Myungsun Kim

The impact of the 1989 change in bank capital standards on loan loss provisions and loan write-offs

Abstract We investigate whether banks with low capital ratios use accounting accruals for capital ratio management. We focus on a time where we expect a change in bank managers behavior regarding certain accruals. In 1989 regulatory changes created (removed) incentives to depress loan loss provisions (write-offs) after (before) 1989. Our results show that banks with low capital ratios reduced their loan loss provisions and increased write-offs during the 1990–1992 period compared to the 1985–1988 period. Banks with high capital ratios exhibited no difference in loss provisions, but did significantly increase loan write-offs during 1990–92.

Relative value relevance of historical cost vs. fair value: Evidence from bank holding companies

Abstract This study complements the growing literature on the value relevance of fair value by examining the validity of the hypothesis that fair value is more informative than historical cost as a financial reporting standard for financial instruments. Using the fair value disclosures made under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 107 and SFAS No. 115 by bank holding companies (BHCs) over the 1995–98 period, we compare the relative explanatory power of fair value and historical cost in explaining equity values. For our entire sample, we are unable to detect a discernible difference in the informativeness of fair value measures collectively relative to historical cost measures. However, for small BHCs and those with no analysts following, we find that historical cost measures of loans and deposits are more informative than fair values. Anecdotal evidence indicates that loans and deposits are not actively traded and often involve more subjectivity with respect to the methods and assumptions used in estimating their fair values. In contrast, fair value of available-for-sale securities, which are more actively traded in well-established markets, explains equity values more than historical cost. Taken together, our results are consistent with the notion that fair value is more (less) value relevant when objective market-determined fair value measures are (not) available. More importantly, our results suggest that simply requiring fair value as the reported measure for financial instruments may not improve the quality of information for all BHCs unless appropriate estimation methods or guidance for financial instruments that are not traded in active markets can be established.

The Valuation‐relevance of Earnings and Cash Flows: an International Perspective

We investigate which variable, earnings or cash flows, provides greater information for equity valuation within the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Japan. We regress returns on earnings and cash flow metrics. We generally find earnings developed in three Anglo-Saxon countries—where capital is traditionally raised in public markets and reporting rules are unencumbered by taxation requirements—to have greater explanatory power for stock returns than cash flow metrics. Conversely, in two non-Anglo-Saxon countries—where capital is traditionally raised from private sources—earnings are generally not superior to cash flows for equity valuation, except in Japan, non-consolidated sample. While sensitivity analyses generally support the conclusions of our primary tests, in some of the additional analyses, earnings were superior to cash flows for samples from all countries. As expected, in all countries earnings have incremental information content over cash flows in explaining returns. Collectively, our findings provide two contributions. First, we generalize the findings of prior US research by showing that earnings are more important than cash flows for equity valuation in other Anglo-Saxon countries. Second and more importantly, our findings demonstrate that the superiority of earnings over cash flows is not universal. Rather, it depends on the national reporting regime and attendant institutional factors.

On the Determinants of Corporate Usage of Financial Derivatives

We analyze firm characteristics associated with adoption and then level of financial derivatives usage for U.S. non‐financial firms. Interest‐rate derivatives are disaggregated from foreign‐exchange derivatives. The analysis provides initial evidence on determinants of the level of derivatives usage. We find differences between characteristics of adopters and characteristics influencing level of derivative activity. We also find differences between characteristics of interest‐rate and foreign‐exchange derivatives users. Level of both interest‐rate and foreign‐exchange derivatives usage is positively associated with multinationality, variance of accounting return on assets, and growth opportunities (proxied by research and development expenditures), and size. Interest‐rate derivatives usage is also positively associated with debt levels. The findings on the adoption decision generally confirm other research. Our findings are consistent with extant theories.

A Multifactor Explanation of Post-Earnings Announcement Drift

To explain post-earnings announcement drift, we construct a risk factor related to unexpected earnings surprise, and propose a four-factor model by adding this risk factor to Fama and Frenchs (1993), (1995) three-factor model. This earnings surprise risk factor provides a remarkable improvement in explaining post-earnings announcement drift when included in addition to the three factors of Fama and French. After adjusting raw returns for the four risk factors, the cumulative abnormal returns over the 60 trading days subsequent to quarterly earnings announcements are economically and statistically insignificant. Furthermore, except for the first two days after the earnings announcement, the cumulative abnormal returns and the arbitrage returns from our four-factor model are relatively stable over the testing period and never significant on any day of the testing period. On the other hand, the arbitrage returns from the other models increase over the 60-day testing period. We argue that most of the post-earnings announcement drift observed in prior studies may be a result of using misspecified models and failing to appropriately adjust raw returns for risk.

Risk, Mispricing, and Value Investing

We evaluate the stock return performance of a modified version of the book-to-market strategy and its implications for market efficiency. If the previously documented superior stock return of the book-to-market strategy represents mispricing, its performance should be improved by excluding fairly valued firms with extreme book-to-market ratios. To attain this, we classify stocks as value or glamour on book-to-market ratios and accounting accruals jointly. This joint classification is likely to exclude stocks with extreme book-to-market ratios due to mismeasured accounting book values reflecting limitations underlying the accounting system. Using both 12-month buy-and-hold returns and earnings announcement returns, our results show that this joint classification generates substantially higher portfolio returns in the post-portfolio-formation year than the book-to-market classification alone with no evidence of increased risk. In addition, this superior stock return performance is more pronounced among firms held primarily by small (unsophisticated) investors and followed less closely by market participants (stock price <

The role of online freelance stock analysts in correcting overly pessimistic market sentiment

10). Finally, and most importantly, financial analysts are overly optimistic (pessimistic) about earnings of glamour (value) stock, and for a subset of firms identified as overvalued by our strategy, the earnings announcement raw return, as well as abnormal return, is negative. These last results are particularly important because it is hard to envision a model consistent with rational investors holding risky stocks with predictable negative raw returns for a long period of time rather than holding fT-bills and with financial analysts systematically overestimating the earnings of these stocks while underestimating earnings of stocks that outperform the stock market.

Comparative Value Relevance Among German, U.S. and International Accounting Standards: A German Stock Market Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of online freelance stock analysts in correcting mispricing of hard-to-value firms during sentiment-driven market periods.,The sample covers 23,758 Seeking Alpha articles obtained for the period between January 2005 and September 2011. The authors use OLS regressions to test the stock market reaction around Seeking Alpha analysts’ reports. The information in online analysts’ reports is measured by the tone of stock articles posted in SeekingAlpha.com (SA).,The analysis reveals that the degree of negative tone of their stock articles is related to three-day stock returns around the article posting dates. It further reveals that the relation between these returns and prevailing market sentiment depends on firm-specific susceptibility to the market sentiment. The three-day stock returns are higher during low market sentiment periods for firms that are more susceptible to the market sentiment, hence, harder to value. The tone of the stock articles during low sentiment periods also predicts the news in the forthcoming earnings.,The findings help stock investors identify value-relevant information provided by online freelance stock analysts, particularly for hard-to-value stocks and during the low market sentiment period.,This study utilizes a unique dataset obtained from SA. This is the first paper to examine whether online analysts help investors correct potential undervaluation of hard-to-value firms during the low market sentiment period.