Testing for Opaqueness in the European Banking Industry: Evidence from Bond Credit Ratings

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliano Iannotta
Keyword(s):  
Banking Industry ◽  
Credit Ratings ◽  
European Banking

Earnings management and equity incentives: evidence from the European banking industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Alhadab ◽  
Bassam Al-Own
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Banking Industry ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Loan Loss ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Loan Loss Provisions ◽  
Equity Incentives ◽  
European Banking ◽  
European Banks

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of equity incentives on earnings management that occurs via the use of loan loss provisions by using a sample of 204 bank-year observations over the period 2006-2011. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the data of 39 European banks to test the main hypothesis. Several valuation models and regressions are used to measure the main proxies for executives’ compensation and the determinant factors of loan loss provisions. Findings The empirical results reveal that earnings management that occurs via discretionary loan loss provisions is associated with equity incentives in the banking industry. In particular, European banks’ executives with high equity incentives are found to manage reported earnings upwards by reducing loan loss provisions. The results therefore show that income-increasing earnings management via discretionary loan loss provisions is widely practised by the executives of European banks and that this is partly motivated by executives’ compensation. Practical implications The findings of this paper present important implications for regulators in the European Union, who should take further steps to reform the regulatory environment to monitor and mitigate the earnings management practices that occur via the manipulation of loan loss provisions. Earnings management practices do not just negatively affect subsequent performance but are also found to lead to firms’ failure. Thus, regulators should take the necessary reforms to protect the wealth of stakeholders (investors, creditors, etc.). Originality/value This study provides the first evidence on the relationship between equity incentives and earnings management in the European banking industry. The study sheds more light on an issue of great interest to a broad audience that does not receive much attention in the prior research, thus opening new avenues for future research.

The impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) knowledge on corporate financial performance: evidence from the European banking industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Gangi ◽  
Mario Mustilli ◽  
Nicola Varrone
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Banking Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
Citizenship Performance ◽  
European Banking ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

PurposeAssuming that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is “a process of accumulating knowledge and experience” (Tang et al., 2012, p. 1298), this paper aims to investigate whether and how CSR knowledge (Asif et al., 2013; Kim, 2017) affects financial performance in the European banking industry.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical research analyses a panel of 72 banks from 20 European countries over seven years (2009-2015). The hypotheses were tested using fixed effects regression analysis and the two-stage Heckman model (1976) to address endogeneity bias.FindingsThe findings of this work are twofold. First, consistent with the concept of knowledge absorptive capacity (Cohen and Levinthal, 1990), the internal CSR of banks (Kim et al., 2010) positively affects citizenship performance (Peterson, 2004a). Second, in line with the reputational effect of CSR (Margolis et al., 2009; Bushman and Wittenberg-Moerman, 2012), citizenship performance is a positive predictor of a bank’s financial performance.Practical implicationsFrom a knowledge-based perspective, the analysis shows that accrued internal CSR knowledge plays a key role in implementing effective CSR programs for external stakeholders. Moreover, this study shows how CSR engagement in external initiatives can improve a bank’s competitiveness because of the relationship between citizenship performance and the positive reputation of a bank.Social implicationsThe management of CSR initiatives may favor the sharing of knowledge and creation of trust relationships among banks and internal and external stakeholders. CSR knowledge contributes to expanded value creation for both society and banks.Originality/valueThe knowledge management perspective of CSR provides new insights into the sustainability of banks’ business models and contributes to advancing the debate on the governance modes and effects of CSR. Moreover, the CSR perspective offers additional opportunities for addressing the challenges associated with sharing tacit knowledge within and outside of organizations.

Book Reviews

2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 861-862
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Default Risk ◽  
Banking Industry ◽  
Associate Professor ◽  
International Institute ◽  
Executive Pay ◽  
European Bank ◽  
European Banking ◽  
Board Monitoring ◽  
The University

Examines size, risk, and governance in European banking. Discusses bank systemic size and systemic crises; increasing in size and bank default risk—evidence from European bank mergers; the trends and composition of banking risk across Europe; the determinants of European bank exposure to systemic shocks; board monitoring, regulation, and performance in the European banking industry; executive pay and risk-taking in the European banking industry; systemic risk potential and opacity in European banks; and implications for the reregulation of European banking. Hagendorff is Martin Currie Professor in Finance and Investment at the University of Edinburgh. Keasey is Professor of Financial Services, Director of the International Institute of Banking and Financial Services, and Head of the Accounting and Finance Department at the University of Leeds. Vallascas is Associate Professor of Banking and Finance at the University of Leeds.

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