• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.65-88
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• 2021

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the determinants of SWFs' investment in Asian countries and to identify consistent investment patterns of SWFs in specific target firms from Asia, particularly China and South Korea. Design/methodology - This study extends the Tobin's Q model to examine the relationship between SWF investments in target firms and their returns with other firm-level control variables. We collect consistent data on SWF investments and the matched firm-level data on target firms, which of observation is 1,512 firms (333 in South Korea and 1,179 in China) targeted by 20 SWF sources during 1997-2017. The panel random effect model is used to estimate the extended Tobin's Q model. The robustness of the estimations is tested by the simultaneous equation models and the panel GEE model. Findings - The evidence shows that sovereign wealth funds are more inclined to invest in the financial sector with a monopoly position and in large firms with higher growth opportunity and superior cash asset ratios in China. In contrast to their investments in China, sovereign wealth funds in South Korea prefer to invest in strategic sectors, such as energy and information technology, and in large firms with high performance and low leverage. Sovereign wealth funds' investments tend to significantly improve the target firm's performance measured by sales growth and returns in both Korea and China. Originality/value - The existing literature focuses on examining the determination of SWFs investment in the developed countries, such as Europe and the United States. Our paper contributes to the literature in three ways; first, we analyzes case studies of SWF investments in Asian markets, which are less developed and riskier. Second, we examine whether the determination of SWF investment in Asian target firms depends on the different time periods, on types of sources of SWFs, and on acquiring countries. Third, our research uses vast sample data on target firms in longer time periods (1997-2017) than other previous studies on the SWFs for Asian markets.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.29-36
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• 2014

This paper attempts to measure the impact of non-financial factors including analyst practices and broker resources on performance of sell side research. Results reveal that these non-financial factors have a measurable impact on performance of target price forecasts. Number of pages written by an analyst (surrogate for analyst practice) is significantly and directly linked with target price accuracy indicating a more elaborate analyst produces better target price forecasts. Analyst compensation (surrogate for broker resource) is significantly and inversely linked with target price accuracy. Out performance by analysts working with lower paying firms is possibly associated with motivation to migrate to higher paying broking firms. The study finds that employing more number of analysts per research report has no significant impact on target price accuracy -negative coefficient indicates that team work may not result in better target price forecasts. Though insignificant, long term forecast horizon negatively affects target price accuracy while stock volatility improves target price accuracy.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.8
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• pp.137-148
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• 2021

The study investigates the existence of an optimal level of cash and the firm characteristics influencing the decision to hold cash, and the adjusting speed of the cash holdings to the target level. It highlights the heterogeneity of cash adjustment speed in the Vietnam market. The research employs the 417 samples of Vietnamese non - financial listed firms in the period of 2010 to 2019. The study uses the Pool OLS model, Fixed effect model (FEM), Random effect model (REM), and GMM model. According to the research findings, there is an optimal amount of cash at which the firm's value is maximized in Vietnamese listed firms, and the majority of the firms in the sample retain cash over the target level. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that firms actively modify their cash holdings to the optimal level with an adjustment speed of less than one owing to adjustment cost constraints. This speed varies between groupings of enterprises with different characteristics, underlining the heterogeneity of the adjustment speed even more. Small deviation firms adjust more rapidly than large deviation firms. Large free cash flow (FCF) firms adjust more readily than small FCF firms, and fiscal deficit firms modify more rapidly than firms with a financial surplus.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.41-53
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• 2019

Building a target capital structure is one of the most important decisions in corporate financial management. The purpose of this article is to identify the determinants of capital structure and adjustment mechanism toward the target leverage. The partial adjustment model was applied on a sample of 306 non-financial companies listed on Vietnam stock exchange market during the period of 2008-2017. By the fixed effect model estimation method, the research results have discovered the factors of growth opportunities, firm size, tangible fixed assets and firm's unique characteristics have a positive effect on the target capital structure of enterprises. Besides, profitability and dividend payment have a negative effect on the target capital structure of enterprises. Accordingly, the research results show that the average adjustment speed toward target leverage of the firms is 90.03%. Research results also demonstrate firms have higher or lower debt ratio than the target debt ratio, capital surplus or capital deficit also have an impact on the adjustment rate toward the target capital structure. The research results are consistent with the Dynamic Trade-off Theory. From this result, this article has provided policy implications for non-financial companies listed on Vietnam's stock market in building a reasonable target capital structure according to operating timeline to maximize enterprise value.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.11
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• pp.357-366
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of internationalization on the business performance of firms in Laos as a transition economy. Using a panel dataset collected by the World Bank for 285 firms during the period 2009, 2012, and 2016 in the service and manufacturing industries, the two-steps Heckman regression results found robust evidence for the fact that the S-curve tie exists between the degree of internationalization and business performance of firms in Laos while controlling other factors. Specifically, if firms have a degree of internationalization lower than 0.4374, they will suffer losses due to the high cost of preparing for phase 1 which is market penetration. Then, when the degree of internationalization continues to increase from 0.4374 to 0.9131, firms will gain benefits from internationalization (phase 2), however, these benefits will deteriorate when the degree of internationalization is greater than 0.9131 (phase 3), meaning that firms will no longer be able to exploit economies of scale or advantages in target markets, or product cycles will fall into a state of decline. Interestingly, we also found that firms with a high concentration level of ownership and internationalization activities may achieve better performance than those with a low concentration of ownership and one which carried out internationalization activities.

• The Korean Journal of Financial Management
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.33-78
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• 2008

This paper empirically examines whether firms engage in a dynamic adjustment process toward target capital structure and, whether there is a target capital structure or mean reverting using the partial adjustment model while allowing for costly adjustment. Also we investigate the empirical determinants of optimal target capital structure in long term equilibrium. As a result, our empirical model captures at least several important features of capital structure behavior for Korean listed firms. First, Korean firms pursue target capital structure and also there is mean reverting phenomenon. Second, Non-Chaebol and small firm in adjustment speed is faster than Chaebol and large firm. Third, even capital market restricts the adjustment speed interestingly. Fourth, Korean firms have target behavior according to a degree of observed gap. Fifth, Korean firms close about one-fourth of the gap between their actual and target debt ratios within one year and thence targeting behavior explains far more of the observed changes in capital structure than market timing or pecking order considerations. Sixth, capital market is significant in determining optimal capital structure.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.7
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• pp.123-129
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• 2020

The objective of this study is to examine the differentiated influence of sell-side advisors and buy-side advisors on mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Unlike prior studies on M&A advisors, the study addresses different roles of target and acquirer advisors, and explores their influences on the cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) and acquisition premiums with an empirical analysis of longitudinal data of M&As conducted by Japanese listed firms except financial companies from 1995 to 2012. M&A data were obtained from the Securities Data Corporation's (SDC) database, and the individual firm data were collected from the Nikkei Economic Electronic Databank System (NEEDS), which provides a wide range of corporate information including financial status, operational performance, and strategy. Using a sample of 452 cases for the CAR and 498 cases for the analysis of acquisition premiums, the empirical results support the hypotheses of the target advisor's positive association with CAR and acquirer advisor's positive association with acquisition premiums. The findings of this study indicate the target advisor's positive contribution to the success of acquisition process and performance, and acquirer advisor's negative influence on the deal progress. The study provides theoretical implications on M&A research and practical insights into the investment banking industry.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.497-504
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• 2021

This extended study aims to analyze empirically the influence of firm diversification on firm performance moderated by the stages of the firm life cycle, which consists of introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. The target population of this study is the firms listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. The sampling method uses purposive sampling in the multi-business firm in Indonesia; it includes as many as 127 firms over the period from 2011 to 2017, totaling 889 firm-year observations. The firm performance is measured using a return of equity while the level of firm diversification with the minimum number of two operating segments is proxied by the Herfindahl index. The analysis method used in this study is the estimator model of the Generalized Method of Moment (GMM). The main findings show that the firm life cycle at the stage of growth and maturity significantly strengthens the influence of firm diversification on firm performance. On the other hand, the stage of decline fails to moderate the relationship between firm diversification and firm performance. This study discusses the implications and contributions of the findings theoretically, and provide some policy justifications for potential investors before they invest their money in the capital market.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.8
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• pp.77-85
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• 2020

The aim of this study is two-fold. Firstly, it attempts to assess the level of management accounting practices (MAPs) in manufacturing companies in Vietnam. Secondly, it purports to explore the impact of potential contingency factors on the current level of MAPs in the sample of studied companies from the industrial sector in Vietnam. The study examines the hypotheses that MAPs in Vietnamese manufacturing firms are affected by a range of contingent variables. A quantitative research was conducted by sending questionnaires to the target respondents that comprise both accountants and managers in 160 manufacturing enterprises in the north of Vietnam. The first main findings from the study reveal that MAPs in Vietnam are mainly traditional rather than contemporary ones, and oriented toward the short-term rather than the long-term. The second main research findings resulted from multiple regression model show that MAPs in Vietnam are significantly affected by company size, commitment of directors, advanced manufacturing technology, and distinct number of products. However, no significant associations are found between MAPs and intensity of competition from the emerging market as hypothesized in this study. Research findings are bases for recommendations to promote the application of contemporary practices and enhance management accounting functions in manufacturing companies in Vietnam.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.8
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• pp.435-444
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• 2020

This study investigates the role of logistics capability and logistics outsourcing on the performance of manufacturing companies in Pakistan. It examines how logistics capability affects firm's performance, why outsourcing is essential and how firms benefited if they outsource the service rather than establishing their own logistics capability. This research is based on a survey using structured a questionnaire to collect the primary data. The target population is logistics specialists of manufacturing companies in Pakistan with head offices based on Karachi, that have their own logistics or outsource their logistics. The questionnaire has been distributed to 500 respondents in 113 manufacturing companies in Pakistan. Confirmatory factor analysis has been used as statistical techniques to check the factor loading of the components, and SEM (Structural Equation Model) is used to check the impact of logistics capability on firm's performance as well as the role of logistics outsourcing as a mediator. The findings of the research suggest logistics capability has positive impact on the performance of the manufacturing companies in Pakistan, and logistics capability has also an impact on logistics outsourcing. On the other hand, the study found that logistics outsourcing has no significant impact on the manufacturing companies in Pakistan.