Using 4-dimensional panel data (time, industry, country, companies) we examine the differences between European quoted and non-quoted companies at the level financial performance and some financial ratios. We find that quoted companies perform significantly better not only in terms of profit,...

This paper uses novel data to examine the fleets of corporate jets operated by both publicly traded and privately held firms. In the cross-section, firms owned by private equity funds average 40% smaller fleets than observably similar public firms. Similar fleet reductions are observed within...

In recent years there have been two parallel discussions taking place in the US and in the UK about the role which institutional shareholders should play in governing the corporation. In the US this discussion is around the idea of shareholder empowerment, in the UK it is around shareholder...

This study examines the impact of shareholder rights on the wealth effects of privately negotiated stock repurchases. Our results show that wealth gains are lower when shareholder rights are more suppressed. We also find that the premium paid for shares is inversely related to the strength of...

We examine the effect of a CEO's military service on merger and acquisition decisions and outcomes. We find that acquirers led by CEOs with military backgrounds earn significantly higher abnormal stock returns at deal announcement, and these deals exhibit higher short-run and long-run synergies....

Corporate capital structure decisions are key determinants of firm performance. The agency theory suggests that debt financing is one of the mechanisms to mitigate agency problems and thus to improve firm performance. This paper provides important evidence on the performance effects of capital...

Small and medium enterprises, or referred to herein as “SME,” may face possible extinction when falling behind the fierce competition in the marketplaces. Undoubtedly, SMEs business viability is the big question mark. Given the limited current capabilities, SMEs may face substantial hurdles...

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in assessing the effectiveness of corporate governance in China. This paper examines the impact of internal governance mechanisms such as ownership structure and board characteristics and debt financing on agency costs making use of a large...

The aim of this paper is to examine the effect of 2005-ownership reform and state ownership on the linkages between corporate governance mechanisms and agency costs for Chinese listed firms. Based on a large panel of Chinese listed firms, we find that following the reform managerial ownership,...

We study the initiation effect of credit default swaps on CEOs performance-sensitive compensation and shareholder value. We find that the initiation effect of CDS contracts on CEO’s delta varies by the characteristics of firms. Firms with higher R&D and intangibles reduce CEO’s delta whereas...