Issue #3 (Volume 21 2024)

Cognitive biases often influence investor behavior in developing capital markets, leading to market anomalies and affecting overall market efficiency. With the increasing integration of global financial markets and the growing participation of retail investors, understanding these biases is more critical than ever. While market anomalies have been extensively studied in developed markets, their influence in developing economies remains under-explored. This study aims to examine the impact of heuristic biases on investment decisions, focusing on Nepal’s stock market. Structural Equation Modeling is used to assess how perceived market efficiency mediates the relationship between heuristic biases and investor behavior. Data were collected from purposively selected 403 active individual investors in Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE). The findings reveal that representative and overconfidence biases significantly and positively influence investment decisions and market efficiency. Specifically, investors exhibiting these biases are more likely to make confident and bold investment choices, believing in their ability to predict market movements accurately. Furthermore, the study finds that perceived market efficiency mediates the relationship between anchoring and adjustment bias and investment decisions, suggesting that investors who rely heavily on initial information (anchors) adjust their decisions based on their perceptions of market efficiency. The results highlight the critical role of heuristic biases in shaping investor behavior and stress the importance of market efficiency in this process. The study emphasizes the need to enhance investor awareness of these biases and implement policies to improve market transparency and efficiency. Such measures are vital for mitigating risks and fostering a more robust and resilient financial market in developing economies like Nepal.

The components of free cash flow and a firm’s capital structure affect the value of the firm. A firm with efficient cash management and optimum capital structure tends to have a better firm value. The current study examines the effect of capital structure and free cash flow on energy firms’ efficiency in Saudi Arabia. The data required for analysis were collected from a sample of seven energy companies from 2014 through 2022. The study used Data Envelopment Analysis to measure the efficiency of energy firms. Further, the simple regression and Generalized Linear Model were used to estimate the results. The study reports an average efficiency score of 1.13 for the energy companies, showing an efficiency increase. The results of simple regression are consistent with the results of the Generalized Linear Model. The study findings demonstrate that the association of firms’ capital structure is positive and significant (with a coefficient of 41.60, significant at a p-value of 0.01) to the efficiency of Saudi Arabian energy firms. Further, current research results indicate that firms’ free cash flows negatively affect the efficiency (with a coefficient of –0.79 and insignificant) of Saudi Arabian energy firms with no evidence. Therefore, the study accepts the association of free cash flow and firms’ efficiency as positive and rejects the alternative hypothesis that there is a negative association between free cash flow and efficiency in Saudi Arabian energy firms.

Acknowledgment
The researcher extends appreciation to Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University for funding this research through the project number 2023/02/25856.

Church organizations are non-profit organizations operating in the religious sector. Church financial management requires good and adequate internal control to protect and secure church assets from fraud, damage, and waste due to ineffective use of assets. Sacralization is a factor that gives rise to blind trust in financial managers and spiritual leaders in the church. This study aims to analyze the influence of trained accounting personnel, attitudes toward the importance of internal control, and separation of duties on the level of internal control of church finances. The sample used was 115 pastors at the HKBP Church in Jakarta, Indonesia. Data were obtained by distributing questionnaires to pastors as respondents. The analysis technique is carried out using multiple regression. The results of this study show that trained accounting personnel, attitudes about the importance of internal control implementation, and the existence of separation of duties in church organizations have a significant effect on the level of internal control of church finances. The results of the study strengthen support for the implementation of effective church financial internal control, which requires increasing the competency of accounting staff through accounting training, the attitude of organizational members to support the implementation of the church’s financial internal control system to make it more accountable, and the existence of a clear separation of duties within the organization to avoid fraud.

Due to its nature, funding remains the main problem for listed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) globally. To overcome such a problem, there is a trend of using credit rating as the benchmark to appraise funding opportunities and applications in listed SMEs. As credit rating levels vary across time, subject to the performance of the listed SMEs, changes in the credit rating levels might trigger attention from listed SMEs, and actions might then be taken by the management to ensure that the credit rating is at the desired level. Since the literature in this strand of study is limited, this study aimed to examine the effect of credit rating downgrade and tightness of accounting standards on earnings management in listed SMEs. Employing a 2x3 between-subjects experiment manipulating credit rating downgrades (category or notch) and tightness of accounting standards (less tight, moderately tight, tight), it is evidenced that credit rating downgrades, especially notch downgrades, lead to more earnings management behaviors in the presence of a tight and less tight set of accounting standards. Different classifications of credit rating downgrades – notches and categories – will have different implications for earnings management based on the extent to which they are subject to external monitoring. As a practical matter, it is recommended that regulators exercise equal monitoring regardless of whether credit rating downgrades occur by category or notch.

This study delves into the potential direct impact of Fintech adoption, regulatory environment, technological infrastructure, and customer trust on the competitiveness of Fintech solutions. The study employs a questionnaire to gather data from 228 respondents in Jordan aged 18 or older, who were aware of Fintech and were selected through social media and other relevant channels. The outcomes from the Smart PLS path analysis reveal that Fintech adoption significantly impacts the competitiveness of Fintech solutions, supported by regulatory influence and technological infrastructure. Customer trust is crucial, fostering competitiveness through security, transparency, and reliability in Fintech services. Notably, the study contributes theoretical insights by underscoring the pivotal role of cultural acceptance in the dynamics of Fintech adoption and trust. From a practical standpoint, the findings suggest the formulation of tailored strategies for diverse markets, with an emphasis on trust, and an adaptation of product development to align with cultural nuances. However, the study acknowledges limitations and underscores the importance of longitudinal and comparative research to comprehensively grasp the cultural influences on Fintech.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are crucial to South Africa’s economy as they provide employment, contribute to development, reduce poverty, and promote entrepreneurship. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted SMEs in the country, posing a threat to their survival. The purpose of the study was to identify the financial planning critical success factors that are essential for SME performance in a post-COVID-19 pandemic environment. The study followed a positivist paradigm, and a quantitative survey approach was employed. South African SMEs across the various sectors of business were targeted to provide a holistic view of the financial planning strategies contributing to performance. A total of 282 questionnaires were completed electronically by the SME owners using Google Forms, which were then analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS software. The regression model for structural equation modeling revealed a strong and significant link between financial planning and SME performance. Financial planning has a strong, significant positive effect on SME performance, as indicated by the path coefficient (β = 0.227, p = 0.002). The importance of this study lies in its ability to provide valuable insights to businesses regarding financial planning strategies to enhance SME success in a post-COVID-19 environment.

Market turmoil caused by COVID-19 has weakened firms’ financial performance, highlighting the prominence of sustainable business practices by incorporating Environmental, Social, and Governance performance and their disclosure. Though past studies investigated COVID-19’s impact on firm performance, there is consensus on the role of firms’ Environmental, Social, and Governance disclosures between firm performance and the pandemic. With this view, the study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on firms’ financial performance with the moderating role of Environmental, Social, and Governance performance disclosure. To do so, the study retrieved data of Nifty 500 index companies from the Bloomberg database for a sample period ranging from 2016 to 2022. To this end, the study performed the fixed-effect regression and GMM model. The findings reveal a significant negative impact of the pandemic on Return on Assets (β =-4.812), Return on Equity (β =–.675), and Earnings Per Share (β = –2.875), highlighting the unfavorable effect of the pandemic on firm performance. Further results showed that firms’ Environmental, Social, and Governance performance disclosure positively moderates the connection between COVID-19 and Return on Assets (β = 3.231), Return on Equity (β = 0.032), and Earnings Per Share (β = 1.523), respectively. This indicates that companies actively involved in Environmental, Social, and Governance disclosure are less likely to suffer during the pandemic in terms of financial performance due to their ESG disclosures.

The financial challenges facing the Jordanian economy require careful attention and strategic responses. Addressing these challenges may necessitate increased investment. This study explores the relationship between intellectual capital efficiency and firms’ dividend policies and the potential impact of CEO characteristics on this relationship. An analysis was based on data from 90 Jordanian service and manufacturing companies from 2015 to 2019. The study employs the value-added intellectual capital coefficient (VAIC) to measure intellectual capital efficiency and uses the dividend payout ratio to represent dividend policy. The findings indicate a positive relationship between VAIC and dividend policy, suggesting that companies with higher intellectual capital efficiency tend to distribute higher dividends. However, CEO characteristics, such as age, tenure, and educational background, do not significantly affect this relationship. These results imply that strong corporate governance mechanisms are likely in place, ensuring effective decision-making processes and protecting stakeholders’ interests. By focusing on intellectual capital, firms can enhance their operational performance and attractiveness to investors, indirectly supporting economic stability.

The global financial crisis increased uncertainty in economic policy. Firms manage challenges through business strategies and financial constraints and deal with crash risk more proactively to overcome these impediments. This paper investigates the mediating role of financial constraints in the association between business strategy and crash risk, and the type of business strategy that influenced crash risk in Egyptian firms from 2014 to 2021. Data were obtained from financial statements and reports available in the Thomson Reuters database. A total of 792 observations were collected, representing 99 Egyptian firms. The statistical techniques employed in the analysis included ordinary least squares, modified least squares, and path analysis. The results indicate that a higher financial constraint ratio increases crash risk and has a mediating effect on business strategy and crash risk. Results show a positive impact of prospector strategy on crash risk using OLS and GLS, in line with the bad news hoarding hypothesis. Further research shows that prospector strategies have a positive effect on financial constraints. Egyptian firms have higher levels of information asymmetry, which leads to adopting a prospector business strategy and exerts a more pronounced positive influence on the likelihood of crash risk. A robustness check confirms the positive effect of financial constraints as a mediator variable on the relationship between prospector business strategy and crash risk.

This study aims to examine the internal determinants of financial performance of food supermarkets listed on the South African stock exchange. Food supermarkets play an integral role in socio-economic development of the country. The study employed an econometric approach utilizing fixed effect panel data. Drawing information from audited financial statements, data were gathered from four major listed food supermarkets in South Africa covering the period from 1994 to 2022, resulting in a total of 116 observations over 29 years. The robust longitudinal statistics obtained from balanced data revealed a significant positive correlation between equity financing, size of corporate governance, and current debt with financial performance, as measured by sales revenue at 0.0000, 0.054, and 0.000 significance levels, respectively. The findings indicate that as these variables increase, the financial performance of the studied food supermarkets (Shoprite, Woolworths, Spar, and Pick n Pay) also increases. Conversely, a negative and significant relationship is noted between company age, current assets, and financial performance at significance levels of 0.007 and 0.002, respectively. This suggests that as these variables increase, financial performance will decrease. As per the research findings, it is imperative for supermarkets to uphold a well-rounded blend of equity and debt and adopt inventive business approaches as they mature to improve financial outcomes. Therefore, the study proposes a framework focusing on internal factors that impact the financial performance of listed food supermarkets in South Africa.

Tax avoidance and capital expenditure are critical financial strategies employed by banks to enhance profitability. Understanding their impact on bank financial performance is essential for policymakers and bank managers seeking to optimize financial strategies. This study is aimed to investigate the influence of tax avoidance (TAV) and capital expenditure on the financial performance of Jordanian banks, while exploring the moderating effect of firm size. Using regression analysis, the relationships between tax avoidance, capital expenditure, bank size, and bank financial performance were investigated. Financial data from Jordanian banks were utilized over a specified period. The study results refer that tax avoidance has a positive correlation with ROA (the correlation = 31.7%) and ROE (the correlation = 30.2%). The results reveal that tax avoidance significantly impacts bank financial performance, with banks employing tax avoidance strategies exhibiting higher returns on assets and equity. However, capital expenditure does not demonstrate a significant association with bank financial performance. Additionally, firm size does not moderate the link between TAV, capital expenditure, and bank financial performance. The non-significant impact of capital expenditure underscores the need for banks to explore alternative avenues for improving financial performance. These findings provide a valuable insight for policymakers and bank managers in devising effective financial strategies to optimize bank performance in the Jordanian context.

Financial literacy is an essential factor for individuals or households in making investment decisions. However, the problem of insufficient financial literacy is still considered one of the factors limiting the creation of successful investments, especially in relation to risk perception. Some investors have financial losses due to their limited financial literacy, making inefficient investment decisions and implicating high-risk investment choices. Hence, this study aims to explore the interconnection between financial literacy, risk perception and investment decisions. Moderated regression analysis was used for 233 investors in Indonesia who completed financial management training. The results showed that financial literacy has a positive and significant impact on investment decisions, which means that it could be used to improve the quality of investment decisions. On the other hand, risk perception as a moderating variable weakened the impact of financial literacy on investment decisions; this confirmed the consistent results before and after financial training. Overall, financial literacy across three dimensions (knowledge, skills, and attitude) plays an important role in investors allocating more funds to investment instruments than respondent groups with lower financial literacy levels. In addition, the level of financial literacy also influences the choice of investment product.

The growing popularity of cryptocurrency as an investment choice among millennials demonstrates their inclination toward digital advancements and openness to exploring diverse investment opportunities. The study examines how financial literacy factors impact experience regret, investment decisions, and risk tolerance, while financial literacy also affects investment decisions, with experience regret and risk tolerance acting as a mediator. The study comprises 295 participants from the millennial demographic in Indonesia who are engaged in cryptocurrency investment. The data collection techniques employed in this study involve non-probability sampling methods through the distribution of questionnaires. The analysis in this study employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in conjunction with Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis tools. The results of this study suggest that financial literacy positively impacts regret experience, investment decisions, and risk tolerance with the respective sample values of 0.146, 0.397 and 0.449. Additionally, regret experience negatively influences investment decisions with a sample value of –0.385, while risk tolerance positively influences investment decisions with a sample value of 0.198. Financial literacy has a negative impact on investment decisions when regret experience acts as a mediator with a sample value of –0.056, but a positive impact when risk tolerance serves as a mediator with a sample value of 0.089. This complex relationship highlights the importance of considering multiple factors, including financial literacy, regret experience, and risk tolerance, in understanding and predicting investment decisions among individuals, particularly in the context of the millennial generation investing in cryptocurrency in Indonesia.

The announcement of a buyback informs the market about the company’s decision to repurchase its own shares. This announcement highlights the company’s price valuation and the inefficiencies that exist in the market. This study examines the share buyback announcement effect during the COVID-19 period. The study considered the stocks listed in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) that offered share buyback under tender offer mode during the pre-pandemic period between April 2016 and February 2020 and the post-pandemic period between March 2020 and March 2022. 75 firms in the pre-pandemic period and 43 in the post-pandemic period that announced share buyback under the tender offer method were analyzed. The event study methodology using a market model was employed to determine the presence of abnormal returns during the event period, which consisted of –21 days and +21 days. The findings of the study revealed the existence of abnormal returns in and around the announcement date. Besides, statistically significant cumulative abnormal average returns (CAAR) were also found on the event day, i.e., on Day 0. The study found that the impact of buyback announcements on stock returns significantly differed before and after COVID-19 for 10 and 21-day periods, with no significant differences for shorter periods. These insights can help traders and fund managers make informed portfolio adjustments during turbulent market periods surrounding buyback announcements.

Acknowledgement
The authors express their sincere gratitude and special thanks to Dr. Krishna T.A., Assistant Professor, Department of Professional Studies, School of Commerce, Finance and Accountancy, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India, for encouraging, motivating and providing all the required support throughout this empirical investigation and to accomplish this research task.

This article examines the impact of adopting SSCQM on the financial performance of companies, based on transaction theory. The main objective of this study is to assess how reducing transactional costs through SSCQM, or within its framework, can improve the financial performance of Moroccan companies. The methodology is based on quantitative analysis, using an econometric model (GLM-Gamma) to test the association between SSCQM adoption and financial performance. The results of the study show that various SSCQM-related practices positively affect companies’ financial performance. Managing sourcing costs significantly improves profit margins. Contracts focusing on quality and sustainability, and minimizing the risk of non-compliance, also boost financial performance. However, the ability to adapt and respond to regulatory changes shows no significant impact. Optimizing production processes and investing in green technologies are proving to be profitable strategies, with significant improvements in financial performance. Customer engagement and transparency and traceability of operations also have a positive impact. These results suggest that SSCQM practices, such as the adoption of green technologies and transparency policies, are beneficial for companies’ financial performance. The originality of the study lies in its approach, which links transaction theory to sustainable supply chain management, an angle little explored in existing literature. The study confirms that SSCQM is an effective strategy for improving corporate financial health by minimizing transactional costs. It recommends integrating SSCQM into companies’ management strategies to boost their competitiveness, financial performance and sustainability.

Research on financial well-being not only employs objective measures such as income, but also utilizes a psychological approach to measure subjective well-being, which is beneficial for alleviating stress stemming from financial conditions, enhancing overall mental health, and augmenting individuals’ quality of life. This study devises a metric for financial well-being, incorporating variables such as religiosity, anti-consumption lifestyle, and financial behavior through a quantitative approach using Structural Equation Model. The research model is examined using LISREL 8.0 for data analysis drawn from a questionnaire administered to 256 Muslim respondents. The research findings revealed that good financial behavior is the main key to achieving better financial well-being, with support from an anti-consumerist lifestyle towards such financial behavior. Meanwhile, religiosity does not significantly influence financial behavior. While religiosity can have a direct positive effect on financial well-being, it does not do so through the mediation of financial behavior. An anti-consumption lifestyle itself does not directly affect financial well-being without the help of mediating supportive financial behavior. The practical implications of these research findings suggest that financial education programs should not only focus on the aspect of religiosity alone, but also be practical and applicable to all individuals regardless of their level of religiosity.

Companies’ decision to go public is risky because of the high uncertainty level from the companies’ unknown history prior to their listing. Recent studies in the Malaysian market reported the declining trend of companies’ initial performance, relating it to investors’ current demand for higher information transparency that can reflect companies’ sustainable evolution as a means to attract their demand in subscribing newly issued shares. Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of disclosing ESG practices on companies’ initial performance. Using a linear regression with maximum likelihood (ML) estimation, this study examines 171 initial public offerings (IPOs) issued in the Malaysian market from 2015 to 2023. By using two ways of measuring companies’ initial performance (offer-to-open and offer-to-close), the findings show that higher information disclosure on ESG practices will only be reflective and positively affect companies’ performance by the end of the day. Further examination of individual ESG pillars indicates that environmental disclosures negatively influence companies’ initial performance, while social and governance disclosures positively influence companies’ initial performance. A large investment in maintaining a high level of environmental practice can be costly, negatively influencing companies’ performances. Higher social and governance disclosure attracts socially conscious investors and reflects good internal governance, increasing demand for the companies’ shares during the IPO and positively influencing companies’ performances. This study contributes to the growing literature concerning ESG and post-IPO performances specific to the Malaysian market and proposes recommendations on the importance of disclosing ESG practices prior to their IPO.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge that this article is part of a research project funded by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) for the MyRA Grant Scheme, file no: 600-RMC 5/3/GPM (118/2022).

Scholarly attention to the association between corporate governance and firm performance, considering sustainability assurance as a moderator is scarce. This study aims to examine the moderating role of sustainability assurance in the nexus between corporate governance and firm performance in India. The data relating to 35 environmentally sensitive companies among the top 100 National Stock Exchange (NSE) listed entities were gathered from the ProwessIQ Database and annual reports of companies during 2016–2022. The fixed effect regression model was employed. The results show an insignificant effect of board effectiveness on firm performance as measured by return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and Tobin’s Q. Similar findings were documented on the audit committee effectiveness and firm performance nexus, except for Tobin’s Q (β = 0.316). In addition, the study did not support the moderating role of sustainability assurance on the board effectiveness and firm performance nexus, indicating the presence of ineffective corporate governance mechanisms. However, the results show that sustainability assurance significantly and negatively moderates the relationship between audit committee effectiveness and ROA (β = –0.021), ROE (β = –0.074), and Tobin’s Q (β = –0.996). This implies that the practice of external assurance of sustainability reports by firms with audit committee effectiveness is an additional burden due to the extra cost involved. Further, the result indicates the learning curve effect among Indian companies. Thus, the findings suggest the need for regulatory focus on encouraging sustainable business practices in terms of effective corporate governance and sustainability assurance.

Acknowledgment
The authors are grateful to Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, for providing financial assistance in the form of a “JRF Contingency Grant” for this research article.

This study aims to explore the impact of coronavirus pandemic-related variables and non-pharmaceutical interventions on fluctuations in the Malaysian stock market during the period from January 7, 2020, to March 31, 2021. By employing GARCH-M (1,1) family models (GARCH-M, EGARCH-M, and PGARCH-M), the study seeks to understand the intricate dynamics of market volatility amidst the pandemic and associated interventions. The findings suggest that while past market volatility and conditional variance continue to influence current market fluctuations, their effects have diminished over time during the study period. Additionally, the EGARCH-M (1,1) model reveals a leverage effect, indicating increased market volatility following negative news compared to positive news. Interestingly, the EGARCH-M (1,1) model emerges as the optimal choice for accurately capturing data dynamics. Conversely, the PGARCH-M (1,1) model does not exhibit a statistically significant leverage effect. These insights contribute to a better understanding of market behavior during crises, informing future research and risk management strategies.

Acknowledgment
The authors are grateful to the Middle East University, Amman, Jordan, for the full financial support granted to this research paper.

The study aims to evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on company performance and explore the moderating effect of companies’ financial resilience. Data were retrieved from 312 firm-year observations corresponding to 76 companies listed on the Moroccan Stock Exchange Market throughout 2018–2021. Five regression models are used to examine the overall impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on corporate performance, as well as the specific effect on corporate performance of each of the financial indicators of corporate resilience, namely sales, leverage, liquidity, and financial autonomy. The results show that although there is a decrease in the mean of both ratios of financial and operational performance of Moroccan listed companies, statistical tests confirm only a significant negative effect of Covid-19 on operational performance. The results also show that companies with high sales, low debt, high liquidity, and financial autonomy are more resilient to the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, given the significant size and the sectorial concentration of Moroccan listed companies, there is no statistical evidence that the negative impact of Covid-19 pandemic varies according to business sector or size. Based on the results, a number of recommendations are made for both governments and companies. Governments should maintain, despite the crisis, both public and private investment in order to sustain the growth of companies’ business sales. It is also important to implement solutions for rescheduling social and tax debts to safeguard the liquidity of companies and limit their recourse to costly debt.

Investors’ personality traits and psychological biases play a crucial role in the decision-making process and risk-taking behavior of investors. The emotional and psychological factors impact the decision-making, giving rise to biases. These biases make investors make irrational decisions, which signifies the need for this study. This study aims to assess investors’ personalities using HEXACO model and its interaction with biases and financial risk tolerance. The data of 530 retail investors in India, who had more than 2 years of investing experience in the stock market, were collected. The study considered the HEXACO model since it captures all dimensions of personality that are not considered in the commonly used Big Five Model (BFM). The result of structural equation modeling and mediation analysis shows that the ‘honesty-humility’ trait significantly affects overconfidence bias. The mediation analysis of biases between traits and financial risk tolerance showed complete, partial, and no mediation effect depending on the nature of prejudice. Clear distinction of personality traits into ‘virtue traits’ and ‘character traits’ can be observed. This clear distinction paves the way for employing the HEXACO model in future studies.

This study investigates the impact of firm-specific components of cash holdings on the cash reserves of energy firms. Decisions related to cash management are significant and treated as confident made by financial managers to increase the value of a firm. Therefore, financial managers are obligated to hold an optimum level of cash to enhance the firm value. The study depends on secondary data from seven energy firms listed on the Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange over the period between 2014 and 2023. The study considers cash holdings as a dependent variable, leverage, networking capital, and profitability as explanatory variables, and firm size as a control variable. The study employed a linear regression model and a generalized linear regression (GLM) model with Gaussian and Gamma distributions to analyze the data. The results show that Saudi Arabian energy firms reserve approximately 7% of cash, while external financing is 51%. The pooled regression results show that the association between leverage and firms’ cash reserves was negative (–0.064) and significant at less than a 1% significance level. Further, the networking capital and profitability were positively related (0.063 and 0.113) and significant at 5% and 1% significance levels. Moreover, the firm size was positive but insignificant. The generalized linear regression model results with Gaussian and Gamma distributions were similar to the simple linear regression with minor variation.

Acknowledgment
This current project under research project number PSAU/2023/02/25767 was funded by Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University.

This study aims to investigate whether stockholders and creditors place a positive value on corporate social responsibility (CSR) information disclosure when making decisions about providing financing to firms, thereby influencing their investment choices. Utilizing data from the China Stock Market & Accounting Research Database (CSMAR) and HEXUN, the study analyzes CSR disclosures and financial data of 7,123 firm-year observations of A-share listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2012 to 2020. A comprehensive methodology involving regression analysis was applied to assess the relationship between CSR quality and the cost of debt capital. Various robustness tests, including different model specifications and alternative variable measurements, were conducted to ensure the reliability and validity of the findings. The results obtained indicate that higher CSR quality significantly correlates with a lower cost of debt capital, supporting the hypothesis that improved CSR disclosure reduces perceived credit risk. However, CEO financial expertise shows a significantly positive relationship with the cost of debt capital. Furthermore, the study reveals that CSR assurance and engagement with Big 4 accounting firms do not noticeably affect the price of debt capital, whereas mandatory CSR reporting does. The findings underscore the importance of CSR quality in financial decision-making, offering valuable insights.

Acknowledgment
This paper is co-funded by the European Union through the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) within the project “EU Best Practice of Life Cycle Assessment, Social, Environmental Accounting and Sustainability Reporting” – 101047667-ERASMUS-JMO-2021-MODULE https://jm.snau.edu.ua/en/eu-best-practice-of-life-cycle-assessment-social-environmental-accounting-and-sustainability-reporting/
Oleh Pasko expresses sincere gratitude for the support from the Kirkland Research Program, generously provided by the Leaders of Change Foundation established by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation.

The study aims to identify the effect of corporate governance factors on financial institution performance in Bangladesh. This study employs annual data for 20 financial institutions, including banks, NBFIs, and insurance companies, data is collected from 2011 to 2022. Here, three corporate governance indicators are utilized – board size, board independence, and director’s ownership. The performance of the financial institutions is measured using return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and net asset value (NAV). Apart from the corporate governance variables, three company-specific factors, i.e., firm age, financial leverage, and firm size, are used as the control variables. Panel data analysis is conducted through the dynamic Feasible Generalize Least Square (FGLS) method, and the robustness is performed using the random effect model. The results show that corporate governance parameter such as board size has a significant positive influence on financial institution performance in Bangladesh, where board independence and director ownership do not have a significant influence on the performance of financial institutions. Thus, the performance of financial institutions increases when board size increases. This indicates that board members are actively engaged in strategic decision-making and ensure the rights of all stakeholders, which helps improve financial institutions’ overall performance. Therefore, financial institutions may increase their board size to the maximum level to ensure better corporate governance practices in the organizations, which ultimately increases performance.

Adjusting investment strategy is one of the ways to handle dynamic market conditions. This study proposes a novel portfolio management strategy using appropriate optimization objectives for different stock market trends while also incorporating market trends and stock return predictions The optimization objectives that will be evaluated for different market trends are maximizing the Sharpe ratio, minimizing risk, and minimizing expected shortfall. This study utilizes simulation modelling with various predictive models on building the portfolios. The results show that, in an upward market trend, the strategy is to choose stocks with positive returns, and the objective is to maximize the Sharpe ratio. The portfolio that follows this strategy during upward market trends has greater returns than both the Indonesian Composite Index and LQ45, which serve as stock market benchmarks, with 90% certainty. Meanwhile, during the downward market trend, the strategy is to choose stocks with a negative correlation with the Indonesian Composite Index, and the proper optimization objective is to minimize risk. A portfolio that follows this strategy during downward market trends has greater returns than stock market benchmarks with 95% certainty. Across the evaluation period from 2018 to 2023, the portfolio using the proposed strategy outperforms both stock market benchmarks, with a higher quarterly Sharpe ratio of 0.3047 and cumulative return of 107.90%. The proposed portfolio has a higher quarterly return than the stock market benchmark with 99% certainty. Therefore, the proposed strategy shows a promising result in a dynamic market.

Psychological factors such as emotional reactions, cognitive biases, and herd behavior influence investment decisions because they shape investor behavior, drive market dynamics, and affect rational decision-making. Similarly, financial literacy improves investment decisions by facilitating informed choices, minimizing biases, enhancing risk management, and promoting long-term financial planning. This study aims to examine the influence of psychological factors on investment decisions in the Nepalese share market, emphasizing the mediating role of financial literacy. Smart PLS 4.0 was used to analyze the structural relationships within the proposed theoretical model. Data were collected from the primary source using a structured questionnaire administered through a random sampling technique. The respondents included 410 active individual investors from the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE). The study's findings reveal that psychological factors have a positive and significant effect on investment decisions among investors in the Nepalese stock market. Furthermore, the study revealed that financial literacy mediates the relationship between psychological factors and investment decisions by enhancing individuals' understanding and confidence, leading to more informed and rational investment choices. The results highlight the critical role of financial literacy in investment decisions in the share market. The findings indicate that investors with higher financial literacy levels are better equipped to mitigate the adverse effects of psychological biases, leading to more rational and informed investment decisions. By understanding the interplay between psychological factors and financial literacy, policymakers and financial institutions can develop targeted strategies to foster a more robust and resilient financial market in developing economies such as Nepal.

The growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) shows a positive trend and has even become a major highlight in the national economic landscape. Moreover, most of these businesses are owned by women. Examining how digital capability and financial literacy and a dynamic environment affect the success of female-owned small and medium-sized enterprises in Indonesia is the main goal of this study. Financial and digital capability are examined as mediators between performance and these factors. The study used a causal explanatory research approach. The data in this study were collected through questionnaires. This research surveyed 100 female-owned small and medium-sized enterprises in Indonesia’s food and beverage, herbal and pharmaceutical, fashion, and craft industries. Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis was utilized in this work as an analytical tool. The study reveals that financial literacy significantly enhances SMEs` performance by improving resource management. However, a dynamic environment alone does not impact performance unless supported by other competencies. Financial competence does not strengthen the effect of financial literacy, indicating it may not be sufficient for success. Conversely, digital competence is crucial, mediating the relationship between a dynamic environment and SMEs` performance. Therefore, SMEs with strong digital skills are better positioned to adapt and thrive, making digital competence key to sustained business success.

This study scrutinizes the potential correlation between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores and the profitability of firms listed in the selected STOXX Europe 600 index. Utilizing panel regression analysis, the study examines data from 385 non-financial companies over the period 2017 to 2021, correlating CSRHub's ESG scores and selected financial variables with corporate profitability measured by ROA. The investigation reveals that, overall, ESG scores do not have a significant impact on profitability, except for the ESG-community sub-score, which shows a slight negative influence. Thus, this paper partially supports studies that show a negative correlation between ESG and profitability, even though such results are in the minority in the literature. The overall results suggest that while ESG scores may reflect a company's ethical stance, they are not a predominant factor influencing its profitability. However, this is not the case for leverage, as the importance of capital structure for profitability is confirmed.

Acknowledgment
This research has been supported by the Scientific Grant Agency of the Slovak Republic under project VEGA No. 1/0579/21.

The aim of this study is to provide a suitable empirical framework for the interaction between Islamic finance, financial stability, and economic development. Additionally, it is an attempt to empirically evaluate how the levels of financial system stability and economic growth in an oil-rich nation are affected by the financing provided by Islamic banks. The study employs the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and quantile regression (QR) based on quarterly data from 2013 to 2022. The findings indicate strong evidence that Islamic banking finance supports economic growth and improves financial system stability. Moreover, the study highlights that this positive relationship is negatively affected by inflation rates and levels of economic policy uncertainty. Financial inclusion has an important positive impact on both dependent variables, reinforcing this link. Furthermore, oil rents in Saudi Arabia (KSA) have contributed to improving economic development and supporting the financial sector’s development to achieve economic diversification as outlined in the Saudi Vision 2030. These findings confirm the necessity of paying attention to developing Islamic banking and increasing its market share by creating products and services that achieve economic efficiency in accordance with suitable policies for making the financial sector a strategic sector that supports economic development in KSA.

Acknowledgment
This work was supported and funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) (grant number IMSIU-RPP2023024).

This paper examines the difference between pure contagion and financial interconnection by studying the U.S. and some American and Asian markets in the subprime crisis context. These markets are affected by the mortgage crisis, with data available from January 1, 2003 to December 30, 2011. The paper first identifies the turmoil period via the wavelet technique and adopts cointegration and Granger causality approaches by estimating vector autoregressive (VAR) and vector error correction models (VECM) models. Based on daily returns from stock market indices in five American countries (Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Argentina, and the U.S.) and eight Asian ones (Hong Kong, Japan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, and China), the results show eight cases of pure contagion and 10 cases of financial interconnection. In addition, there were high co-movements in the short term and low co-movements in the long term for financial interconnection cases. These findings have several implications for investors looking to diversify their portfolios internationally and for portfolio managers to expect and limit market risk. The results provide additional guidance to regulators and policymakers.

Investment decisions are a matter of how individuals should allocate funds into investment forms that provide future benefits. This paper investigates the impact of financial literacy, perceptions of risk and returns, family background, income, and financial technology proficiency on investment decisions among Generations Z and Y in Indonesia. This study uses a quantitative approach, using primary data from 240 respondents through purposive sampling. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey to collect respondents’ perceptions and investment decisions. The Likert scale assesses indicators by eliciting responses to statements and questions. The Structural Equation Model Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) approach was employed for analysis utilizing WarpPLS 8.0 software. The results show that financial literacy, risk and return perception, income, and fintech proficiency significantly influence investment decisions (p < 0.05), while family background does not (p > 0.05). In addition, fintech proficiency mediates the effects of financial literacy, risk perception, family background, and income on investment decisions (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that improving financial literacy and fintech skills can lead to better investment decisions among young investors. This study highlights the need for targeted financial education programs and innovative fintech solutions to support informed investment choices. Further research is recommended to explore additional factors influencing investment decisions and to develop strategies to improve financial decision-making in this demographic group.

This study examines the factors influencing retail investors’ decision to invest into the Indian pharmaceutical sector amidst the COVID-19 global health crisis. Confronting the obstacles introduced by the pandemic has helped create a robust foundation for the Indian pharma sector to grow rapidly in the future. As the industry demonstrated signs of considerable future growth, investors favored pharmaceutical investments during COVID-19. Retail investors were mainly the ones who went on a shopping spree during the pandemic. This backdrop provides a unique context to explore the retail investors’ behavior in the Indian pharmaceutical landscape. Leveraging the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study marks the first attempt to introduce behavior toward market fundamentals as a mediating factor into the TPB framework. To conduct the study, data were collected from 305 retail investors located in Karnataka’s South Canara region, who invested into the Indian pharmaceutical industry during the pandemic, using snowball sampling. The e-survey was employed for data collection. The results reveal that attitudes toward pharmaceutical investments, subjective norms, Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), and behavior toward market fundamentals have significantly influenced investor decisions. Notably, behavior toward market fundamentals has partially mediated the relationship between attitude toward pharma investment and investment decision and PBC and investment decision. However, the mediation effect of behavior toward market fundamentals was not evident between the subject norm and the investment decision. The study holds pivotal implications for policymakers, government bodies, and industry stakeholders to promote pharmaceutical investments.

To assess outright and relative value opportunities in stocks and benchmark their performance against an index with global relevance, it is important to achieve and measure risk-adjusted excess returns. Academic and corporate research has focused quite extensively on analyzing stock returns and comparing the outperformance of specific investment strategies, with value investing being one of the most prominent and longest-known factor strategies. In this event study, to test for the existence of risk-adjusted excess returns, or alpha, a novel two-step approach is proposed to assess Enhanced Value in single stocks for three different investment approaches: plain value investing, investing in spin-offs, and investing in turnaround companies. While the first step of the two-step approach screens companies for a combination of financial company characteristics, the second step ranks and sorts them by either their price-earnings ratio or by their price-book ratio, thus “enhancing” the value assessment. Their short- and mid-term stock performance is investigated for an investment horizon of one year, three years, and five years. Stocks of value companies, spin-offs, and turnaround companies outperform the S&P 500 benchmark on average and on a risk-adjusted basis for all three investment horizons when tested for Enhanced Value with the novel two-step approach. The analysis results provide deeper insights into how the value factor in its different characteristics needs to be understood in the context of investment strategies and how it potentially can be applied to stock selection and portfolio construction, resulting in investment strategies showing a risk-adjusted outperformance.