This study analyzes the performance of active equity mutual funds managed by insurance companies and their subsidiaries. We document that insurance funds underperform non-insurance peers by more than one percent in average annual returns. Two possible explanations are examined: conservatism in...

Previous research finds insignificant market-timing ability for mutual funds using tests based on fund returns. The return-based tests, however, are subject to the lsquo;lsquo;artificial timing'' bias. In this paper, we propose and implement new measures of market timing based on mutual fund...

We examine stock return predictability in China. We take 18 firm-specific variables that have been documented to predict cross-sectional stock returns in the U.S. and examine their relation with stock returns in China for the sample period from 1995 to 2007. We find relatively weak...

Intangible assets facilitate insurers' capacity to retain existing business and attract new clients. In this study we analyze how the incentives to protect intangible assets affect asset risk taking behavior of property liability insurers. Our evidence supports the view that insurers' incentives...

Using data on both fund stockholdings and fund returns, we show that actively-managed equity mutual funds are able to make significant excess returns net of actual transaction costs from trading on the accruals anomaly. We find that the top 10% of mutual funds that most actively follow the...

This article aims to scrutinize an emerging and prominent type of work team in organizations: the spontaneous virtual team (SVT). Despite the promising benefits an SVT can provide, it is confronted with great challenges throughout its lifecycle. In this article, we first highlight the unique...

State-controlled listed firms in China receive preferential treatment when borrowing from commercial banks; in contrast, private controlled firms rely on informal finance and on trade credit. We argue for and find evidence that private firms located in higher social trust regions use more trade...

This paper investigates the effect of financial deepening on the relationship between trade credit and cash holdings among Chinese listed firms. We first document an asymmetric effect of trade payables and receivables on cash holdings, in that firms hold an additional $0.71 of cash for every $1...