Search results

For Chinese companies that cross-list in Chinese A share and Hong Kong (H share) markets, the H share price has been consistently lower than the A share price by an average of 85% in recent years. This is puzzling because most institutional differences between the two markets have been eliminated since 2007. The purpose of this study is to explain the puzzle of the price difference of A+H companies.

Using all A and H share Chinese firms in the period 2007–2013 and a simultaneous equations approach, this study identifies three new explanations for the recent price difference.

First, utilizing a unique earning quality measure that is directly related to non-persistent components of fair value accounting under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), this study finds that the lower the earnings quality, the lower the H share price relative to the A share price, and hence the greater the price difference. Second, the higher the myopic investor ownership in A share firms, the larger the A share price relative to the H share price. Third, the short-selling mechanism introduced to the A share market since 2010 helps reduce the price difference.

First, this study identifies three new explanations for the puzzle of the AH price difference which remains substantial even after the institutional and accounting standards differences between the two markets were eliminated. Second, we examine the impact of the implementation of fair value accounting under IFRS in an emerging market on the pricing difference of cross-listed shares and reveal that it can induce an unintended negative consequence on the pricing difference of cross-listed shares. Third, this study contributes to the literature on short sales by providing its mitigating role in pricing differences across two different markets. Finally, this study makes improvements in research design, which utilizes a unique measure of earnings quality that is directly related to the implementation of IFRS and a simultaneous equations approach that minimizes endogeneity concern.

Previous studies have demonstrated significant discrepancies in financial results prepared separately under Chinese and international accounting standards. After years of reforms of Chinese accounting practices, there is still doubt as to whether previous discrepancies persist. This study therefore purports to evaluate the current dimensions of differences between the H‐share and the A‐share financial results.

Corresponding figures from H‐share and A‐share reports were obtained in pairs and analyzed through paired sample t‐tests.

Except for the result on operating income, all other t‐tests suggest that there is no significant difference between the paired figures of sales revenue, income before tax, net income, assets, debts and equity.

It can be concluded that the harmonization progress of Chinese accounting standards has advanced remarkably. Although full convergence has not been reached, the existing Chinese accounting standards have incorporated both the traits of international standards and the features of Chinese accounting practices.

Contrary to previous findings, this study did not identify statistically significant differences between H‐share and A‐share financial reports.

Details how, in a bid to invigorate its state‐owned enterprises, the Chinese government allows some of its large state‐owned enterprises to list on the stock exchanges of Hong Kong and New York. Reports that, although at the beginning the stocks were very well received, the H‐share prices started to experience a free fall when the companies reported poor earning results in the summer of 1995. Looks at several arguments which have been put forward to explain this drastic change, but observes that most of these theories miss one important dimension, namely, the institutional factor. By using this particular point of view, argues that the H‐shares are poorly designed, noting, in particular, that the concerns for agency cost and asymmetric information problems have not been dealt with properly. Analyses the institutional problems of the H‐share companies and, based on this analysis, outlines some preliminary recommendations on how the H‐share companies can be reformed.

This paper presents a comparative study of the financial reporting practices of three Chinese companies listed simultaneously in Mainland China (A‐shares) and Hong Kong (H‐shares). Their financial statements, prepared based on the accounting and disclosure regulations in China and Hong Kong (or International Accounting Standards, IASs) over the period of 1995‐1998 were studied, including an examination of their corporate structures, and vertical and horizontal comparisons of their primary accounting numbers and key financial ratios. This study demonstrates that significant discrepancies exist for financial information disclosed in terms of Chinese GAAP, Hong Kong GAAP or IASs. In addition, there are notable deviations in financial disclosures among the three companies. The study findings confirm the existence of a substantial gap between the Chinese practices of corporate accounting and financial reporting and the internationally accepted norms. It is suggested that there is an urgent need to promote internationalization of Chinese accounting and improve the understandability and comparability of financial statements released by Chinese listed companies in order to enhance their relevance and usefulness for decision‐making by domestic and overseas investors.

International financial markets are rapidly becoming a single global market. For these markets, most large institutional users are not satisfied with the existing levels of disclosures by multinational firms. One purpose of this research study was to investigate existing footnote disclosure practices for H‐Shares in Hong Kong. Another purpose was to determine if the existing financial statement disclosures for H‐Share companies are comparable to the other companies traded on the HKSE. This study classified, summarised and analysed financial statement disclosures for H‐Share Hong Kong companies. In a recent US study, Barth and Murphy (1994) developed a framework to analyse the required footnotes for companies in the United States. This study uses a similar approach to examine the situation in Hong Kong. However, there are some significant differences. The Barth and Murphy study is extended to include the review of actual disclosures in Hong Kong financial statements. In this way, this project attempts to determine if existing disclosures for Hong Kong H‐Share companies can be classified according to the purposes identified in the US study and by a review of Hong Kong standards. Descriptive statistics are provided for all disclosures. The results indicate that similar purposes have been met for both H‐Shares and other Hong Kong companies traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The objective of this paper is to examine the incremental effects of overseas listing on earnings conservatism. In particular, it investigates whether mainland Chinese companies listed “overseas” in Hong Kong exhibit a higher degree of earnings conservatism than companies without overseas‐listing.

The paper employs the concept of “conditional conservatism” and adopts Basu’s (1997) conservatism model, examining data for Chinese companies overseas listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong as H‐shares, to test hypothesis concerned with the difference in the speed with which economic gains and losses are captured in accounting earnings.

The empirical findings indicate that both overseas‐listed and China‐only‐listed Chinese companies demonstrate a minimal degree of earnings conservatism in the earlier sample sub‐period. However, companies listed overseas provide a higher degree of earnings conservatism overall. Furthermore, this conservatism becomes statistically significant in the 2006 to 2008 sub‐period.

The evidence in this study shows that differences in earnings conservatism arise from differential information demands and differential regulations. Hence the findings have direct policy implications for the regulatory agencies in China and Vietnam and in the ex‐communist countries further afield such as Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe.

This study attempts to examine the issues relating to corporate financial reporting of Chinese listed companies under specified institutional settings as companies with different share‐categories are required to prepare annual reports under various General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

This study selects Chinese companies that issue negotiable shares to examine whether corporate disclosure patterns are different under various institutional settings. Negotiable shares can be traded on stock exchanges and are divided into A‐, B‐ and H‐shares. The extent of corporate disclosure is obtained from the content analysis of annual reports for 191 sampled Chinese listed companies with various share categories. The association are hypothesized and tested between the level of corporate disclosure and the following corporate determinants: company size, profitability, auditor, leverage, industry and ownership structure.

The extensive regulations and different standards influence on disclosures of companies with foreign investment participation and overseas listing status. By reconciliation of their annual reports according to the IFRSs or the GAAP of the listing country, these companies increased information disclosure voluntarily in order to enhance their reputation and credibility. Some corporate factors, such as company size, profitability and the size of auditor, have influenced the level of corporate disclosure in annual reports of domestic and foreign share‐based companies. Ownership structure has positive impact on the level of disclosure for companies with domestic investors.

This study advances knowledge of the influence that legislative circumstances and ownership structures can have on disclosure decisions made by management in their annual reports. This information is of high interest to domestic and foreign investors and regulators in understanding of financial reporting in Chinese listed companies.

Although it has been proved in the macro level, that institutional quality (IQ) has significant influence on a country's economic growth, international trading, resource allocation, development strategy and others, its direct influence on micro level, or firm level still remains ambiguous. In this article, the authors aim to focus on the influence of IQ of a company's original region on its financial performance. The authors choose H share companies as the sample and try to answer an interesting question that whether original region matters during the development of a company in abroad stock market.

This article uses a panel data of 120 H share firms, each ranges from 2005 to 2009. First, the authors use sectional analysis by SPSS19.0 to test the correlations and primary relationship among variables. Then, the authors use ordinary linear square (OLS) regression model to test the hypotheses with cross-sectional to reveal the primary results. In the end, the authors use STATA 11.0 to test panel data to decide the final results.

The authors concluded that private sector development and product market development have positive effects on corporate financial performance, while laws and regulations development have negative effect. Type of the first shareholder plays an important role partly between region IQ and corporate financial performance: to governance-CFP relationship, non-state shareholders perform better than state ones; to product market-CFP relationship, state shareholders perform better non-state ones.

In practices perspective, this conclusion is also inspirative. This study has implications for executives, too, and should help them to better manage their ownership structure. The results suggest that managers should choose first shareholder with critical thinking. Another way, this study has implications for governments-company interactions. It suggests that governments should engage in building an institution with high quality, so that every company will benefit from it.

This article is the first research on region-level relationship between IQ and corporate financial performance, which is consistent with the multi-level structure of institution concept. And the authors employ H share companies as the sample, which revealed more about the conflict between governance and market embedded in regional institution.

The purpose of this paper is to report research on the extent and quality of intellectual capital (IC) disclosure of Chinese (mainland) companies that have dual listed A and H shares.

A comprehensive IC disclosure index was constructed in the study to code, using content analysis methods, the annual reports of 49 dual‐listed companies in mainland China.

Consistent with previous research, the current level of IC disclosure by mainland Chinese companies is not high. Most of the reported IC attributes are expressed in discursive rather than numerical or monetary terms. However, the average number of items disclosed is high enough to suggest that there is a clear awareness of the significance of IC disclosure. While the disclosure quality is not considered strong, it does suggest that the companies have a modest commitment in communicating their IC information to an external audience.

The research only examines the dual listed companies covering a one‐year period from the 2006 annual reports.

IC disclosure in China is an important part of the movement to greater transparency. Increased appreciation of the levels of IC disclosure may encourage greater debate over IC disclosure in that country.

This paper reviews one of the few research studies of IC disclosure in mainland China. The research also incorporates a quality index of the disclosure.

This study examines whether corporate earnings announcements affect investors' beliefs about future earnings using a sample of companies in the People's Republic of China. Revisions in financial analysts' consensus forecasts are used as a proxy for the change in the aggregate belief of investors in the market. Changes in the analysts' forecasts dispersion are used to measure the degree of convergence or divergence of the market's belief after the earnings announcements. Results show that both forecast revisions and changes in forecast dispersion are significantly and positively associated with the unexpected element in the earnings announcements. The results indicate that accounting earnings of Chinese companies contain information useful to the market and that the information is reflected in the analysts' subsequent forecasts of the companies' future earnings. The findings are also consistent with results from recent analytical studies, such as Kim and Verrecchia (1994), Barry and Jennings (1992) and Morse, Stephan and Stice (1991), that information disclosure may increase (rather than reduce) the disagreement among investors.