Due Diligence in Mergers and Acquisitions in Emerging Markets： Evaluated Risk Factors From the Academic and Practical View

The obviously ever increasing number of corporate acquisitions in recent decades has improved the general knowledge and awareness of due diligence for both the industry and research. In the current challenging business environment, acquisitions face a higher degree of risk profiles, especially cross-border acquisitions in the emerging markets. Conducting a thorough due diligence investigation in the context of an acquisition is more important now than ever. In a broad analysis, this paper researches the key risk factors in the acquisition process and their assessment within a due diligence audit in the acquisition phase. The task of this paper is to match the academic and practical view in order to give a more complete understanding of risk factors to be covered in due diligence audit. The starting point is the research of academic findings which basically concentrate on common approaches considering financial, legal, commercial, and some other issues in domestic acquisitions and in developed countries. In contrast, this paper considers risk factors in cross-border and emerging markets transactions. In addition, a number of business consultants publish studies based on surveys on this topic which reflect typical risk factors based on experience of their customers being involved in cross-border acquisitions. Their risk assessment consists of specific regulatory, political, and other factors, which may lead to commercial and reputational impediments in cross-border acquisitions. The outcome of the comparison is a comprehended list of evaluated risk factors, whereby the academic findings are complemented and supported by the practical experience in the business consultant＇s studies. Moreover, the practical approach points to the fact that due diligence scope needs to be suited to the dynamics of the markets. The comparison and the comprehended list of evaluated risk factors call for a more integrated system of due diligence and show herein the research deficit. Hence, the novelty is the compendium of evaluated risk factors which should be assessed in the pre-acquisition phase. The originality of the paper is given by a unique analysis of academic work about acquisition due diligence literature and consultant studies from anonymized practical experience based on insider information.

The 2007-2009 Financial Crisis on Emerging Markets： Quantitative Identification of Crisis in Continent-based Regions

This paper focuses on a direct quantitative identification of crisis periods in selected emerging stock markets from four continent-based regions of Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and Middle East and North Africa （MENA）, in the context of an influence of the 2007 U.S. subprime financial crisis. The 17 emerging stock markets and, for comparison, the U.S. stock market are investigated. A statistical method of dividing market states into bullish and bearish markets, based on monthly logarithmic returns of major stock market indexes, is employed. The analyzed sample period begins in January 2003 and ends in December 2013. As there is no unanimity in the literature about the crisis periods in the continent-based regions, a formal statistical identification of crises is worthwhile to conduct. Furthermore, the effect of increasing cross-market correlations in the crisis compared to the pre-crisis period in the context of contagion is examining. To address this issue, both standard contemporaneous cross-correlations and volatility-adjusted cross-correlations are applied. The results are consistent with the literature and confn＇m that tests for contagion based on cross-market correlations are problematic due to the bias introduced by changing volatility in market returns. As contagion can be confused with globalization, the globalization tests in the group of international investigated markets are employed. The results generally do not confirm a global world market integration effect, i.e. there is no reason to reject the research hypothesis of no globalization during the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

Taking on Emerging Markets

Chinese companies should bring our own brands and technologies overseas to boost competition in the global market,

Governing the gold rush into emerging markets: a case study of Indonesia’s regulatory responses to the expansion of Chinese-backed online P2P lending

Peer-to-peer(P2P)lending has the potential to boost financial inclusion in emerging markets.This paper contributes to the literature on fintech governance in emerging Asian markets.It examines the case of the Indonesian government’s approach in regulating the P2P lending sector using both primary interviews and secondary firmlevel data.Driven by regulation tightening in China and regulatory gaps in Indonesia,Chinese investments became the largest in this sector contributing,however,to growing risks from illegal business practices.The Indonesian government responded by creating new regulations and institutions,mitigating risks without stifling the potential for financial inclusion.We conclude a proactive approach towards monitoring and regulating emerging high-tech industries should be sought by strengthening links with industry and civil society,and through international cooperation for policy and knowledge sharing.

The Impact of Investing in Emerging Markets on Firm Performance: An Exploratory Study of Taiwan Residents Multinational Enterprises in the Chinese Mainland

Ⅰ.IntroductionDuring the past two decades,many multinationalenterprises(MNEs)have made substantial investmentsin emerging markets.Two factors dominate thereasoning in favor of such an investment strategy:lowlabor costs and the large size of the markets in the hostcountries.While these two economic factors seem quite

Near-zero U.S. Interest Rates, Primary Commodity Prices, and Financial Control in Emerging Markets

The U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy at the center of the world dollar standard has a first-order impact on global financial stability. However, except in moments of international crises, the Fed focuses inward on domestic American economic indicators and generally ignores collateral damage from its monetary policies in the rest of the world. But this makes the U.S. economy less stable. Currently, ultra-low interest rates on dollar assets ignite waves of hot money into emerging markets by carry traders that generate bubbles in international primary commodity prices and other assets. These bubbles burst when some accident at the center, such as a banking crisis, causes a reflux of the hot money. Ironically, these near-zero interest rates hold back investment in the American economy itself.

Market Structure, Liquidity and the Performance of Emerging Equity Markets

Recent studies analyzing the liquidity of emerging equity markets （EEM） focus mainly on two independent variables： （1） the turnover ratio and （2） value of equity traded. They ignore the impact of the market concentration of stock traded which could generate price distortion/manipulation. This study empirically estimates the impact of market structure （concentration） and liquidity （turnover ratio） on equity performance （price/returns） of 19 EEM. We use panel data for the period 1992-2000 and least square dummy variable regression technique that measure fixed effects and the dynamics of adjustment. The results show the significance of both independent variables. Liquidity favours investment, and market concentration suggests the potential for market/price manipulation that requires regulatory policies. These results indicate success of reform policies aimed at capital deepening to improve efficient capital allocation and provide profitable investment opportunities.

Does country risk impact the banking sectors’non‑performing loans?Evidence from BRICS emerging economies

This study aims to fill the gap in the literature by specifically investigating the impact of country risk on the credit risk of the banking sectors operating in Brazil,Russia,India,China,and South Africa(BRICS),emerging countries.More specifically,we explore whether the country-specific risks,namely financial,economic,and political risks significantly impact the BRICS banking sectors’non-performing loans and also probe which risk has the most outstanding effect on credit risk.To do so,we perform panel data analysis using the quantile estimation approach covering the period 2004–2020.The empirical results reveal that the country risk significantly leads to increasing the banking sector’s credit risk and this effect is prominent in the banking sector of countries with a higher degree of non-performing loans(Q.25=−0.105,Q.50=−0.131,Q.75=−0.153,Q.95=−0.175).Furthermore,the results underscore that an emerging country’s political,economic,and financial instabilities are strongly associated with increasing the banking sector’s credit risk and a rise in political risk in particular has the most positive prominent impact on the banking sector of countries with a higher degree of non-performing loans(Q.25=−0.122,Q.50=−0.141,Q.75=−0.163,Q.95=−0.172).Moreover,the results suggest that,in addition to the banking sectorspecific determinants,credit risk is significantly impacted by the financial market development,lending interest rate,and global risk.The results are robust and have significant policy suggestions for many policymakers,bank executives,researchers,and analysts.

Isolating the female agency‑driven development factor in external sovereign emerging market debt

The underlying literature hypothesises and provides randomised evidence for the positive impact of promoting the broad-based inclusion,empowerment,and representation of women on regional ecosystems.This study seeks to isolate a female agencydriven development factor in external sovereign emerging market debt and finds evidence for superior risk-adjusted returns from tilting towards female agency leaders.We propose the female agency factor as an additional scope in the modern investor’s toolbox of holistic credit assessment,allowing investors to isolate the issuers which are the most effective sovereign transmission mechanisms of sustainable development capital.This contribution to the corpus supports the notion of integrating sustainability factors into portfolio construction and reinforces the argument for supporting femaleled development from a financial markets’perspective.

Spillovers of US unconventional monetary policy:quantitative easing,spreads,and international financial markets

This study investigates the international spillover effects of US unconventional monetary policy(UMP)-frequently called large-scale asset purchases or quantitative easing(QE)—on advanced and emerging market economies,using structural vector autoregressive models with high-frequency daily data.Blinder(Federal Reserve Bank of St.Louis Rev 92(6):465–479,2010)argued that the QE measures primarily aim to reduce US interest rate spreads,such as term and risk premiums.Considering this argument and recent empirical evidence,we use two spreads as indicators of US UMP:the mortgage and term spreads.Based on data from 20 emerging and 20 advanced countries,our empirical findings reveal that US unconventional monetary policies significantly affect financial conditions in emerging and advanced countries by altering the risktaking behavior of investors.This result suggests that the risk-taking channel plays an important role in transmitting the effects of these policies to the rest of the world.The extent of these effects depends on the type of QE measures.QE measures such as purchases of private sector securities that lower the US mortgage spread exert stronger and more significant spillover effects on international financial markets than those that reduce the US term spread.Furthermore,the estimated financial spillovers vary substantially across countries and between and within the emerging and advanced countries that we examine in this study.

An Empirical Analysis of the Determinants of the Performance of the Global Private Equity Funds Markets

Over the last decade, the private equity （PE） industry, primarily venture capital and leveraged buyout investments, has matured massively. Consequently, public interest towards that particular asset class has increased rapidly. This study seeks to empirically assess the determinants of private equity funds＇ （PEFs） performance around the world. The study comprises a panel data of 103 publicly traded PEFs globally for the period of 2007-2013. Generalized least squares （GLS） technique is employed to regress the explanatory variables. The objective is accentuated on the major contributing factors that make a PEF successful. The analysis, in this paper, examines the effect of fund size, investment size, geographical focus, and industrial specialization on return. The empirical results provide evidence that： （1） Fund size and industrial specialization were observed to have an insignificant influence on the funds＇ returns in our panels; （2） Investment size is positively related to fund performance, indicating that larger deal sizes exhibited superior performance level; and （3） Geographical focus exhibited a negative association with fund performance, leading to the conclusion that limited geographical deployment of funds or absence of market diversification resulted in a fall in funds＇ returns. Consequently, to proxy for return of funds, stock prices of listed PEFs under LPEQ listings were employed.

The Approach of Major Players in Retail in Expanding Their Operations into Developing Markets-Taking Walmart as an Example

This research investigates the expansion behavior of international(giant)retailers,with a specific focus on the determinants of the entry mode choice in emerging markets based on the performance of Walmart in its venture into less developed markets.This research investigates the approach in which major players in retail are expanding their operations into other developing markets,specifically focusing on how the entry mode decisions of giant retailers moderate the risks and difficulties in making business in emerging countries.The objective of this study is to analyze and evaluate the potential causes and antecedents of large merchants's entry mode(EM)choices by assessing Walmart's business performance in less advanced nations in recent years.

The Application of the Emerging Market Score Model in China During the Global Crisis Period： A Countertrend

The global economic crisis that blew up at the end of 2006 in the United States has had extremely negative impacts on the social, political, and economic fields. The countries operating in the most affected macro areas---the United States and Europe---have put through the wringer the domestic trade relationships as well as the international ones, by injecting a chain reaction into the global economic scenario. However, there are countries that seem to be free from the economic and financial contagion overflowing over the past years, as they are moved by an ＂invincible projection toward the growth＂. The present study aims to analyze how much the main emerging market of China has been effectively involved in this vicious circle. More specifically, the study intends to propose an empirical analysis on the real connection between the macroecnnomic data and the strong structure of the Chinese publicly listed companies. This paper investigates the prediction of failure among 3,220 Chinese publicly traded companies （listed companies） during the global crisis period. By analysing the financial accounting data over the past seven years （2008 to 2014）, the emerging market score （EMS） has been adopted in order to investigate the impact of the crisis on financial distress in the main emerging market of China. The results confirm the following hypotheses： On one hand, the great majority of companies have not been suffering the downturn, since 71.93% of the entire samples present no risk of financial distress during the global crisis; on the other hand, only 6.18% have a reasonable risk of financial distress.

Global Commercial Space Markets

Space is becoming more accessible than ever before. Falling satellite manufacturing and launch costs have opened the door to new players to enter the market, disrupting the status quo. HTS and constellations have entered the market and will lead to a lot more capacity at a lower price. But how this capacity will be optimally distributed remains a significant challenge. Earth Observation(EO) and Big Data are also areas of interest that are gaining grounds thanks to projects of 100 s if not 1,000 s of satellites that will have a lasting effect on manufacturing and launch markets.

The impact of IFRS mandate and institutional governance on underpricing and aftermarket performance of IPO shares in Turkey

Along with the European Union,policymakers in Turkey passed a regulation that mandated all listed companies use the International Financial Reporting Standards(IFRS)starting from January 1,2005.Using a before-after estimation design,this study examines the impact of this policy change and the role of institutional governance quality on the initial trading day and aftermarket trading performance of initial public offerings(IPO)in Turkey from 1998 to 2019.The results show that the IFRS mandate does not affect initial trading day returns but improves the aftermarket trading performance of IPO shares.This finding may imply that Turkey’s secondary market also suffers from information asymmetry and that IFRS-compliant reports help alleviate this problem.Furthermore,none of the six institutional governance quality measures tested loaded significantly against initial trading day or long-term returns.However,when examined together,two institutional measures with a negative value,voice and accountability,and political stability,offset the positive effect of the IFRS-compliant reporting on longterm IPO returns,providing support to the premise that institutional quality matters for realizing the economic benefits of the IFRS mandate.

Corporate Governance Mechanisms： Evidence From Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises （SMEs）

This paper aims to investigate the extent to which Malaysian small- and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs） adopted corporate governance （CG） principles and their effects on firm performance. The principles examined included： establishing clear roles and responsibilities; strengthening composition; and reinforcing independence. The paper is based on a questionnaire survey study among 113 SMEs that consisted of 35% （39） of manufacturing and related services and 65% （74） from services including information and communication technology （ICT）, primary agriculture, construction, mining, and quarrying. The analysis of the data indicates that 32% of the respondents said that the primary reason why they have their own business is to have control over their own working life. This fmding appears to confirm the f＇mancing theory that SMEs owners have other goals than profitability. In addition, 30% of SMEs perceived that the most important role played by the board is risk management; hence, these boards have a greater control over financial risks that may lead to better financial performance. The analysis also shows that 81% of the respondents＇ board consisted of internal board members only. These enterprises need to see the important role of external board members as a source of advice providers and experts to them. For policies relating to clear roles and responsibilities of board, only 28% of the respondents established clear functions reserved for the board and those delegated to management; substantial respondents did not draw up policies relating to reinforce board independency （between 75% and 79%） and to strengthen board composition （46%）. Besides, 68% of the respondents have the position of chairman and CEO held by same individuals and 81% of the chairman is an executive member of the board. These findings suggest that SMEs cannot see the importance of strengthening board and having independent board members. Regression analysis also indicates that board independence has a significant and positive impact on firm performance. Hence, SMEs need to appreciate networking advantages, competency, and strategic knowledge that the right board can offer. The governmental ministries and agencies in Malaysia need to take active measures to encourage SMEs to strengthen their board governance, because SMEs are the important economic powers for stimulating national economic growth. This paper contributes to the empirical literatures on the adoption of CG principles and their effects on SMEs＇ firm performance in emerging markets.

Organisational Hierarchies and Decision Making Process of Chinese Multinational Enterprises in Vietnam

This paper examines the organisational hierarchies and decision making processes of two Chinese multinational enterprises operating in Vietnam—hina Luoyang Floating Glass Corp. （CLFG） and China TCL Holdings Co. Ltd. （TCL）. For this study, research data were obtained from in-depth interviews of more than 20 government officials in E R. China and Vietnam, and managers and staff of those two enterprises. Results indicate that the organisational structures of the two enterprises are still vertical but complex, although moderate changes made to them post the nationwide economic reform of China. Consequently, decision making process follows a ＂top-down＂ model, sometimes, with insufficient grassroots information. Findings are discussed in the light of political, social and cultural milieu, and implications are drawn for the management of Chinese multinational enterprises operating in overseas markets. Both CLFG and China TCL are structured on task specialisations. However, departmentalisation in TCL＇s overseas division in head office is not only based on products, but also on geographical regions of markets. The organisational structure of TCL in Vietnam is less complex than the international division, but it is more centralised. Decision making at TCL combines more traditional Chinese business philosophy with modern western organisational characteristics. TCL has a strong western influence in its management style. However, some traditional characteristics such as ＂hero＂ leadership influence and political influence are involved with decision making at TCL. Amongst others, the transitional economy, social culture, poor management system and political sensitivity have been major elements influencing decision making. In the case of CLFG. some decisions have been made before proper information has been gathered and analysed.

The social representation of fintech from the perspective of traditional financial sector professionals:evidence from Brazil

This study aims to reveal the social representation of fintech from the perspective of traditional financial sector professionals in Brazil—herein used as a proxy for emerging markets—to interpret and compare it with the scientific literature on the concept of fintech.To achieve this,we applied the social representations theory associated with the word evocation test,similarity analysis,and descending hierarchical classification.After analyzing the results,we perceived a partial misalignment between the existing literature on the concept of fintech and the perspective of traditional financial sector professionals concerning this construct.In contrast to the literature surveyed,the respondents lack perception regarding the potential of fintech to constitute disruptive technology for the traditional financial sector—radically transforming or even eliminating it.In addition,traditional financial sector professionals have little insight into the potential of fintech to financially include the low-income population,owing to their lower costs and greater ease of use.Finally,traditional financial sector professionals failed to appreciate the need to develop a legal and regulatory framework for the performance of fintech in emerging markets.This is a subject that has also been scantly addressed by academia.

Value-at-Risk Approach to Currency Crises： A Brazilian Example With the Central Bank and Currency Based Assets＊

This paper uses a Value at Risk （VaR） approach to evaluate a country financial vulnerability, by analyzing the risk exposure of its Central Bank, as if their assets are subject to market risk. The Brazilian currency exchange swaps contracts （USS/Brazilian Reais） are submitted to a delta-normal VaR method, in order to evaluate the market risk of each swaps series, by modeling the variance of the daily returns, from August 1999 to January 2003. All daily returns series exhibited heteroscedasticity in the conditional variance and sudden changes in the unconditional variance. The points of changes of the unconditional variance were determined through the Iterative Cumulative Sum of Squares （ICSS） algorithm, and the conditional variance was modeled with Markov-Switching-Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity （SWGARCH） in order to capture heteroscedasticity and regime change. The results lead to two main conclusions： First, a VaR model must incorporate heteroscedasticity and regime switching in order to describe the variance of the tested series, submitted to brisk changes of economic and political scenarios. Second, a volatility-based VaR do not necessarily generate forward-looking indicators, but rather coincident indicators of possible financial vulnerabilities. The future research will evolve towards evaluating the effects of the Basel III recommendations as if they could be applied to this crisis period.

The Link Between Internet Financial Reporting and Information Asymmetry for American Depository Receipts

We provide evidence on the effect of the presentation format and information content of Internet financial reporting on the market value of American Depository Receipts and on country-specific variables that drive Internet financial reporting. A two-stage Heckman approach was used to determine if Internet financial reporting adds incremental value to firms beyond the decision to cross-list in the United States. The results indicate that investors more highly value firms that provide information in multiple formats. We also find that country-specific variables affect the information content, but not the presentation format of disclosures on corporate websites. The results uncover a disconnection between what the market values （presentation format） and what the firms believe the market values （information content）. This implies that firms are not entirely aware of investors＇ information wants and that they are not utilizing their resources in the manner that will have the most impact on their market value.