in social networks. First, this paper examines the internal logic of ultimate shareholders＇ double control chain and designs an iterative model for dynamic evolution intent proceeding from ultimate shareholders ＇degree of intent for social capital control. Finally, with the case study of Inner Mongolia Caoyuan Xingfa Co., Ltd., this paper reveals the process and mechanism of ultimate shareholders＇ creation of double control chain.

Audit Quality in Kazakhstan： Does Big 4 Provide High-Quality Audits？

This paper provides empirical evidence on audit quality in Kazakhstan as measured by audit tenure and the frequency of issuing modified opinions. In addition, an overview of audit institutions of Kazakhstan and an analysis of the current audit market for public companies are offered. This paper also sheds light upon the potential independence problems resulting in low audit quality and current barriers to audit researches in Kazakhstan. Consistent with the findings of extant researches on audit quality and the general perceptions of investors, two hypotheses were developed, i.e., the audits performed by Big 4 audit firms in Kazakhstan also have higher quality than non-Big 4 audit firms in terms of audit tenure and the frequency of issuing modified opinions. The result confirms the hypothesis that Big 4 audit firms provide higher audit quality than smaller local firms in association with audit tenure instead of in relation to the frequency of issuing modified opinions. The result indicates that Big 4 audit firms may not be as independent as they will be in a highly litigious market. Therefore, an independent inspection should be regularly implemented according to the audit law, and the inspection report should be publicized by Chamber of Auditors （COA）1. If this is not practical due to the lack of qualified inspectors, a peer review may be an altemative to implement the quality control policy immediately. To the author＇s best knowledge, this is the first audit quality research in countries of the Commonwealth of Independence States （CIS）.

Does Independent External Auditing Play a Role in Corporate Governance？ An Empirical Study on Chinese A-Share Listed Firms

In China, an emerging economy, where investor protection is relatively weak, it is worthwhile and interesting to investigate whether independent external auditing, a sort of external corporate governance mechanism, exerts its influence. Using a sample of all A-share listed firms in 2005, this paper investigates the effects of independent external auditing on corporate governance via three aspects： （1） choice of auditing institution; （2） auditing fee; and （3） auditing opinion for annual reports. Empirical results show that, with worse agency problems in firms, the possibility of employing the “Big 41” to audit its annual reports is bigger. When determining auditing fees, auditing institutions take both firms＇ agency problems and the firm size into account. When issuing qualified opinions for poor-performing firms, auditors do not consider agency problems embedded in concentrated ownership. Overall, external independent auditing plays a limited role in corporate governance.

Cross-Listing and Valuation Effects＂ Evidence From Nairobi Securities Exchange

The purpose of this study is to analyze the valuation effects of cross-listing. The study has conducted a univariate analysis of the Tobin＇s Q and the market-to-book ratio for the period before and after the cross-listing by using paired tests. Non-cross-listed firms are then included in multivariate regressions by using pooled Time Series Cross Section （TSCS） and Panel Corrected Standard Error （PCSE） regressions for a period of 13 years to find out if there is a difference in the valuations between cross-listed firms and non-cross-listed firms. The study＇s results indicate that the Tobin＇s Q of cross-listed-firms increases two years prior to cross-listing and that it continues to increase two years after cross-listing. The market-to-book ratios also show an increase two years prior to cross-listing and up to one year after cross-listing, then decrease in the second year after cross-listing. When non-cross-listed firms are included in the analysis, results indicate that cross-listed firms are valued higher than non-cross-listed firms. When data are portioned for positive earnings per share （EPS） and dividends, results indicate that valuation is the highest when EPS is positive. Since segmentation theories cannot be ruled out, the study＇s findings are more in support of the growth opportunity hypothesis.

Strategic Management Development From the State-Owned Company to the Private Company

The privatization of a firm entails a thoroughgoing process of reform that includes the introduction of new management practices. A review of the theoretical and empirical studies conducted allows us to confirm that a systematic analysis of the contextual, organizational and strategic factors that arise after a public company＇s privatization does not exist. This study explores the changes in strategic management that take place after a public company＇s privatization and proposes a theoretical global analysis model that facilitates their analysis. In order to confirm the theoretical propositions posed, the contemporary multiple case study was used as a research methodology. In particular, the changes experienced in the strategic management area in four privatized Spanish companies were investigated along the lines of a longitudinal analysis. The results of this study show that most theoretical propositions are confirmed or tend to be, according to the evidence shown by the firms in the sample. In addition, a comparative analysis of the different firms＇ behaviors by following the structure constructed on the basis of the three areas （strategies, objectives and organizational structure） leads to the conclusion that all these areas are relevant to the process of change in a privatized firm＇s strategic management.

A Study on the Behavior of Large Stock Dividends and Stock Splits Among Chinese Listed Companies： A Case Study on Zoomlion＇s 2010 Middle-Term Stock Dividend Plan

This paper takes Zoomlion （Changsha Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd） as an example and illustrates the reasons why traditional theories of stock dividends and stock splits cannot rationally explain the large stock dividend and stock split behavior among Chinese listed companies. The paper offers the following points after analyzing the current situation of China＇s capital market： As many investors seek after the stocks with large stock dividends and stock splits and form a ＂herd effect＂, it greatly pushes up the price of these stocks. Thus, companies＇ managers can cater these investors＇ irrational behavior, and help their companies get more funds from secondary equity offerings, or help their large shareholders and institutional investors to obtain more returns after lifting the sell restriction on their shares.

Study on Correlative Issues about State-owned Enterprises Restructuring in Resource-based Cities in China

The ＂sediment＂ formed in the process of long-term development of the resource-based cities not only restricts the economic structure trans/brmation, but also increases the difficulties for restructuring the state-owned enterprises. Furthermore, it makes current ways of reforming staffs＇ identity replacement and managers＇ shareholding mode inefficient in state-owned enterprises reformation in resource-based cities. According to the characteristics of resource-based cities and property right reform theory, cash and share right compensation for the different staffs in the process of staffs＇ identity replacement have been identified. In addition, different profitable investment policies have also been suggested. For managers＇ share holding, the stimulant share ownership should be adopted principally, at the same time corresponding restrictions should be set up for managers＇ investment share ownership due to share ownership structure.

Effects of Managers＇ Self-interest Motivation on Listed Company＇ s Business Performance

In recent years, managers＇ self-interest motivation has been attracting more and more attention from both the academia and practice.Therefore, the ways and depth of managers＇ self-interest motivation influencing listed companies＇ operating performance has become a hot research area with important theoretical and practical significance. Based on the samples of A-share companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchange during 2012-2014. we studied different effects of managers＇ self-interest motivation on listed company＇s business performance under different situations.The innovation of this paper mainly lies in the following two points： on the one hand, we did not adopt the previous research methods which does not distinguish different kinds of company＇s business performance. Therefore, we divided business performance into two types firstly, then we made empirical text of the influences of managers＇ self-interest motivation on business performance by virtue of Hausman Model and drew related conclusions under different situations of operating performance. On the other hand, the index measuring managers＇ self-interest is relatively new.

The study on the Psychological motivation of Costs Stickiness --Empirical Evidence from China

This paper studies Whether the managerial overconfidence have any impact on the Cost management （Characterized by the degree of the Costs Stickiness ） .Using the ample of the A-share listed companies between 2007-2011 in China, We document that SG＆A cost stickiness decreases in the degree of overconfidence. The further studies show the negative relation is more significant in the state-owned listed companies,which proved our speculation that the manager will cut expenses avoiding significant decline in performance when the sales decline in the state-owned listed company.

Application of Statistic Analysis on the Selection of Quantitative Characteristics Listed in the DUS Test Guideline of Tagetes L.

[Objective] This paper researched how to use specific approach to select quantitative characteristics which would be listed in the DUS Test Guideline of Tagetes L. [Method] With the aid of statistic analysis, the uniformity, stability and correlation of 14 pre-selected characteristics were analyzed. [Result] The expression of peduncle length of terminal flower had low uniformity within a variety; the expres- sion of main stem thickness was not stable in continuous growing cycles; there were four pairs of quantitative characteristics which are （very） significantly correlated, namely, leaf length and leaf width, diameter of flower head and length of outer ligu- late floret, number of ligulate floret whorls and number of ligulate floret, leaf width and width of terminal leaflet of pinnate leaves. Based on the requirements of char- acteristic selection and the results of statistic analysis, five characteristics including peduncle length of terminal flower, thickness of the main stem, leaf width, length of outer ligulate floret and number of ligulate floret were deleted. [Conclusion] For the first time, this paper introduced the application of statistic analysis on the selection of quantitative characteristics.

新媒体背景下投资者关系管理对股价延迟的影响研究

随着5G网络的普及和微博、短视频等新媒体传播平台的不断涌现,现代信息传播的内容、范围和速度呈现出指数增长的态势,一方面,这使得信息披露和与投资者沟通有了更多渠道;另一方面,信息对股价延迟的影响程度也日益明显。投资者关系管理作为公司治理的重要工作之一,主要内容是信息披露和信息沟通,使股价充分及时反映公司信息,上市公司应重视投资者关系管理。

Operating Performance of Initial Public Offering Companies in Hong Kong

This study investigates the earnings performance of 418 initial public offerings （IPOs） listed on the stock exchange of Hong Kong. By analyzing several profitability measures of these 1PO companies from the third year prior to listing up to the fifth year post-listing, it is found that IPO companies＇ operating performances as a whole peak in the year of listing or the year preceding the listing, but exhibit a fall in post-issue profitability with the decline being most pronounced in the first financial year following the year in which the listing take place. Over 30% of these IPOs suffer a loss three years after the offerings. Deterioration of post-issue performance is found to be more severe for smaller finns, highly-geared companies, fast-growing enterprises, companies with lower ownership retention by original shareholders, and companies which have managed earnings upwards at the time of listing. These observations are consistent with the higher agency costs when firms go public and that managers have timed the issue at the peak of the companies＇ long-run performance. Further investigation confirms that IPO companies in general make use of income-increasing accruals to manage their earnings upwards in the year when they go public. The reversal of the accruals in post-issue years further exaggerates the decline in their profitability.

Corporate Governance, Sustainable Development and Value Creation Some Evidences From Italian Listed Companies

Modern corporate situations, characterized by the globalisation of the markets and of the information, highlight the need to link the potential of a not transient growth to the adequate reconciliation of all the expectations converging around the entrepreneurial formula and not only of those attributable to shareholders. In such a defined context, corporate governance tends to evolve from a situation of primary care for the expectations of shareholders （shareholder＇s view） and for the correlated financial responsibility, to a wide consideration of all the stakeholders （stakeholder＇s view） and related responsibilities （financial, environmental, social, administrative）. The correct carrying out of governance processes requires, therefore, a clear focus on sustainable development and on the related assumption of a concept of global responsibility. The decisions made by the governing bodies must be driven by the purpose to create value in the long term according to conditions of fairness and sustainable development. To sum up, this research aims to deepen the existing connections between corporate governance, sustainable development and value creation on the basis of the empirical analysis of a limited number of listed Italian companies afferent to the public utilities sector. The paper, based on a deductive approach, is composed of two distinct but strictly connected parts： the first theoretical and the second empirical. The empirical research consists of a content analysis of the most recent documents （sustainability reports and annual reports） worked out by the selected companies. The results obtained about the degree respect of sustainable development conditions by each company are linked to the related value dimension （social, economic, competitive and environmental performance） aimed at verifying if the assumption of a corporate governance approach inspired by sustainability is susceptible of favouring the company development in a medium long term. From the delivered research it emerges how public utilities that promote behaviours in line with the sustainability conditions are marked out by stable growth paths. Conversely, the companies that assume a vision mainly addressed to the economic dimension, neglecting the other areas are generally compromised in the performance realized.