Donghui Li , Yingdong Liu , Liangtao Zhang , Zunxin Zheng
{"title":"Digital Economy Development and Trade Credit Supply: Evidence from Chinese A-Share Listed Firms","authors":"Donghui Li , Yingdong Liu , Liangtao Zhang , Zunxin Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102900","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102900","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research examines how the digital economy influences the provision of trade credit and elucidates the underlying theoretical framework. Utilizing a digital economy metric derived from principal component analysis alongside data from Chinese firms, our research reveals that digital economy progression enhances trade credit availability by easing financial restrictions and fostering innovation among businesses. The robustness of this finding is upheld when considering a range of control factors, different ways of quantifying the variables, the omission of unique industries, the application of an instrumental variable method, and modifications to the time frame of the sample. Additionally, our study reveals that the stimulatory impact of the digital economy on trade credit availability is notably greater in enterprises of small scale, those involved in manufacturing, and privately-held companies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102900"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143847780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Digital trade and firm ESG performance: The perspective of finance development","authors":"Qin Zhu, Xiangxiang Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102894","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102894","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>ESG serves as an important avenue for global green and sustainable economic development, but the driving factors that affect the ESG performance of enterprises need to be further explored. This paper examines 257 cities in China to measure urban digital trade (DT) from the perspective of digital finance. Furthermore, it explores the role and influence mechanism of urban DT on corporate ESG performance, based on data from 1303 China A share-listed companies. The results show that DT significantly improves corporate ESG performance by boosting green technology innovation and enterprise yields and cutting agent costs, respectively. Moreover, this promoting role is more pronounced in cities with higher levels of digital finance, non-resource dependency, and advanced regional coordinated development. The higher the quality of a city's innovation environment, the stronger the role of DT in corporate ESG performance. Robustness tests, such as the dual machine learning method, validate these conclusions. This study integrates the perspective of the development of digital finance, and provides support basis and policy inspiration for the ESG performance of enterprises empowered by digital trade.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102894"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143829212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Can inclusive finance curb sustainability regulatory risk for corporations?","authors":"Xiaoyu (Ross) Zhu , Changyun Zhou , Hanzhe Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102901","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102901","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the interplay between inclusive finance and sustainable regulatory policy in shaping corporate performance. Specifically, we examine the effects of an exogenous environmental regulation shock: the geographic designation of Biodiversity Conservation Priority Areas (BCPAs) in China. Implementing a difference-in-differences (DID) methodology, we find that firms located within BCPAs experience: 1) heightened environmental penalties; 2) intensified regulatory scrutiny; and 3) a contraction in corporate revenue. Amidst increasingly stringent sustainability mandates, we show that financial inclusion serves as a mitigating agent, attenuating adverse policy effects and restoring corporate profitability. The primary mechanism stems from the stimulation of local entrepreneurial activity facilitated by financial inclusion. Further analyses indicate that inclusive finance boosts green innovations and curtails carbon emissions at the firm level. We adopt alternative econometric models to test the robustness of our results. Overall, this paper makes a unique contribution to the literature by explicating how inclusive finance can buffer against adverse externalities of sustainable policy and provides insights for policymakers and corporate managements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102901"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143838511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Extreme events and quantile time-frequency volatility connectedness across crude oil, green bonds and low-carbon equity markets","authors":"Jikai Wang , Gaoxiu Qiao","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102905","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102905","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper quantifies the static and dynamic volatility connectedness among Chinese and international crude oil prices, green bonds, and low-carbon equity in both time and frequency domains and across quantiles, with a focus on critical extreme spillover effects accompanying extreme events. By introducing novel indicators, the Connectedness Survival Rate (CSR) and Quantile Connectedness Survival Rate (QCSR), we evaluate the stability of connectedness and prove the economic significance of these indicators. Empirical results demonstrate that extreme events significantly amplify the time-varying volatility connectedness, with pronounced aggregation at extreme quantiles. In the mean frequency domain, Chinese green bonds and low-carbon equity exhibit higher independence, effectively serving as short-term and long-term hedging tools, respectively. The connectedness evolves from long-term to short-term under extreme events. The newly introduced indicators reveal high volatility and long-term vulnerability of connectedness during extreme events. Our findings provide essential quantitative references for enhancing the resilience of these markets in times of frequent extreme events.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102905"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Caterina Di Tommaso , Maria Mazzuca , Vincenzo Pacelli
{"title":"Does SDG-13 disclosure impact the performance of insurance companies?","authors":"Caterina Di Tommaso , Maria Mazzuca , Vincenzo Pacelli","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102903","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102903","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this research, we investigate how compliance with SGD-13 impacts the financial standing and risk profiles of insurance companies worldwide. We apply a differences-in-differences methodology, which allows us to assess the unique effects of SGD-13 compliance within the insurance sector. Our findings reveal that insurance companies compliant with SDG-13 experience greater profitability with an additional effect in the period following the introduction of SDG-13. Moreover, the insurance companies compliant with SDG-13 decrease their solvency ratio and their price volatility. Finally, the findings reveal that insurance companies compliant with SDG-13 in low-to-middle-income countries derive more substantial profitability and risk benefits than their high-income country.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102903"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Openness and the Effect of Business Cycle Synchronization on the Equity Risk Premium","authors":"Natalia Gitelson , Eran Manes","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102897","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102897","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We augment the Lucas tree model by allowing diffusion from a leader to follower countries and use it to derive an equity risk premium (ERP) formula that features a positive effect of countries’ degree of business cycle synchronization on their ERP. Using panel data of 122 countries for the period 2012-2022, we empirically validate that countries' correlation of GDP gap with that of the U.S. has a positive effect on ERP. We further show that a size-adjusted measure of trade openness has a positive effect on ERP and that this effect is moderated by income. We conclude that investors perceive open economies with a high degree of business cycle synchronization as high-beta investments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102897"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Tokens and cryptocurrencies: Evidence from asymmetric frequency connectedness approach","authors":"Marouene Mbarek , Badreddine Msolli","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study assesses the asymmetric return spillovers between specific token sectors and conventional cryptocurrencies using a time-varying parameter vector autoregressive-based asymmetric frequency connectedness approach. The results indicate that linkages over positive returns are weaker than those over negative returns, highlighting the asymmetric reactions of crypto investors to both positive and negative news. Furthermore, connectedness is driven by high frequency, providing diversification benefits to portfolio managers who favor long-term investments. Additionally, tokens from the healthcare and transportation sectors are net recipients, while conventional cryptocurrencies are net transmitters of spillovers. AI tokens, MED, and XRP exhibit changes across domain frequency and market situations. Portfolio analysis indicates that tokens serve as the most cost-effective hedging during normal times and market upturns but become expensive during market downturns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102884"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143807906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohamad Husam Helmi , Jinxin Cui , Ahmed H. Elsayed , Mohammad Enamul Hoque
{"title":"Higher-order moment and cross-moment spillovers among MENA stock markets: Insights from geopolitical risks and global fear","authors":"Mohamad Husam Helmi , Jinxin Cui , Ahmed H. Elsayed , Mohammad Enamul Hoque","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines higher-order and cross-moment spillovers across MENA stock markets. Our unique framework integrates the ACD model with the TVP-VAR extended joint connectedness approach. We also analyze how geopolitical risks and global fear predict and influence both identical and cross-moment spillovers. Our findings show stronger total volatility spillovers among MENA stock markets compared to skewness and kurtosis spillovers. Cross-moment spillovers are more pronounced than those in the CS and CK measures, with the CV-CK pair showing the strongest effects. VIX and GPR are found to Granger cause total spillovers in both identical and cross-moment measures during specific periods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102885"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The impact of China’s outward FDI on agricultural productivity","authors":"Runong Xu , Yufeng Chen , Anna Min Du","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has emerged as a critical driver of economic development in Belt and Road (B&R) countries. However, its role in fostering agricultural productivity growth in the region remains underexplored. This study investigates the relationship between China's OFDI and agricultural productivity in 58 B&R countries from 2003 to 2021. Utilizing panel data, we quantitatively assess agricultural productivity while incorporating the influence of Chinese OFDI. Furthermore, the analysis distinguishes between high-income and middle- to low-income countries, offering a nuanced understanding of differential impacts. The results indicate that China's OFDI significantly enhances agricultural productivity across the region, with a particularly pronounced effect in middle- and low-income countries. This suggests that Chinese investments are more impactful in countries with lower income levels, underscoring their critical role in addressing disparities and promoting sustainable agricultural development. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers in China and B&R countries, emphasizing strategies to deepen investment collaboration and advance agricultural sustainability, food security, and nutrition outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102886"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Domestic value chain, digital finance and the quality of firm's export products","authors":"Ma Xiaoli , Shi Benye , Lu Hongliang , Ali Raza","doi":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102877","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102877","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chinese firms have strategically positioned themselves within the global value chain by leveraging low-cost labor to achieve substantial growth in exports and economic development. This study presents a theoretical model that offers valuable insights into how embedding in domestic value chains influences the quality of firms' export products. Based on this framework, the paper empirically examines the impact of domestic value chain embedding on export product quality at the micro-firm level. The findings indicate that domestic value chain embedding has a significant positive effect on export product quality. Further analysis reveals that this impact operates through mechanisms through increased efficiency in fixed asset investment and productivity. Heterogeneity tests show that the effects of domestic value chain embedding are more pronounced in eastern regions, labor-intensive industries, firms with fewer financial constraints, and firms with lower initial product quality. Moreover, the results highlight that global and domestic value chains are complementary, rather than substitutive, in promoting export product quality. Finally, the study finds that digital finance positively moderates the relationship between domestic value chain embedding and export product quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51430,"journal":{"name":"Research in International Business and Finance","volume":"77 ","pages":"Article 102877"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}