This study investigates the interplay between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm leverage as determinants of earnings management in Saudi Arabia, a context shaped by Islamic principles and evolving corporate governance norms. Using a dataset for Saudi listed firms between 2017 and...

Consensus holds that Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) engage in procyclical fiscal behavior. We emphasize that considering conditional responses to macroeconomic shocks is crucial when evaluating fiscal cyclicality, as neglecting this can result in significant biases. This study...

In this study, we aim to provide a comprehensive analysis of the risk management potential of sectoral Credit Default Swaps (CDSs) within financial portfolios. Our objectives are threefold: (i) to investigate the safe haven properties of sectoral CDSs; (ii) to assess their hedging effectiveness...

This study investigates the relationship between CEO characteristics and firm performance across emerging and developed economies using both panel regression and machine learning techniques. Drawing on Upper Echelons Theory, we examine whether CEO age, tenure, gender, founder status, and...