IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finana/v91y2024ics1057521923004581.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Risk taking, performance, and resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from public property-casualty insurers

Author

Listed:
  • Fung, Derrick W.H.
  • Lee, Wing Yan
  • Yang, Charles C.
  • Yeh, Jason J.H.

Abstract

We examine the heterogeneous impacts of asset, product, and financial risks on property-casualty insurers' performance and their resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the potential endogeneity problem in risk taking, a panel dataset of public property-casualty insurers around the world is studied using a two-stage least squares analysis. The results show that asset and product risks enhance performance, while financial risk reduces it. In addition, property-casualty insurers are resilient to the adverse effects of COVID-19, with the exception of insurers with high asset and product risks. These findings highlight the importance of considering different dimensions of risk when evaluating property-casualty insurers. Regulators, investors, and analysts should take into account the potential impact of asset, product, and financial risks on insurers' performance and resilience, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Fung, Derrick W.H. & Lee, Wing Yan & Yang, Charles C. & Yeh, Jason J.H., 2024. "Risk taking, performance, and resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from public property-casualty insurers," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:91:y:2024:i:c:s1057521923004581
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2023.102942
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057521923004581
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.irfa.2023.102942?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fung, Derrick W.H. & Lee, Wing Yan & Yeh, Jason J.H. & Yuen, Fei Lung, 2020. "Friend or foe: The divergent effects of FinTech on financial stability," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    2. Wu, JunFeng & Zhang, Chao & Chen, Yun, 2022. "Analysis of risk correlations among stock markets during the COVID-19 pandemic," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. Gonzalo Rodríguez‐Pérez & John Slof & Magda Solà & Margarita Torrent & Immaculada Vilardell, 2011. "Assessing the Impact of Fair‐Value Accounting on Financial Statement Analysis: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 47(1), pages 61-84, March.
    4. Greenwald, Bruce C & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1990. "Asymmetric Information and the New Theory of the Firm: Financial Constraints and Risk Behavior," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(2), pages 160-165, May.
    5. Ralph S.J. Koijen & Motohiro Yogo, 2022. "The Fragility of Market Risk Insurance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(2), pages 815-862, April.
    6. Mayers, David & Smith, Clifford W, Jr, 1983. "The Interdependence of Individual Portfolio Decisions and the Demand for Insurance," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 91(2), pages 304-311, April.
    7. Zhang, Jianhua & Jiang, Chunxia & Qu, Baozhi & Wang, Peng, 2013. "Market concentration, risk-taking, and bank performance: Evidence from emerging economies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 149-157.
    8. Ghysels, Eric & Santa-Clara, Pedro & Valkanov, Rossen, 2005. "There is a risk-return trade-off after all," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 509-548, June.
    9. Khalfaoui, Rabeh & Mefteh-Wali, Salma & Dogan, Buhari & Ghosh, Sudeshna, 2023. "Extreme spillover effect of COVID-19 pandemic-related news and cryptocurrencies on green bond markets: A quantile connectedness analysis," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    10. Born, Patricia H, 2001. "Insurer Profitability in Different Regulatory and Legal Environments," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 211-237, July.
    11. Munusamy Dharani & M. Kabir Hassan & Makeen Huda & Mohammad Zoynul Abedin, 2023. "Covid-19 pandemic and stock returns in India," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 47(1), pages 251-266, March.
    12. Alberto Chong & Mark Gradstein, 2009. "Volatility and firm growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 1-25, March.
    13. Liu, Yixin & Mauer, David C., 2011. "Corporate cash holdings and CEO compensation incentives," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(1), pages 183-198, October.
    14. Soon‐Yau Foong & Razak Idris, 2012. "Leverage, product diversity and performance of general insurers in Malaysia," Journal of Risk Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 13(4), pages 347-361, August.
    15. Goddard, John & Molyneux, Phil & Wilson, John O S, 2004. "Dynamics of Growth and Profitability in Banking," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 36(6), pages 1069-1090, December.
    16. Chen-Ying Lee, 2017. "Product diversification, business structure, and firm performance in Taiwanese property and liability insurance sector," Journal of Risk Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 18(5), pages 486-499, November.
    17. Killins, Robert N., 2020. "Firm-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic factors of life insurers’ profitability: Evidence from Canada," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    18. Andre P. Liebenberg & David W. Sommer, 2008. "Effects of Corporate Diversification: Evidence From the Property–Liability Insurance Industry," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 75(4), pages 893-919, December.
    19. Yung‐Ming Shiu, 2011. "Reinsurance and Capital Structure: Evidence From the United Kingdom Non‐Life Insurance Industry," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 78(2), pages 475-494, June.
    20. Stock, James H & Wright, Jonathan H & Yogo, Motohiro, 2002. "A Survey of Weak Instruments and Weak Identification in Generalized Method of Moments," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 20(4), pages 518-529, October.
    21. Michael R. Walls & James S. Dyer, 1996. "Risk Propensity and Firm Performance: A Study of the Petroleum Exploration Industry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(7), pages 1004-1021, July.
    22. I. N. Fisher & G. R. Hall, 1969. "Risk and Corporate Rates of Return," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 83(1), pages 79-92.
    23. David T. Tan & Larelle Chapple & Kathleen D. Walsh, 2017. "Corporate fraud culture: Re-examining the corporate governance and performance relation," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(2), pages 597-620, June.
    24. Berger, Allen N. & Demsetz, Rebecca S. & Strahan, Philip E., 1999. "The consolidation of the financial services industry: Causes, consequences, and implications for the future," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(2-4), pages 135-194, February.
    25. B. Elango & Yu‐Luen Ma & Nat Pope, 2008. "An Investigation Into the Diversification–Performance Relationship in the U.S. Property–Liability Insurance Industry," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 75(3), pages 567-591, September.
    26. Raj V. Mahto & Dmitry Khanin, 2015. "Satisfaction with Past Financial Performance, Risk Taking, and Future Performance Expectations in the Family Business," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(3), pages 801-818, July.
    27. Liu, Guoping & Sun, Jerry, 2021. "Independent directors’ legal expertise, bank risk-taking and performance," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1).
    28. Wintoki, M. Babajide & Linck, James S. & Netter, Jeffry M., 2012. "Endogeneity and the dynamics of internal corporate governance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(3), pages 581-606.
    29. Myers, Stewart C., 1977. "Determinants of corporate borrowing," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 147-175, November.
    30. Giovanni Millo, 2016. "The Income Elasticity of Nonlife Insurance: A Reassessment," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 83(2), pages 335-362, June.
    31. Che, Xin & Liebenberg, Andre P., 2017. "Effects of business diversification on asset risk-taking: Evidence from the U.S. property-liability insurance industry," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 122-136.
    32. L. Paige Fields & Manu Gupta & Puneet Prakash, 2012. "Risk Taking and Performance of Public Insurers: An International Comparison," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 79(4), pages 931-962, December.
    33. Minton, Bernadette A. & Taillard, Jérôme P. & Williamson, Rohan, 2014. "Financial Expertise of the Board, Risk Taking, and Performance: Evidence from Bank Holding Companies," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(2), pages 351-380, April.
    34. Etti G. Baranoff & Savas Papadopoulos & Thomas W. Sager, 2007. "Capital and Risk Revisited: A Structural Equation Model Approach for Life Insurers," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 74(3), pages 653-681, September.
    35. Selim Mankaï & Aymen Belgacem, 2016. "Interactions Between Risk Taking, Capital, and Reinsurance for Property-Liability Insurance Firms," Post-Print hal-03529829, HAL.
    36. Goodell, John W., 2020. "COVID-19 and finance: Agendas for future research," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    37. Selim Mankaï & Aymen Belgacem, 2016. "Interactions Between Risk Taking, Capital, and Reinsurance for Property–Liability Insurance Firms," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 83(4), pages 1007-1043, December.
    38. John R. Graham, 2000. "How Big Are the Tax Benefits of Debt?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(5), pages 1901-1941, October.
    39. Wen-Chang Lin & Yi-Hsun Lai & Michael R. Powers, 2014. "The Relationship Between Regulatory Pressure and Insurer Risk Taking," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 81(2), pages 271-301, June.
    40. Sabur Mollah & M. Kabir Hassan & Omar Farooque & Asma Mobarek, 2017. "The governance, risk-taking, and performance of Islamic banks," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 51(2), pages 195-219, April.
    41. Mahbuba Aktar & Mohammad Zoynul Abedin & Anupam Das Gupta, 2021. "The Impact of Monetary Policy Shocks on Corporate Dynamic Investment Activity With Financial Heterogeneity," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440209, February.
    42. Pius Babuna & Xiaohua Yang & Amatus Gyilbag & Doris Abra Awudi & David Ngmenbelle & Dehui Bian, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 on the Insurance Industry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-14, August.
    43. Lamm-Tennant, Joan & Starks, Laura T, 1993. "Stock versus Mutual Ownership Structures: The Risk Implications," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66(1), pages 29-46, January.
    44. Hoerger, Thomas J & Sloan, Frank A & Hassan, Mahmud, 1990. "Loss Volatility, Bankruptcy, and the Demand for Reinsurance," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 221-245, September.
    45. Erdem, Orhan, 2020. "Freedom and stock market performance during Covid-19 outbreak," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    46. Rabeh Khalfaoui & Salma Mefteh-Wali & Buhari Dogan & Sudeshna Ghosh, 2023. "Extreme spillover effect of COVID-19 pandemic-related news and cryptocurrencies on green bond markets: A quantile connectedness analysis," Post-Print hal-03998228, HAL.
    47. Andreas Richter & Thomas C. Wilson, 2020. "Covid-19: implications for insurer risk management and the insurability of pandemic risk," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 45(2), pages 171-199, September.
    48. Martin Eling & Sebastian D. Marek, 2014. "Corporate Governance and Risk Taking: Evidence From the U.K. and German Insurance Markets," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 81(3), pages 653-682, September.
    49. Mohammad Mazibar Rahman & Chi Guotai & Anupam Das Gupta & Mahmud Hossain & Mohammad Zoynul Abedin, 2022. "Impact of early COVID-19 pandemic on the US and European stock markets and volatility forecasting," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 3591-3608, December.
    50. Chen, Jiayuan & Gong, Di & Muckley, Cal, 2020. "Stock market illiquidity, bargaining power and the cost of borrowing," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 181-206.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Martin Eling & Ruo Jia & Philipp Schaper, 2022. "The magic triangle: growth, profitability and safety in the insurance industry," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 47(2), pages 321-348, April.
    2. Hsiao, Ching-Yuan & Shiu, Yung-Ming, 2023. "Risk-sharing function in internal capital markets: Evidence from intragroup reinsurance activities," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    3. Courtney B. Baggett & Cassandra R. Cole, 2023. "Insurance groups, product diversification, and the role of surplus lines affiliation," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 26(1), pages 35-56, March.
    4. Ching-Yuan Hsiao & Yung-Ming Shiu, 2019. "The effects of business mix on internal and external reinsurance usage," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 44(4), pages 624-652, October.
    5. Selim Mankaï & Aymen Belgacem, 2013. "Interactions Between Risk-Taking, Capital, and Reinsurance for Property-Liability Insurance Firms," EconomiX Working Papers 2013-23, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    6. Thomas R. Berry-Stölzle & Jianren Xu, 2022. "Local religious beliefs and insurance companies’ risk-taking behaviour," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 47(2), pages 242-278, April.
    7. Stephen G. Fier & Andre P. Liebenberg & Ivonne A. Liebenberg, 2017. "Insurer Growth Strategies," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 20(3), pages 309-337, December.
    8. Xiaoyi Li & Yung-Ming Shiu, 2021. "Reinsurance, debt capacity and financial flexibility," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 46(4), pages 664-687, October.
    9. Muhammed Altuntas & James Garven & Jannes Rauch, 2018. "On the Corporate Demand for Insurance: Evidence From the Global Reinsurance Market," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 21(2), pages 211-242, September.
    10. Eling, Martin & Jia, Ruo, 2018. "Business failure, efficiency, and volatility: Evidence from the European insurance industry," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 58-76.
    11. David M. Pooser & Mark J. Browne, 2018. "The Effects of Customer Satisfaction on Company Profitability: Evidence From the Property and Casualty Insurance Industry," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 21(2), pages 289-308, September.
    12. Mário Santos & António Moreira & Elisabete Vieira, 2014. "Ownership concentration, contestability, family firms, and capital structure," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 18(4), pages 1063-1107, November.
    13. Eling, Martin & Jia, Ruo & Schaper, Philipp, 2017. "Get the Balance Right: A Simultaneous Equation Model to Analyze Growth, Profitability, and Safety," Working Papers on Finance 1716, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.
    14. Patty Duijm & Ilke Van Beveren, 2022. "Product diversification as a performance boosting strategy? Drivers and impact of diversification strategies in the property‐liability insurance industry," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 25(3), pages 303-328, September.
    15. Desjardins, Denise & Dionne, Georges & Koné, N’Golo, 2022. "Reinsurance demand and liquidity creation: A search for bicausality," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 137-154.
    16. Stoyanova, Rayna & Gründl, Helmut, 2013. "Solvency II: A driver for mergers and acquisitions?," ICIR Working Paper Series 13/13, Goethe University Frankfurt, International Center for Insurance Regulation (ICIR).
    17. Biener, Christian & Eling, Martin & Jia, Ruo, 2017. "The structure of the global reinsurance market: An analysis of efficiency, scale, and scope," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 213-229.
    18. Jeungbo Shim, 2017. "An Investigation Of Market Concentration And Financial Stability In Property–Liability Insurance Industry," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 84(2), pages 567-597, June.
    19. Bessler, Wolfgang & Drobetz, Wolfgang & Haller, Rebekka & Meier, Iwan, 2013. "The international zero-leverage phenomenon," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 196-221.
    20. Shiu, Yung-Ming, 2020. "How does reinsurance and derivatives usage affect financial performance? Evidence from the UK non-life insurance industry," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 376-385.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Risk taking; Performance; Resilience; COVID-19; Public insurers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:91:y:2024:i:c:s1057521923004581. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620166 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.