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We develop an algorithm for solving a large class of nonlinear high-dimensional continuous-time models in finance. We approximate value and policy functions using deep learning and show that a combination of automatic differentiation and Ito's lemma allows for the computation of exact expectations, resulting in a negligible computational cost that is independent of the number of state variables. We illustrate the applicability of our method to problems in asset pricing, corporate finance, and portfolio choice and show that the ability to solve high-dimensional problems allows us to derive new economic insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How much of a loan should a lender retain, and how do loan sales affect loan performance? We address these questions in a model in which a lender originates loans that it can sell to investors. The lender reduces default risk through screening at origination and monitoring after origination, but is subject to moral hazard. The optimal lender-investor contract can be implemented by requiring the lender to initially retain a share of the loan that it gradually sells to investors, rationalizing loan sales after origination. The model generates novel predictions linking loan and lender characteristics to initial retention, sales dynamics, and loan performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze how interdependencies in financial networks can lead to self-fulfilling insolvencies and multiple possible equilibrium outcomes. Multiplicity arises if a certain type of dependency cycle exists in the network. We show that finding the cheapest bailout policy that prevents self-fulfilling insolvencies is computationally hard, but that the optimal policy has intuitive features in some typical network structures. Leveraging indirect benefits ensures systemic solvency at a cost that never exceeds half of the overall shortfall. In core-periphery networks, it is optimal to bail out peripheral banks first as opposed to core banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper conducts a textual analysis of earnings call transcripts to quantify climate risk exposure at the firm level. We construct dictionaries that measure physical and transition climate risks separately and identify firms that proactively respond to climate risks. Our validation analysis shows that our measures capture firm-level variations in respective climate risk exposure. Firms facing high transition risk, especially those that do not proactively respond, have been valued at a discount in recent years as aggregate investor attention to climate-related issues has been increasing. We document differences in how firms respond through investment, green innovation, and employment when facing high climate risk exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweden was one of the first countries to introduce a carbon tax back in 1991. We assemble a unique data set tracking CO2 emissions from Swedish manufacturing firms over 26 years to estimate the impact of carbon pricing on firm-level emission intensities. We estimate an emission-to-pricing elasticity of around two, with substantial heterogeneity across subsectors and firms, where higher abatement costs and tighter financial constraints are associated with lower elasticities. A simple calibration suggests that 2015 CO2 emissions from Swedish manufacturing would have been roughly 30% higher without carbon pricing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the exclusion of business development companies (BDCs) from stock indexes, this paper studies the effectiveness of market discipline in the direct lending space. Amid share sell-offs by institutional investors, a drop in BDCs' valuations limits their ability to raise new equity capital. Following this funding shock, BDCs do not adjust their capital structure. At the same time, they are reducing the risk exposure of their portfolios. We document a greater reduction in risk for BDCs subject to stronger market discipline from their debtholders. BDCs pass through the capital shock to their portfolio firms by reducing their investment intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a security design model in which a potential acquirer approaches a firm with a value-add plan. The target has a single owner, who possesses private information: he alone knows whether his firm is compatible with the plan. The owner agrees that the acquirer will add value but believes that the value-add will not be as much as what the acquirer expects. Although the acquirer can choose any monotone limited liability security to offer along with cash, we show that, under general conditions, any security that is employed always takes the form of nonrecourse debt provided by the seller. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix , which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We exploit the staggered introduction of liability waivers when investors hold stakes in conflicting business opportunities as a shock to venture capital (VC) investment and director networks. After the law changes, we find increases in within-industry VC investment and common directors serving on startup boards. Despite the potential for rent extraction, same-industry startups inside VC portfolios benefit by raising more capital, failing less, and exiting more successfully. VC directors serving on other startup boards are the primary mechanism associated with positive outcomes, consistent with common VC investment facilitating informational exchanges in VC portfolios. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix , which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies how private equity creates value and its consequences for consumer welfare in the insurance industry, where PE investments grew tenfold following the financial crisis. PE firms add value through regulatory and tax arbitrage that increases profits relative to their non-PE counterparts. Crucially, the impact on consumer welfare is nuanced: in the short run, consumers benefit from more favorably priced products. But the arbitrage strategy also exposes them to more risk, as annual expected losses scaled by capital buffers rise by 50 percentage points. This creates the possibility of consumer harm in the event of a downturn. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix , which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare the investment of standalone firms across regions after a positive shock to the investment opportunities generated by a large-scale highway development project. We show that the standalones' investment sensitivity is lower in regions with a higher density of business groups in the local area. We investigate mechanisms driving our results and find support for a financing mechanism whereby banks allocate capital preferentially to group-affiliated firms in responding to the increase in credit demand. Overall, our study documents that business groups have spillover effects on standalone firms. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix , which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a model of strategic renegotiation in which businesses are sequentially interconnected through their liabilities. This financing structure, which we refer to as a credit chain, gives rise to externalities, as each lender's willingness to provide concessions to its borrower depends on how this lender's own liabilities are expected to be renegotiated. We highlight how government interventions aimed at preventing default waves should account for private renegotiation incentives and interlinkages. In particular, we contrast the consequences of targeted subsidy and debt reduction programs following economic shocks, such as pandemics and financial crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Chinese data, we examine whether synchronous remote board meetings, which facilitate status equalization among directors and alleviate their pressure for conformity, affect board monitoring effectiveness. We find that compared to face-to-face meetings, synchronous remote meetings are associated with directors' better meeting attendance behavior, a higher likelihood of director dissent on monitoring-related proposals, higher forced CEO turnover-performance sensitivity, and more effective investments. These results hold when we use remote meetings that include both synchronous and asynchronous remote meetings. Proposal-director level analysis further shows that remote meetings reduce the pressure to conform faced by young first-term directors and socially connected directors. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix , which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the relationship between clean energy stock and oil market returns utilizing Granger predictability in distribution and quantile impulse response analysis. We find that clean energy stock returns Granger predict oil price returns during "normal times" based on the distribution's center, but not vice versa. During bullish market episodes, there is bidirectional Granger predictability between the returns of clean energy stocks and oil market returns. Nonetheless, we find that clean energy stock returns Granger predict oil returns in bearish markets without any evidence of the contrary. This indicates that oil returns cannot be used to hedge the downside risk associated with renewable energy company purchases. Quantile impulse responses for the relationship between clean energy stocks and the crude oil market reveal bidirectional and significant responses, where a negative shock during an extremely down market reveals a negative response in the other market and a positive shock during an extremely up market reveals a significant positive response. This shows that neither market can be utilized to offset risks in the other market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the influence of voluntary disclosure on bank value in Pakistan, considering the moderating effect of corporate governance characteristics: ownership control, board independence and board size. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses data from 20 listed Pakistani banks for the period 2011–2021. The estimation contains robust fixed effect and its assumptions, and a model of standard error with panel corrections. Findings: The findings revealed a weak positive impact of voluntary disclosure on bank value. However, the increase in the number of independent directors strengthens the positive impact of voluntary disclosure on a bank's value. Conversely, increasing the ownership concentration, and board size (other than independent directors) may strongly decrease the impact of voluntary disclosure on a bank's value in Pakistan. Research limitations/implications: The study's limitations include its exclusive focus on the Pakistani banking industry. Future research should take into account newer contexts and data. The findings suggest that future research should investigate the topic in various contexts, including a comparison of Islamic and conventional banks. Practical implications: The practical implications for Pakistani banks emphasize transparency, board composition and ownership structure. In terms of managerial implications, using independent directors, aligning ownership interests and addressing disclosure challenges are highlighted. Originality/value: Focusing on independent directors, ownership concentration and board size, this study enhances knowledge of the impact of voluntary disclosure on bank value in Pakistan. It contributes to agency theory and the literature in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a risk measure that simultaneously allows to minimize hedging costs and maximize expected utility in the presence of a risk constraint. We call it the scalarized utility-based multi-asset (SUBMA) risk measure. For the SUBMA risk measure we state the following results: If the utility function has constant relative risk aversion and the risk constraint is coherent, then the SUBMA risk measure is coherent. In a one-period financial market setup, we present a sufficient condition for the SUBMA risk measure to be finite-valued. We derive results about the existence of optimal payoffs. Finally, we present a dual representation for a map that generalizes classical risk measures and has not been analyzed so far. In particular, it gives us the dual representation for the SUBMA risk measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to classify scientific research on the impact of ESG and climate-related risks on the conduct of the banking business. The systematic literature review was based on a bibliometric analysis of articles found in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The search was confined to materials published between 2000 and August 2023. After applying criteria limiting the search, the final result was 869 unique literature items which were later analysed towards establishing the relationship of ESG and climate-related risks ('new banking risks') with other (so-called 'traditional') banking risks and identifying research gaps at the interface between traditional and new banking risks. This article introduces a variety of findings, including the most productive authors, organisations, countries and journals, the most cited articles and keyword distribution. In addition, a map of the evolution of the approach to ESG risk in banking was constructed on the basis of the literature review. The study identified 11 clusters of banking risk influenced by ESG risk and 10 clusters of banking risk affected by climate-related risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effect of ESG controversies and their moderating role in ESG performance and the cost of equity and overall, short-term and long-term debt capital relationship in European listed companies. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs two-way fixed effects panel linear regression models on the balanced longitudinal dataset of 231 European non-financial companies listed in the MSCI Europe Index in 2017–2022. To check the robustness, the study utilises the fixed effects logistic regression models with heteroskedasticity-consistent standard errors. Findings: The study reveals the significant effect of ESG performance (negative) and ESG controversies (negative) on the cost of debt capital and the substantial moderating effect of ESG controversies (positive). Additionally, it provides empirical evidence of the crossover moderating effect of ESG controversies in ESG performance and cost of equity relationship. Research limitations/implications: The findings contribute to corporate practice and empirically support legitimacy and stakeholder theories. Practical implications: Companies can utilise the results to proactively enhance their internal policies and behaviour to align with ESG practices and avoid ESG controversies, which will translate into reduced equity capital costs for shareholders and a lower cost of debt capital charged by creditors. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively investigate the influence of ESG controversies and their moderating effect in the context of the equity and debt capital cost for European listed companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prior literature on the cultural determinants of cash holdings focuses on time-invariant cultural variables measured at the geographical level. These measures of culture do not capture the firm-level variation in corporate culture. Using a validated time-variant measure of firm-level corporate culture, specifically teamwork, we examine the effect of teamwork on a firm's cash holdings. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, we explore the effect of corporate teamwork culture on firms' cash holdings. Using sudden CEO turnover as an exogenous shock to a firm's teamwork culture, we find teamwork increases cash holdings. Also, we test and find two channels—financial constraint and agency—and two new labour-related channels—human capital quality and labour inefficiency—through which teamwork culture affects cash holdings. Our results are robust to endogeneity tests. Findings: We find that teamwork increases the cash holdings of firms. We find that a firm with a high teamwork culture has higher cash holdings: an increase of one standard deviation in teamwork leads to a 14.6% rise in the mean cash holdings. Originality/value: To our knowledge, our study is the first to introduce the firm-level teamwork cultural construct as a determinant of cash holdings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: According to the market competition theory, a firm's decision-making is influenced by the behaviors or strategies of its competitors. The repercussions of competition include market-stealing and spillover effects. Relatively few studies in the reinsurance literature discuss the effect of competitors on an insurer's decision-making. This study aims to fill a gap in the reinsurance literature by comparing insurers' reinsurance demand to their competitors' reinsurance purchases. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses unbalanced panel data for the US property-liability insurance industry from 2006 to 2017 to determine the impact of competitors' reinsurance purchases on insurers' reinsurance demand. This study employs the Mixed Effect Model and the Quantile Regression to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings: The evidence suggests that the affiliated reinsurance purchases of competitors have a positive and substantial effect on the affiliated reinsurance demand of insurers, crediting mimicking the reinsurance strategy. Interestingly, the market-stealing effect is supported while the non-affiliated reinsurance metric is used. Remarkably, given insurers with low non-affiliated reinsurance purchases, the finding sustains the mimicking reinsurance strategy. Nevertheless, the market-stealing effect remains a concern for insurers with a high non-affiliated reinsurance purchase. Originality/value: The new findings concerning competitor effects analysis fill a void in the reinsurance literature. Risk diversification, capital substitution, and real services demand may play a crucial role in determining the market-stealing effect, leading to a decrease in market share. Insurers can mitigate the market-stealing effect of competitors by accessing expertise and capital substitution through non-affiliated reinsurance purchases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to test the empirical validity of the dynamic trade-off theory in its symmetric and asymmetric versions in explaining the capital structure of a panel of publicly listed US industrial firms over the period from 2013 to 2019. It analyzes the existence of an adjustment of leverage toward its target level and whether the speed of this adjustment is influenced by the debt measure, the model specification or/and the fact that the actual debt ratio is higher or lower than its long-term target level. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a quantitative research methodology using panel data analysis under the partial adjustment model and the error correction model using the generalized moment method in first differences and in systems to explore the dynamic nature of firms' capital structure behavior. Findings: The results show that the effects of the conventional determinants of leverage are globally consistent with the trade-off theory predictions. The dynamic versions confirm that firms exhibit leverage-targeting behavior. Although this speed of adjustment (SOA) depends on the debt and model specifications, it is around 60% on average. The estimated SOA is higher for the market leverage measure compared to the book leverage. The asymmetric adjustment model reveals that firms are more sensitive to reducing leverage than increasing it when they are away from their target; overleveraged firms exhibit approximately 5% faster adjustment than underleveraged firms when book leverage is used. Originality/value: The originality of this research paper lies in its development and test of an asymmetric model to allow the leverage adjustment speed to vary depending on whether the firm's debt ratio is above or below its target level and the methodological approach as well as the different model specifications used and the insights generated through the application of rigorous econometric techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the impact of sustainability through ESG factors on the default risk. The sample consists of 990 non-financial firms in the Eurozone over the period 2004–2020. The results show that ESG factors influence default risk, although this relationship could be influenced by the economic cycle. Also, the results highlight a significant interaction effect between firm size and ESG which affects default risk. Considering firm size by terciles, the evidence obtained shows that smaller and medium-sized firms have a positive net effect of a high ESG score on their default risk, while the opposite effect was found among larger firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to study the impact of earnings quality on firms' financial performance. Design/methodology/approach: An unbalanced panel data of 237 small- and medium-sized Portuguese companies from the mold industry, using 2010–2018 yearly data was analyzed. While most studies focus only on earnings management when assessing earnings quality, in this study six proxies for earnings quality are used, namely, accruals quality (a proxy for earnings management), earnings persistence, earnings predictability, earnings smoothness, earnings timeliness and earnings conservatism. Moreover, two proxies of financial performance are considered, the return on assets and the economic value added. An econometric model was estimated using either a fixed-effects or a random-effects specification to account for the individual firm-specific effects and ensure heteroscedasticity corrected estimates. Findings: The results show that managers must be concerned with the quality of reported earnings, as it can affect positively firms' financial performance, especially regarding accruals quality. Persistence, predictability, smoothness, timeliness and conservatism are shown not to exert significant influence on financial performance in the sample. Research limitations/implications: This work contributes not only as a literature review on these thematic but also to firms' managers and stakeholders, who have information that helps them select strategies that guarantee earnings quality and improve firms' financial performance. Originality/value: This study proposed an econometric model that studies the relationship between earnings quality (using several proxies for it) and financial performance that can be applied to all companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the extent and trend of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure by UAE listed banks and the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on this disclosure. Design/methodology/approach: Content analysis of banks' annual reports from 2009 to 2019 was applied to investigate the CSR disclosure level by constructing a disclosure index. Panel data regressions were applied to analyze the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on CSR disclosure. Findings: UAE banks show an improving trend in the CSR disclosures. In addition, the board of directors and ownership structure are significantly and positively associated with the CSR disclosures. The results vary across the banking systems. Research limitations/implications: This study considers the extent of the CSR disclosure in UAE banks' annual reports, and future research should consider more industries and communication channels. Practical implications: This study sheds light on the extent of the CSR disclosure of UAE listed banks and assists UAE policymakers in implementing appropriate corporate governance mechanisms. Social implications: The findings provide banks with a better understanding of the benefits of strengthening corporate governance to improve their CSR disclosure. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by constructing a more comprehensive disclosure index and examining the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on CSR disclosure by considering both the conventional and Islamic banking systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this article is to assess the macroeconomic consequences of some specific aspects of financialization (i.e. share buy-back) using a hybrid post-Keynesian model of growth and distribution based on Kaldorian and Kaleckian characteristics. Design/methodology/approach: The study follows a post-Keynesian approach and deals with financialization issues by implementing several numerical simulations. Findings: The numerical simulations reveal the negative real impacts of massive share repurchases on the rate of accumulation because they immediately siphon off revenues directly intended for investment projects. Moreover, the negative effect of share buy-backs is reinforced especially when firms' investment decisions are more sensitive to a variation in retained earnings. Next, this macro-model also reproduces several well-known figures of the Kaleckian tradition and the paradox of costs. Research limitations/implications: The present article can be considered as a starting point for further theoretical extensions and requires empirical validation. Originality/value: The Kaldor-Kalecki macro-model could be useful for policymakers who are interested in containing some of the negative excesses of financialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the repercussions of substantial workforce reductions on the performance of publicly traded US tech firms from 2020Q1 to 2023Q1, being robust to multiple proxies across four performance parameters. Findings reveal decreased investment and operating performance during layoff quarters, accompanied by elevated payout and financing activities. However, a marginal enhancement in operating performance is observed in one quarter following dismissals, with reduced investments, payout, and financing performance. Furthermore, this study delves into the cash-holding behavior of firms during both downsizing quarters and the immediate subsequent quarters, while exploring the moderating role of prior firm performance within layoff quarters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the potential threshold effect in the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance and social reputation. Design/methodology/approach: This study includes an international and cross-sector sample covering 41 countries, nine sectors and 45,395 firm-year observations. It applies a parabolic relationship, rather than linear regressions, between CSR engagement and social reputation via CSR awarding. This implies that CSR performance should increase until a certain point to gain a social reputation but then should decrease after reaching that threshold point considering limited financial resources. Findings: The findings of country-industry-year fixed-effects logistic regressions confirm the threshold effect with an inverted U-shaped relationship between CSR and CSR awarding. More specifically, firms increase their environmental and social engagement until a certain point, and then they reduce it after reaching a social reputation. This finding is confirmed by three dimensions of the environmental pillar (i.e. resource use, emissions and eco-innovation) as well as four dimensions of the social pillar (i.e. workforce, human rights, community and product responsibility). The findings are robust to alternative samples, alternative methodology and endogeneity concerns. Practical implications: The findings of this study have implications for firms about the better allocation of available funds between CSR and operations. The findings could be particularly useful for CSR teams/committees of the firms who formulate CSR policies and how to mobilize firm resources for better social enhancement via environmental and social reputation. Originality/value: This study examines deeper the nature of the association between CSR engagement and social reputation and considers the possibility of an inverted U-shaped relationship between them. The determination of a threshold effect suggests that CSR engagement increases social reputation, but once it reaches a certain point, social reputation will decrease owing to financial resource constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to investigate the relationship between CEO pay ratio and corporate financial performance in Polish public companies. Using a sample of 259 companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, we demonstrate that links between the pay gap and accounting measures of performance differ from market ones. Our findings indicate a negative correlation between CEO pay ratio and return on sales. This implies that companies pay executives less during periods of high profitability, possibly to avoid the negative impact of excessive pay on firm performance. We also discover that the pay gap, measured by CEO pay ratio, is positively linked with Tobin’s Q and annual stock returns. A high CEO pay ratio signals strong incentives for top executives to perform, potentially leading to better strategic decisions and, consequently, higher Tobin’s Q ratios and annual stock returns.

The aim of the study is to examine the impact of society’s economic well-being determinants – above and beyond the firm-specific and macroeconomic determinants – on firm profitability in Poland. Based on stakeholder theory we hypothesized that the economic well-being of society can influence firm performance. Therefore, we included real wage and salary growth, internal migration, international migration, and natural increase variables in the regression models. We applied four models with different sets of variables using pooled ordinary least square regression, as well as fixed and random effects regressions with robust standard errors clustered at the firm level. The dataset covers the period from 2004 to 2021, comprising 5400 firm-year observations from Poland in the wholesale and retail trade sector. We found that firm profitability generally increases with higher inflation and exchange rate depreciation. Moreover, in models including society’s economic well-being variables, GDP growth is no longer a significant determinant of firm profitability. Most importantly, the study demonstrates a positive relationship between real wage and salary growth and firm profitability. We also found that international migration is negatively associated with firm profitability. Regarding natural increase, the study suggests that it has a positive effect on return on equity, but not on return on assets.

This study aimed to shed light on the contribution of analytical procedures (APs) to supporting corporate governance. This was achieved through a field study in which a questionnaire was created and disseminated to a random sample of external auditors in Algeria. The data collected underwent analysis using the SPSS. The study concluded that APs play a crucial role in bolstering corporate governance by analyzing the company’s continuity capability and identifying financial problems facing the companies. In addition, APs enhance the quality and efficiency of external auditing, especially considering auditing as one of the key mechanisms that support corporate governance.

The study analyzes whether the type of shareholding control (dispersed, shared, or dominant) affects agency conflicts by investigating the relationship between shareholding control, ownership concentration, and firm value. The sample is a panel data comprising 1977 firm-year observations from 167 Brazilian firms in the period 2010–2022. Our results show that shared control creates value, whereas dominant control destroys firm value. Voting rights concentration and cash-flow rights reduce the value of firms with dispersed and shared control. However, at firms with dominant control, these firm characteristics increase firm value. Excess voting rights, in turn, destroy the value of firms with shared and dominant control. Our evidence shows that the type of shareholding control influences the nature and magnitude of agency conflicts and the relationship between ownership concentration and firm value. Thus, within an institutional environment, agency conflicts may differ among firms, depending on the type of shareholding control.

This study investigates the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on bank stability in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, differentiating between Islamic and conventional banks. The results reveal a negative relationship between FDI and bank stability, and Islamic banks can mitigate this impact, enhancing overall stability. Notably, during recent crises (the global financial crisis (GFC) and the COVID-19 pandemic (COVID-19)), FDI's effect on bank stability intensified, and the GFC had a stronger influence than COVID-19. Islamic banks were more resilient to FDI during these crises, highlighting their pivotal role in strengthening the banking system across the member countries in the GCC. The study offers critical insights for regulators, policy makers, and risk managers, advising cautious supervision over FDI in order to preserve monetary and financial stability.

This paper develops a theory that generates an equilibrium relationship between product complexity, transparency, and trust in firms. Complexity, transparency, and the evolution of trust are all endogenous, and equilibrium transparency is nonmonotonic. The least-trusted firms choose the lowest product complexity, remain opaque, and substitute ex ante third-party verification for information disclosure and trust. Firms with an intermediate level of trust choose an intermediate level of complexity and transparency through disclosure, with more trusted firms choosing greater complexity and lower transparency. The most-trusted firms choose maximum complexity while remaining opaque, eschewing both verification and disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]