Chune Young Chung, Thanh Hoa Le, Tran Hong Van Nguyen
{"title":"Climate Risk Exposure and Firm Default Risk: OECD Insights into the Moderating Role of Innovation","authors":"Chune Young Chung, Thanh Hoa Le, Tran Hong Van Nguyen","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<p>By analyzing 19 715 firm–year observations from 2640 companies across 38 OECD member economies between 2002 and 2023, this study examines the effect of climate risk exposure on firm default risk. Our findings suggest that firms with higher climate risk exposure, as measured by physical risk and transition risk indicators, are more likely to default. We then explore how financial constraints influence this relationship and find that innovation mitigates the impact of climate risk on default risk. However, firms should prioritize green innovation instead of increasing overall research and development (R&D) investment. Moreover, the relationship between climate risk exposure and default risk varies depending on financial constraints, industry climate sensitivity, and regulatory stringency. Overall, our study provides practical insights for managers, policymakers, and investors, underscoring the importance of integrating climate risk into firm assessments, investment strategies, and green technology transitions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"54 5","pages":"570-596"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajfs.70020","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145436066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How Do Banks Price Climate Risk? Evidence from Firm-Level Lending in China","authors":"Minghui Li, Zhihui Wen, Xiuqi Yang","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70016","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Commercial banks manage climate risk by pricing firm climate risk exposure into loan spreads. Using annual report disclosures, we measure this exposure and estimate its impact on loan pricing. A one-standard-deviation increase in climate risk exposure raises loan spreads by 40 basis points on average. Banks respond to firm transition risks but not to physical risks. This effect stems from transition risks that reduce firm profitability and increase default probabilities. In contrast, banks do not adjust loan spreads for physical risks which primarily cause losses in tangible assets. The pricing of climate risk intensifies for high leverage and risk firm, as these firms are more susceptible to climate-related shocks. External factors also matter: during periods of heightened public climate awareness and for banks with strong environmental commitments, the climate risk premium in loan spreads grows larger.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"54 5","pages":"597-633"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145436428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Price Limit Relaxation and IPO Underpricing in Korea","authors":"Geesun Lee","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70019","url":null,"abstract":"<p>On June 26, 2023, Korea widened the allowable range of first-day returns for initial public offerings (IPOs) from a band of −37% to +160% to a band of −40% to +300% relative to the offer price. This study examines the impact of this regulatory change on IPO underpricing. While traditional finance theory predicts that relaxing price limits enhances price discovery, our empirical analysis finds no statistically significant effect of the reform on IPO underpricing. Although average initial returns increased modestly after the regulatory change, these differences are not statistically significant across various sample periods and model specifications. These findings suggest that the dynamics of IPO underpricing are unlikely to be driven solely by regulatory constraints. Instead, the persistently high levels of underpricing and oversubscription point to the potential importance of institutional features, such as conservative offer pricing and underwriters' reputational incentives, in shaping IPO underpricing.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"55 1","pages":"8-32"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147315626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Are Environmental and Socially Responsible Firms More Resilient? Korean Firms During the COVID-19 Crash*","authors":"Chanyang Choo, Dong Beom Choi, Seongjun Jeong","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70018","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We examine the relationship between firms' environmental and social (ES) performances and their resilience during significant negative shocks. In contrast to prior studies documenting greater resilience among US firms with higher ES scores due to social capital acquisition, we find the opposite trend among Korean firms. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, firms with higher ES scores exhibited worse stock performances. With more resources allocated toward ES engagement, these firms faced tighter financial and operational constraints, limiting their ability to respond flexibly to adverse shocks. Despite investing more in ES initiatives, Korean firms lacking transparent corporate governance failed to acquire their stakeholders' support.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"54 6","pages":"718-758"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145848390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Proximity to Political Power, Government Subsidies, and Investment Efficiency: Evidence From China*","authors":"Wen Wang, Mei-Hui Chen, Chen-Lung Chin","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70017","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper investigates the relationship between <i>guanxi</i>-based (relation-based) proximity to political power (<i>GUPPP</i>), government subsidies, and investment efficiency within the context of China. Employing a sample of Chinese listed firms from 2007 to 2019, we find that firms in provinces with high <i>GUPPP</i> receive more government subsidies, particularly non-tax subsidies, compared to those in provinces with low <i>GUPPP</i>. Moreover, we find that the association between <i>GUPPP</i> and government subsidies is more pronounced for firms that have local political connections. We further find that subsidies improve the investment efficiency of under-invested firms but exacerbate the investment inefficiency of over-invested firms. Our results suggest that effective political connections encompass both central–province and province–firm relationships, at least within the context of our study on subsidies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"54 6","pages":"759-791"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145848331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Power of Collaboration: How Collaboration Depth Shapes Forecast Performance in Analyst Teams","authors":"Ruixuan Zhang, Yiyun Ge, Shu Lin","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70014","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper investigates how collaboration depth influences forecast performance in analyst teams. Based on Chinese A-share market data from 2007 to 2022, we find that teams with deeper collaboration experience produce more accurate and timely forecasts. Cross-sectional analyses indicate that the effect on forecast accuracy becomes more significant when the lead analyst has more firm-specific experience, there is greater gender diversity in the analyst teams, and when the firm has high information opacity. For timeliness, the effect is stronger in teams with high education diversity and in firms with highly volatile revenues, but weaker in teams with more star analysts. Furthermore, the positive effect of collaboration depth on forecast accuracy is more significant in brokerage firms with stronger collaboration cultures. However, deeper collaboration among analyst teams is also associated with increased herding behavior. These findings have practical implications for brokers and analysts.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"54 4","pages":"402-432"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144888495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seunghee Yang, Hyungjin Cho, Sehee Kim, Woo-Jong Lee
{"title":"Corporate Investment in the Absence of Peer Firms' Disaggregated Cost Information*","authors":"Seunghee Yang, Hyungjin Cho, Sehee Kim, Woo-Jong Lee","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70013","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study investigates how the availability of proprietary cost information influences corporate investment. By leveraging the regulatory cessation of disaggregated cost reporting in Korea, we document a decline in investment-<i>q</i> sensitivity after peers stop disclosing the detailed cost information, suggesting significant externalities arising from peers' proprietary information contained in cost reports. This finding is robust to alternative measures and estimation methods. We echo the importance of disaggregated cost information in product market competition and managerial learning from peer disclosure.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"54 4","pages":"433-462"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144888198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Window Dressing, Fund Performance, and Fund Flows: Insights into Taiwan's Equity Mutual Funds*","authors":"Pi-Hsia Hung","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70012","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This research examines the relationships among window dressing, fund performance, and fund flows in Taiwan's equity fund industry. The empirical findings reveal several important insights. Equity fund managers are actively involved in window dressing, with underperforming managers being more prone to such practices. These managers demonstrate a stronger preference for increasing their holdings of winner stocks more than avoiding loser stocks. Additionally, funds with a higher portfolio concentration and turnover rates are more likely to engage in window dressing activities compared to other funds. The study also highlights the adverse effects of window dressing on performance and fund flows. Window dressing negatively impacts both short- and long-term fund performances. Furthermore, window dressing fails to attract short-term fund inflows and instead exacerbates the decline in long-term outflows. This comprehensive analysis highlights the implications of window dressing on fund performance and investor behavior, shedding light on its prevalence and consequences within Taiwan's equity fund industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"54 4","pages":"498-530"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144888305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Directors' and Officers' Liability Insurance, Liquidity Risk, and Stock Returns: Evidence from Taiwan's Stock Market","authors":"Chih-Yuan Cheng, Yun-Lan Tseng","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70005","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study reveals a notable anomaly in Taiwan's stock market, where stocks with substantial directors' and officers' (D&O) insurance coverage tend to yield higher expected returns, partly due to their exposure to liquidity risk. First, firms purchasing extensive D&O insurance coverage experience increased stock illiquidity, which is influenced by the inadequate quality of information disclosure. This observation supports the moral hazard-based information opacity hypothesis. Second, we introduce an illiquidity-based mimicking factor and show that portfolios with higher (lower) D&O insurance coverage display positive (negative) loadings on this factor, underscoring the importance of liquidity risk in asset pricing. Third, this market-wide illiquidity mimicking factor explains approximately one-third of the observed premium associated with variations in D&O insurance coverage across certain model specifications. This research challenges the behavioral mispricing hypothesis by highlighting the liquidity-driven covariance risk linked to the D&O insurance anomaly, thereby providing fresh insights into asset pricing dynamics in emerging markets.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"54 3","pages":"365-395"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144493010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hyun-Dong Kim, Taeyeon Kim, Ji Yeol Jimmy Oh, Kwangwoo Park
{"title":"Ex-Officers on the Board: Military Experience and Corporate Ethics","authors":"Hyun-Dong Kim, Taeyeon Kim, Ji Yeol Jimmy Oh, Kwangwoo Park","doi":"10.1111/ajfs.70008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajfs.70008","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We examine whether board directors with previous experience as military officers improve corporate ethics. Using information about Korean board directors, we show that firms with ex-military-officer (EMO) CEOs and inside directors are substantially less likely to commit fraud, highlighting the importance of exposure to military values as former officers while serving as corporate executives. The positive impact of EMO directors' presence on corporate ethics is particularly prominent among Korean business group (chaebol) firms that are otherwise prone to fraudulent behaviors without their presence. Our results suggest that firms with board members of heightened personal integrity from their military officer experience have a higher standard in corporate ethics.</p>","PeriodicalId":8570,"journal":{"name":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Financial Studies","volume":"54 3","pages":"340-364"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajfs.70008","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144492581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}