Global Finance Journal最新文献

This study examined the relation between consumer confidence and cryptocurrency excess returns using a three-factor model of market, size and momentum. We analysed a dataset comprising 3318 cryptocurrencies from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2022 based on the CoinMarketCap website. Results indicate a significant negative relation between the United States Consumer Confidence Index and cryptocurrency excess returns. The findings were reinforced based on robustness tests. This study contributes to consumer behaviour research and financial management within the cryptocurrency market. It also provides valuable insights for investors to strengthen their investment portfolios and for relevant authorities seeking to formulate effective policies for monitoring the cryptocurrency market.

Increasing climate risk (CR) has pushed corporate environmental responsibility into the limelight, requiring a deeper understanding of its impact on corporate environmental behavior. This study examined the impact of CR on corporate greenwashing using data from A-share listed enterprises in China from 2009 to 2022. The findings indicate the following: (1) Augmented CR significantly discourages corporate greenwashing, primarily by improving corporate innovation capabilities; (2) Strong external and internal corporate governance magnifies the inhibitory effect of CR on greenwashing, stimulating authentic environmental actions during crises; (3) The impact of CR on greenwashing is more pronounced in executive teams with greater gender diversity, higher educational levels, shorter tenures, and increased visibility; (4) In the context of CR, greenwashing hinders corporate high-quality development; (5) The impact of CR is particularly notable in state-owned enterprises, enterprises in industries with lower competitive intensity, and enterprises in their maturity or decline stages.

It is well understood that a handful of countries such as members of G7 and G20 influence the direction of the trade policy of nations across the world. Such influence places significant pressure on other countries to adapt their own policies to suit G7 and G20 as these two groups of countries control international agencies such as the World Bank and the United Nations. This influence is also evident from the deliberations of G7 and G20 member countries and how such more powerful nations seem to shape and influence the global economic agenda. This study aims to investigate the relationship between global power (as measured by the global power index GPI) and globalisation (as measured by the co-movements of stock markets time varying correlations). Previous studies have investigated various factors influencing stock market correlations; however, the relationship between GPI and stock market correlations has not been addressed thus far. To investigate this relationship, we created an index of correlations of each stock market with other stock markets in G20 countries. Our empirical results indicate that GPI has a positive and statistically significant impact on the stock market correlations in G20 nations. This is the first study to establish such relationship between GPI and change in relative stock market performance. In the past changes in relative stock market returns were mainly attributed to the economic factors and relative volatility of the underlying stock markets. As such this study makes an important contribution to body of knowledge by developing a theoretical argument to show how change in relative global power, influences changes in stock market correlations via changes in relative risk premium and returns. The findings of the study have implications for the development of global policies as global power influences stock market co-movements. The findings of this study may also have implications for investors who aim to construct globally diversified portfolios.

This study investigates whether and how local executives' hometown identities affect enterprises' environmental decoupling. Environmental decoupling refers to the discrepancy between a company's environmental sustainability promises and its actual environmental sustainability performance. Based on the place attachment theory, we expect local executives to engage in fewer corporate environmental decoupling actions than non-local executives. Using the annual data for Chinese companies listed on the A-share market between 2009 and 2021, we tested this hypothesis. Our findings reveal that local executives' sense of identification and belonging to their hometowns lessens the likelihood of businesses engaging in environmental decoupling. This result is more pronounced for companies located in regions with low population mobility, a slow marketization process, strict environmental regulations, and companies with high financing constraints and low corporate governance levels. Furthermore, we find that local executives decrease underreporting of the environmental performance of firms, thereby reducing firms' environmental decoupling. Following several robustness tests, the primary conclusions remain valid. This study offers new evidence that executive characteristics affect company sustainability from an environmental performance decoupling standpoint. It shows that identifying the executives' hometowns motivates them to uphold a sincere commitment to corporate social responsibility.

In recent years, a series of new digital financial technologies (fintech) such as open banking and distributed finance have emerged; however, the advancement of financial regulatory technology has been relatively sluggish. This study conducts a thorough analysis and simulation of a proposed innovative financial regulation solution inspired by central bank digital currency that combines homomorphic encryption algorithms with blockchain technology. Our findings demonstrate that the solution can assist regulatory authorities in validating input data through a process of obtaining accurate regulatory indicators from concrete financial scenarios without revealing confidential information from financial institutions. Moreover, the integration of homomorphic encryption algorithms with blockchain technology has promise for the automated and intelligent oversight of financial systems. Finally, our research findings offer vital insights to promote the implementation and expansion of financial regulation in the digital economy era.

Advances in digital technologies, platforms, and infrastructures drive digital transformation, which significantly influences firm strategies, processes, and innovation efforts. This study investigates the impact of digital transformation and audit quality on the innovation efficiency of Chinese firms, focusing on firms' risk-taking behavior. Analyzing data from 2007 to 2021, we find that digital transformation substantially enhances innovation efficiency, especially in smaller firms and those experiencing slow growth during economic downturns. Furthermore, our research underscores the importance of audit quality in promoting innovation efficiency, going beyond traditional financial reporting. However, the study also reveals that although digital transformation and high audit quality are essential for boosting efficiency, excessive risk-taking negatively affects this relationship. The impact of digital transformation and audit quality on innovation efficiency is further moderated by several factors such as firm size, business cycle, and growth. These findings hold significant implications for investors and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of integrated governance and digital strategies in optimizing innovation outcomes.

Climate disasters are increasing in frequency and severity. While a large body of research has shown that extreme climate affects various economic decisions, how climate events influence investment decisions remains largely under-investigated. This paper examines whether, and to what extent, climate disasters influence insider transactions, which are important investment decisions that attract increasing attention from both corporate management and policymakers. We find that the monthly value of insider trades increases markedly in firms headquartered in counties with a climate disaster. Climate-induced insider trading holds in general but is stronger when investors are distracted and less prevalent when insiders face higher litigation risk. Climate disasters trigger uncertainty about short-term firm fundamentals, and insiders benefit by selling prior to this being priced. Insiders living in disaster counties do not trade more than those in unaffected counties, which does not support a personal liquidity motivation. Our paper documents a new way through which climate impacts investor behavior and financial markets.

This study investigates the impact of emerging economies' trade levels with the US and exchange rate systems on their interdependency with the US market. We employ a comprehensive approach, analyzing both local factors (such as illiquidity and dividend yield) and US risk factors (including the S&P500 Index, US effective exchange rate, and term spread) to discern various market phases and capture equity returns. Utilizing a State-dependent International CAPM framework, we reveal a common trend among market returns: the reduced informativeness of both US and local variables during transitions from low to high volatility states. Notably, the majority of emerging markets respond to signals from the US equity market during bullish periods. We also highlight the critical role of exchange rate regimes in explaining the sensitivity of emerging markets to US risk factors. While the illiquidity ratio emerges as a significant local risk factor, its informativeness wanes during bear markets. These findings offer valuable insights for asset allocation, diversification, and risk management strategies tailored to the dynamic nature of emerging markets.

This study investigates the integration of cutting-edge financial technologies, such as distributed ledger diversity, next-generation payment trackers, democratized banking, and cryptocurrency, and their impact on global sustainability and ethical ratings in Islamic markets. Our analysis spans the period from May 31, 2018, to May 10, 2023, and uses a novel analytical framework based on quantile time–frequency connectedness and causality analysis. Results showed that democratized banking, future payment opportunities, and sustainability-screened markets had stronger associations than distributed ledger technologies and crypto-based tokenization. Second, Islamic sustainable markets have slightly closer ties to the digital financial ecosystem than traditional responsible investments. Third, causality analysis revealed bidirectional relationships between sustainable markets and democratized banking and potential payment opportunities in the short to mid-term. Fourth, in the short term, there was unidirectional causality from conscious markets to investments in digitized currencies and blockchains; however, no long-term causality between the digital financial ecosystem and sustainability investments. Fifth, the diversity of distributed ledgers had a limited relationship with green investments, whereas advanced transaction monitoring platforms and inclusive financial infrastructure could serve as catalysts for nature-based portfolios. These findings inform policymakers in green finance and provide insights for digital financial network strategists, investors, and regulators, enabling sustainable interdisciplinary investment practices. This comprehensive examination sheds light on the evolving landscape of sustainable finance in the context of rapidly advancing financial technologies, paving the way for informed decision-making and strategic planning in the field of green investments.