The effect of ownership composition on corporate financial performance in the European frontier markets
ISSN: 1746-5265
Article publication date: 3 March 2023
Issue publication date: 24 March 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the influence of ownership composition on market-based and accounting-based financial performance in the European frontier markets (EFMs), a target region for global investors.
Design/methodology/approach
Ownership composition is defined as shareholders' concentration and structure (i.e. foreign, domestic, state and free-float), whereas financial performance is measured as Tobin's Q and return on assets. The system generalised method of moments panel data estimation technique is employed on a sample of 241 companies.
Findings
Findings reveal that companies from European Union (EU) frontier markets are controlled, on average, by one to five large shareholders. Being a signal of expropriation rationale of majority shareholders regardless of the capital structure, this highly concentrated ownership and decision-making model negatively affects the market-based and accounting-based financial performance of the companies and thereby supports the agency theory in the frontier markets.
Research limitations/implications
The findings provide empirical evidence for authorities, investors, analysts and corporations regarding the effect of ownership percentage and structure in the Eastern European region, assisting also other frontier and emerging markets in corporate governance and other regulatory decisions.
Originality/value
The ownership–performance relationship varies from developed to emerging markets with conflicting results. This study provides evidence on monitoring and expropriation effects of majority shareholders in the context of different categories of shareholders. In doing so, it combines the analysis of both ownership concentration and structure in the EFMs.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Two initial versions of this paper were presented at the 6th edition of International Conference Corporate Governance in Emerging Markets held at De Nederlandsche Bank in the Netherlands, and at the 13th edition of the International Conference Accounting and Management Information Systems held at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies in Romania. The authors thank to the conference reviewers and participants, especially to Naciye Sekerci, for valuable suggestions and comments. An earlier manuscript was included in the 13th edition of the International Conference Accounting and Management Information Systems proceedings book with the title “Ownership and corporate performance in European frontier markets”. Moreover, the authors are especially thankful to the journal reviewers for their significant suggestions for improving the quality of our manuscript.
Citation
Zahid, R.M.A., Taran, A., Khan, M.K. and Simga-Mugan, C. (2023), "The effect of ownership composition on corporate financial performance in the European frontier markets", Baltic Journal of Management, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 242-261. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-12-2021-0457
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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