Henk Berkman

Empirical Evidence on the Corporate Use of Derivatives

Theory indicates that hedging can increase firm value by reducing expected taxes, expected costs of financial distress, and other agency costs. Prior research, based on survey data, has found only weak evidence consistent with theory. This study provides evidence on the corporate use of derivative instruments from the 1994 audited financial statements of 116 firms. We use the fair and contract values scaled by the market value of each firm to measure the extent of derivatives usage and generally in line with theoretical models of corporate risk management.

Expropriation Through Loan Guarantees to Related Parties: Evidence from China

We identify and analyze a sample of publicly traded Chinese firms that issued loan guarantees to their related parties (usually the controlling block holders), thereby expropriating wealth from minority shareholders. Our results show that the issuance of related guarantees is less likely at smaller firms, at more profitable firms and at firms with higher growth prospects. We also find that the identity and ownership of block holders affect the likelihood of expropriation. In addition, we use this sample to provide new evidence on the relation between tunneling and proxies for firm value and financial performance. We find that Tobins Q, ROA and dividend yield are significantly lower, and that leverage is significantly higher, at firms that issued related guarantees.

Political Connections and Minority-Shareholder Protection: Evidence from Securities-Market Regulation in China

We examine the wealth effects of 3 regulatory changes designed to improve minority-shareholder protection in the Chinese stock markets. Using the value of a firm’s related-party transactions as an inverse proxy for the quality of corporate governance, wefind that firms with weaker governance experienced significantly larger abnormal returns around announcements of the new regulations than did firms with stronger governance. We also find that firms with strong ties to the government did not benefit from the regulations, suggesting that minority shareholders did not expect regulators to enforce the new rules on firms where blockholders have strong political connections.

An international comparison of derivatives use

Derivative instruments are one of the hottest topics in corporate finance. Undoubtedly, public interest has been raised by the publicity surrounding losses on derivatives transactions. Practitioners and academics are also concerned with the appropriate use of financial derivatives in global markets.

Short-term traders and liquidity: a test using Bombay Stock Exchange data

Abstract The abolition and reinstatement of the forward trading facility (Badla) on the Bombay Stock Exchange is used to study the effect of short-term traders on share prices and liquidity. The reactions of stock prices to the ban reveal an average negative abnormal return of 15% on Badla stocks as compared to the non-Badla stocks. The ensuing period shows a significant decline in the liquidity of the Badla Stocks related to the announcement period CARs. Our results suggest that the market perceives short-term traders as playing a significant positive role, with a larger benefit accruing to the relatively less-liquid stocks.

The use of undisclosed limit orders on the Australian Stock Exchange

Abstract This paper investigates the use of undisclosed limit orders on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). Our findings suggest that undisclosed limit orders are used to reduce the option value of limit orders. We find no evidence that undisclosed limit orders are more frequently used by informed traders than disclosed limit orders. The effects of recent changes in undisclosed order regulation are also examined. We find that the enhancement in pre-trade transparency, through tightening the undisclosed order regulation in October 1994, resulted in a significant decline in trading volume. The impact of the second regulation change in October 1996, which further tightened undisclosed order regulation, resulted in a less significant trading volume reduction.

Derivative Financial Instrument use in Australia

This paper examines the relation between derivatives use and financial characteristics of Australian industrial and mining firms. The firm characteristics proxy for financial distress, tax losses, managerial ownership, growth opportunities, the ability to generate operating cash flows and liquidity. We also control for firm size, dividends and exposure to foreign exchange risk. The results show that firm size and leverage are the main explanatory variables for derivative use for both industrial and mining firms

The Accuracy of Price-Earnings and Discounted Cash Flow Methods of IPO Equity Valuation

This paper compares estimates of value derived from conventional discounted cash flow and price earnings valuation methods to the market price. For a sample of 45 firms newly listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange our results suggest that the best discounted cash flow method and the best price earnings comparable have similar accuracy. The median absolute pricing error is around 20 percent; and the models explain around 70 percent; of the cross-sectional variation in market price scaled by book value. The results serve to corroborate the findings of Kaplan and Ruback (1995).

Paying Attention: Overnight Returns and the Hidden Cost of Buying at the Open

Using 13 years of intraday data for U.S. stocks, we find a strong tendency for positive returns during the overnight period followed by reversals during the trading day. This behavior is driven by an opening price that is high relative to intraday prices. We find this temporary price inflation at the open is concentrated among stocks that have recently attracted the attention of retail investors, and these high attention stocks have high levels of net retail buying at the start of the trading day. In addition, we document that the sensitivity of opening prices to retail investor attention is more pronounced for stocks that are difficult to value and costly to arbitrage, and is greater during periods of high overall retail investor sentiment. The additional implicit transaction costs for retail traders who buy high attention stocks near the open frequently exceed the effective half spread.

The effectiveness of price limits in an emerging market: Evidence from the Korean Stock Exchange

Abstract This study investigates the effects of a revision in the price limit system on the Korean Stock Exchange (KSE). The primary finding is that the widening of price limits increased long-term volatility and reduced overall trading volume. It is shown that these adverse effects are larger for small stocks, providing a potential explanation why strict price limits are particularly popular in emerging markets.