IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v82y2025ics1544612325008438.html

The relationship between ESG rating adjustments and corporate financial performance

Author

Listed:
  • Chou, Li-Chuan
  • (Anderson) Yan, Yun-Chia
  • Huang, Chung-Kai

Abstract

Shanaev and Ghimire (2022) point out that the existing ESG literature mainly focuses on the ESG rating level of each company, while ignoring the effect of company ESG rating adjustments. To fill this gap in the literature, this study examines the impact of ESG rating adjustments (upgrades or downgrades) on a company’s financial performance using a sample of Taiwanese-listed and OTC firms from 2015 to 2021. The results from our quantile regression models show that an upward improvement in the ESG rating level has an adverse impact on firms’ current profitability, especially for firms with poor financial performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Chou, Li-Chuan & (Anderson) Yan, Yun-Chia & Huang, Chung-Kai, 2025. "The relationship between ESG rating adjustments and corporate financial performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:82:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325008438
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.107584
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612325008438
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2025.107584?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Koenker, Roger W & Bassett, Gilbert, Jr, 1978. "Regression Quantiles," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 46(1), pages 33-50, January.
    2. Yu-Chuan Chen & Yung-Ho Chiu & Tzu-Han Chang & Tai-Yu Lin, 2023. "Sustainable Development, Government Efficiency, and People’s Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1549-1578, April.
    3. Shanaev, Savva & Ghimire, Binam, 2022. "When ESG meets AAA: The effect of ESG rating changes on stock returns," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PA).
    4. Ruan, Lei & Li, Jianing & Huang, Siqi, 2025. "ESG rating adjustment and capital market pricing efficiency: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    5. Fang Chen Kao, 2023. "How do ESG activities affect corporate performance?," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(7), pages 4099-4116, October.
    6. Austmann, Leonhard M. & Vigne, Samuel A., 2021. "Does environmental awareness fuel the electric vehicle market? A Twitter keyword analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    7. Jeremy Galbreath, 2013. "ESG in Focus: The Australian Evidence," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(3), pages 529-541, December.
    8. Lee Siew Peng & Mansor Isa, 2020. "Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practices And Performance In Shariah Firms: Agency or Stakeholder Theory?," Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance (AAMJAF), Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, vol. 16(1), pages 1-34.
    9. Freeman, R. Edward, 1994. "The Politics of Stakeholder Theory: Some Future Directions1," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 4(4), pages 409-421, October.
    10. William Young & Kumju Hwang & Seonaidh McDonald & Caroline J. Oates, 2010. "Sustainable consumption: green consumer behaviour when purchasing products," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(1), pages 20-31.
    11. Zhang, Zhaoting & Zhang, Lei, 2024. "Investor attention and corporate ESG performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    12. Fama, Eugene F & French, Kenneth R, 1995. "Size and Book-to-Market Factors in Earnings and Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(1), pages 131-155, March.
    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. Lingfu Kong & Minhas Akbar & Petra Poulova, 2023. "The Role of Environment, Social, and Governance Performance in Shaping Corporate Current and Future Value: The Case of Global Tech Leaders," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-14, August.
    2. Aynur Pala, 2014. "The Effect of Valuation Ratios, Gold Price, and Petroleum Price on Equity Returns: A Comparison of Static Panel and Quantile Regressions," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 4(1), pages 80-89, January.
    3. Ahmed, Walid M.A., 2021. "Stock market reactions to upside and downside volatility of Bitcoin: A quantile analysis," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    4. Angus W. H. Yip & William Y. P. Yu, 2023. "The Quality of Environmental KPI Disclosure in ESG Reporting for SMEs in Hong Kong," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, February.
    5. Yu Jiang & H. Holly Wang & Shaosheng Jin & Michael S. Delgado, 2019. "The Promising Effect of a Green Food Label in the New Online Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-14, February.
    6. Shi, Dinghao & Tan, Haoyu & Ling, Yixin & Liu, Yunuo & Liu, Bo & Tu, Yongqian, 2025. "Impact of environmental information uncertainty and market competition on corporate ESG performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    7. Lu, Chia-Wu & Wu, Hsueh-Ling & Su, Yu-Hsuan, 2024. "The icing on the cake: ESG effect on the quality factor portfolios," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    8. Oscar V. De la Torre-Torres, 2024. "The cost of doing nothing: Testing the benefits of water disposal risk reduction with water management Activism investing in Latin America," Remef - Revista Mexicana de Economía y Finanzas Nueva Época REMEF (The Mexican Journal of Economics and Finance), Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, IMEF, vol. 19(2), pages 1-27, Abril - J.
    9. Zargar, Faisal Nazir & Mohnot, Rajesh & Hamouda, Foued & Arfaoui, Nadia, 2024. "Risk dynamics in energy transition: Evaluating downside risks and interconnectedness in fossil fuel and renewable energy markets," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    10. Thu Huong Tran & Wen‐Min Lu & Irene Wei Kiong Ting & Hsueh‐Li ( Shirley) Huang & Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi, 2024. "Examining the impact of board gender diversity and regional differentiation in the ESG‐corporate performance nexus: Evidence from financial service industry," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 45(6), pages 4105-4124, September.
    11. Duygun, Meryem & Tunaru, Radu & Vioto, Davide, 2021. "Herding by corporates in the US and the Eurozone through different market conditions," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    12. Sakhr Bani-Khaled & Graça Azevedo & Jonas Oliveira, 2025. "Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and firm value: A systematic literature review of theories and empirical evidence," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 15(1), pages 228-260, June.
    13. Mario La Torre & Sabrina Leo & Ida Claudia Panetta, 2021. "Banks and environmental, social and governance drivers: Follow the market or the authorities?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(6), pages 1620-1634, November.
    14. Laura Fabregat-Aibar & Elena Escrig-Olmedo & Maria-Glòria Barberà-Mariné & María Ángeles Fernández-Izquierdo, 2025. "Advancing the assessment of sustainability risk in the equity investment fund industry," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    15. Hasan, Iftekhar & Tunaru, Radu & Vioto, Davide, 2023. "Herding behavior and systemic risk in global stock markets," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 107-133.
    16. Bonaccolto, Giovanni & Caporin, Massimiliano & Panzica, Roberto Calogero, 2017. "Estimation and model-based combination of causality networks," SAFE Working Paper Series 165, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    17. Asif Saeed & Ammar Ali Gull & Asad Ali Rind & Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik & Muhammad Shahbaz, 2022. "Do socially responsible firms demand high‐quality audits? An international evidence," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 2235-2255, April.
    18. Gębka, Bartosz & Wohar, Mark E., 2013. "The determinants of quantile autocorrelations: Evidence from the UK," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 51-61.
    19. Yi-Chang Chen & Hung-Che Wu & Jen-Jsung Huang, 2017. "Herd Behavior and Rational Expectations: A Test of China's Market Using Quantile Regression," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(2), pages 649-663.
    20. Chen, Zhongfei & Xie, Guanxia, 2022. "ESG disclosure and financial performance: Moderating role of ESG investors," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:finlet:v:82:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325008438. 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/frl .

    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.