Do Some Firms Grow Too Quickly? An Investigation of Common Factors in the Underperformance of IPOs, SEOs and Mergers. Findings in line with our expectation, that equity financing transactions are followed by substantial share market losses, will greatly benefit managers of public companies, investment analysts and professional fund managers. Firms that overuse equity financing will be highlighted and can expect closer monitoring by the capital market. Analysts would review past equity raisings a ....Do Some Firms Grow Too Quickly? An Investigation of Common Factors in the Underperformance of IPOs, SEOs and Mergers. Findings in line with our expectation, that equity financing transactions are followed by substantial share market losses, will greatly benefit managers of public companies, investment analysts and professional fund managers. Firms that overuse equity financing will be highlighted and can expect closer monitoring by the capital market. Analysts would review past equity raisings and build them into their investment recommendations. The added attention should trigger changes to managers' compensation contracts and companies' governance systems. Investment funds would be redirected away from companies that squander their equity capital and channelled into more worthwhile investment opportunities. Widespread community benefits will result.Read moreRead less
Illiquidity, momentum traders, incentives, and book to market: explaining and testing the factor drivers of stock market returns. I build on my new illiquidity explanation for the equity premium based on the realisation that government bonds turn over many times faster than equity and that trading is both voluntary and endogenous. By introducing these new theoretical developments and new factors such executive incentives I aim to enhance our knowledge of what drives returns in global stock marke ....Illiquidity, momentum traders, incentives, and book to market: explaining and testing the factor drivers of stock market returns. I build on my new illiquidity explanation for the equity premium based on the realisation that government bonds turn over many times faster than equity and that trading is both voluntary and endogenous. By introducing these new theoretical developments and new factors such executive incentives I aim to enhance our knowledge of what drives returns in global stock markets. As a result researchers will have a better understanding of, and controls for, market factors to enable sound empirical work and companies will be able to lower the cost of capital via greater liquidity and improve their corporate governance structures and performance.Read moreRead less
Back door listings: from hot rocks to hot stocks. The purpose of this research is to explain the incidence, characteristics and performance of firms who engaged in back door listings in the late 1990s. A back door listings is a means whereby a private company becomes listed by a merger with a public corporation.
We are focussing on a research topic that has not been examined at all in academic research. This is despite the significance of the going public process and mergers. We will provide e ....Back door listings: from hot rocks to hot stocks. The purpose of this research is to explain the incidence, characteristics and performance of firms who engaged in back door listings in the late 1990s. A back door listings is a means whereby a private company becomes listed by a merger with a public corporation.
We are focussing on a research topic that has not been examined at all in academic research. This is despite the significance of the going public process and mergers. We will provide evidence on the performance of back door listings, and our results will be the basis of suggestions to market regulators and future researchers.Read moreRead less
The Role of Directors in CorporateTakeovers. This research deals with one of the causes and consequences of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for boards of directors of companies involved in M&As. The Federal Government's Corporate Law and Economic Reform Program (CLERP), Paper No:3 states that corporate governance practices by Australian companies should be continuously monitored by the Australian Stock Exchange and relevant industries and professional bodies. Our research on the extent to which ....The Role of Directors in CorporateTakeovers. This research deals with one of the causes and consequences of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for boards of directors of companies involved in M&As. The Federal Government's Corporate Law and Economic Reform Program (CLERP), Paper No:3 states that corporate governance practices by Australian companies should be continuously monitored by the Australian Stock Exchange and relevant industries and professional bodies. Our research on the extent to which directors get penalised and/or rewarded for acquisition decisions depending on the outcomes of the M&A, contribute towards this monitoring.Read moreRead less
Innovations in Enterprise Risk Management: Risk Aggregation, Dependence, and Efficiency. Enterprise risk management is of critical importance to the successful management of business corporations. The savings from the integrated measurement and management of risk at the enterprise level allowing for diversification in business activities is massive. The Australian insurance and actuarial science profession is highly regarded internationally. Innovative contributions to the rapidly developing are ....Innovations in Enterprise Risk Management: Risk Aggregation, Dependence, and Efficiency. Enterprise risk management is of critical importance to the successful management of business corporations. The savings from the integrated measurement and management of risk at the enterprise level allowing for diversification in business activities is massive. The Australian insurance and actuarial science profession is highly regarded internationally. Innovative contributions to the rapidly developing area of enterprise risk management will benefit Australia by maintaining its high profile at an international level in this newly emerging area. This will lead to increased demand at an international level for Australian graduate students and international research students wishing to study at Australian universities in these disciplines.Read moreRead less
Investing over the Life Cycle. This project will investigate efficiency questions raised by the private and public management of assets within defined contribution pension plans. Because investment risk in such plans falls on the contributing household, they need to be managed with care. The first phase of the project will examine optimal equity investments on behalf of contributing households. The second phase will consider the scope and limits of market-timing endeavours involving switches bet ....Investing over the Life Cycle. This project will investigate efficiency questions raised by the private and public management of assets within defined contribution pension plans. Because investment risk in such plans falls on the contributing household, they need to be managed with care. The first phase of the project will examine optimal equity investments on behalf of contributing households. The second phase will consider the scope and limits of market-timing endeavours involving switches between broad asset classes. The third phase will consider optimal currency hedging. The final phase will consider the optimal taxation of pension fund assets at different points in the household's life cycle.Read moreRead less
A Synthesis of Agency and Managerial Power Theories and Its Applications to Corporate Governance, Management Compensation, and Firm Performance. The existing models of corporate governance in economics and finance based on agency theory do not successfully portray all modern corporations. Thus the importance of a new and rigorous way to study corporate governance can be hardly exaggerated. This project will provide a synthesized theory of corporate governance and is expected to produce highest- ....A Synthesis of Agency and Managerial Power Theories and Its Applications to Corporate Governance, Management Compensation, and Firm Performance. The existing models of corporate governance in economics and finance based on agency theory do not successfully portray all modern corporations. Thus the importance of a new and rigorous way to study corporate governance can be hardly exaggerated. This project will provide a synthesized theory of corporate governance and is expected to produce highest-quality research publishable in top-tier journals. This will, among others, enhance Australia's standing as a knowledge nation. This project is also expected to contribute to the discussions on how to improve corporate governance and regulation of management compensation both in Australia and abroad. Read moreRead less
Risk Management for Bonds, Currencies and Commodities. Understanding maturity-structure policy is a neglected topic. It needs research before we can determine whether public debt policy should accommodate the emerging needs of self-funded retirees - for long-term debt, new issues of index bonds, and 'survivor' bonds. Planning for annuity-rate risk has lagged far behind the sales of complying pensions. Over 2003 the Australian dollar rose by 34 percent, revealing major deficiencies in the standar ....Risk Management for Bonds, Currencies and Commodities. Understanding maturity-structure policy is a neglected topic. It needs research before we can determine whether public debt policy should accommodate the emerging needs of self-funded retirees - for long-term debt, new issues of index bonds, and 'survivor' bonds. Planning for annuity-rate risk has lagged far behind the sales of complying pensions. Over 2003 the Australian dollar rose by 34 percent, revealing major deficiencies in the standard advice on managing currency risks to retirement incomes. Uninsured disruptions to electricity supply have been an issue (eg in California), and demonstrate a need for innovative financial instruments that cushion and spread the costs.Read moreRead less
Security in Retirement: Forecasting and Managing Macro Investment Risks. In his Boyer Lectures Ian Macfarlane, former RBA governor, observed that risks once borne by employers or governments are in the process of being transferred to households. Retirement incomes are a case in point. Not only do most households belong to accumulation funds which shift investment risks to members, but exposure to growth assets (equities and property) in the typical account is in the 60% - 70% range, even in the ....Security in Retirement: Forecasting and Managing Macro Investment Risks. In his Boyer Lectures Ian Macfarlane, former RBA governor, observed that risks once borne by employers or governments are in the process of being transferred to households. Retirement incomes are a case in point. Not only do most households belong to accumulation funds which shift investment risks to members, but exposure to growth assets (equities and property) in the typical account is in the 60% - 70% range, even in the case of retirees. Our project will focus on the forecasting and management of economy-wide risks, as distinct from the equity risks or credit risks attached to investments in particular companies.Read moreRead less
The Determinants and Impacts of Analyst Activity in Australian Equity Markets. Deep and liquid markets are essential ingredients to a well functioning capital market, and can assist in capital formation and the growth of firms. A rich information environment is in turn necessary to ensure liquidity and the minimisation of cost of capital. A greater understanding of what promotes a rich information environment, specifically through the activity of financial analysts, will assist in formulation ....The Determinants and Impacts of Analyst Activity in Australian Equity Markets. Deep and liquid markets are essential ingredients to a well functioning capital market, and can assist in capital formation and the growth of firms. A rich information environment is in turn necessary to ensure liquidity and the minimisation of cost of capital. A greater understanding of what promotes a rich information environment, specifically through the activity of financial analysts, will assist in formulation of policies at both the Australian Stock Exchange and individual company level, and indeed at the government level given Federal and State Government initiatives to encourage the growth of corporate Australia.Read moreRead less