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The impact of foreign investors on the risk-taking of Japanese firms

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  • Nguyen, Pascal

Abstract

Consistent with a bank-centered governance system, Japanese firms exhibit an exceptionally low level of performance variability. The increased involvement of foreign investors motivated by shareholder value is thus likely to have triggered a major shift in their risk-taking behavior. My results confirm this assumption as all standard measures of performance volatility appear to have significantly increased with the level of foreign ownership. Controlling for endogeneity provides higher point estimates supporting anecdotal evidence that foreign investors have targeted firms taking unusually low risk. Overall, the evidence highlights the considerable impact that this category of investors can have on a firm’s decisions and, by consequence, on its performance.

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  • Nguyen, Pascal, 2012. "The impact of foreign investors on the risk-taking of Japanese firms," MPRA Paper 38991, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:38991
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    6. Ahmad Maulin Naufa & Mamduh M. Hanafi & I Wayan Nuka Lantara, 2021. "Foreign Ownership, Stock Performance-Risk, And Macroeconomic Factors In Asean Countries," Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking, Bank Indonesia, vol. 24(1), pages 151-168.
    7. Mian, Rehman U. & Mian, Affan & Safdar, Nabeel & Ilyas, Muhammad, 2022. "Cross-border spillover of institutional activism: The monitoring role of locally-aggressive foreign institutional investors," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    8. Hardjo Koerniadi & Chandrasekhar Krishnamurti & Alireza Tourani-Rad, 2014. "Corporate governance and risk-taking in New Zealand," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 39(2), pages 227-245, May.
    9. Takechi, Kazutaka, 2013. "Understanding the productivity effect of M&A in Japan: An empirical analysis of the electronics industry from 1989 to 1998," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 25, pages 1-9.
    10. Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2016. "Foreign investors and corporate risk taking behavior in an emerging market," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 273-277.
    11. Hideaki Miyajima & Takaaki Hoda & Ryo Ogawa, 2016. "Does Ownership Really Matter? : The Role of Foreign Investors in Corporate Governance in Japan," Working Papers halshs-01643915, HAL.
    12. Lee, Eun Jung & Chae, Joon & Lee, Yu Kyung, 2018. "Family ownership and risk taking," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 69-75.
    13. Kabir, Md Nurul & Miah, Mohammad Dulal & Ali, Searat & Sharma, Parmendra, 2020. "Institutional and foreign ownership vis-à-vis default risk: Evidence from Japanese firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 469-493.
    14. XU Peng, 2015. "Risk-taking and Firm Growth," Discussion papers 15061, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    15. MIYAJIMA Hideaki & HODA Takaaki & OGAWA Ryo, 2015. "Does Ownership Really Matter? The role of foreign investors in corporate governance in Japan," Discussion papers 15078, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    foreign ownership; monitoring; risk taking; performance volatility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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