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Purpose: This article aims to examine the influence of life cycle stages on the corporate decisions of Brazilian firms. Originality/value: The study contributes by presenting a scenario of investment, financing, dividend, and cash decisions, revealing patterns and characteristics of the evolution of Brazilian firms throughout their life cycle stages. For this, we tested an alternative life cycle proxy capable of classifying firms in different stages, even shake-out and decline, not defined by the model of Dickinson (2011), and applied a more robust methodology (GMM-SYS) considering potential endogeneity problems disregarded by previous studies. Design/methodology/approach: The sample consists of 203 traded firms listed on B3 from 2010 to 2018. We collected the data from the Thomson Reuters Eikon database. We estimated the parameters of the models by GMM-SYS (Generalized Method of Moments) to mitigate problems of endogeneity, omitted variables, and heterogeneity. Findings: As our main results, we have that Brazilian firms do not follow a pattern and oscillate between stages and that there is strong evidence of the effect of the life cycle on corporate decisions. In the introduction and growth stages, firms invest more, have more debt, pay fewer dividends, and have greater cash availability. In the mature stage, investments, debts, and the level of cash are lower. In the shake-out stage, no results were significant, requiring further studies to better explore this stage in developing countries, such as Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to shed light on the effects of financial constraints on the value shareholders attribute to cash holdings in firms listed on the Brazilian stock exchange, where corporate law determines that publicly listed companies set aside part of their annual profits for dividend payments. While prior empirical literature provides evidence that cash holdings are more valuable for financially constrained companies than for their unconstrained counterparts, we cannot support the hypothesis that the market value of cash increases as obtaining access to external funds becomes more difficult. Our analysis also reveals that constrained companies do not hold significantly higher cash savings than their unconstrained peers. This last result, in turn, is not in line with the precautionary motive for having cash. Moreover, although the principal argument for adopting mandatory dividend rules in Brazil was to increase the protection of minority shareholders, we observe that the contribution of cash holdings to firm value is still small in Brazil, especially in dual‐class companies, because investors expect cash holdings to be partly consumed as private benefits due to the presence of significant agency problems. This research is relevant because it serves as an additional step in understanding how a legal mechanism established by a government to protect investors affects the contribution of cash holdings to firm value. Governments that intend to adopt mandatory dividend rules to safeguard the cash‐flow rights of minority shareholders can use our findings to make better decisions regarding whether to enforce compulsory dividend payments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effect of the heterogeneity of shareholder coalitions on the distribution of dividends in companies listed in Brazil. To analyze the relationship between large shareholders and dividends, it is essential to consider the way the control is ensured. Large shareholders can share control by forming coalitions, and differences in the composition of coalitions can alter the incentives the cooperating parties have for the activity of monitoring. Based on shareholder agreements, we explore the heterogeneity among shareholder coalitions by presenting elements that can characterize the role of shared control in the corporate governance of companies in a market environment described by the concentration of control in a single large shareholder. This study presents potential economic and social impacts, as it is of particular interest to outsider shareholders, and even potential investors, to know how insiders can use dividend policy, since the distribution of profits tends to mitigate agency problems. To identify the shareholder coalitions we resorted to shareholder agreements. The analysis model was estimated using the two-stage system generalized method of moments (GMM-Sys) with unbalanced panel data for the period from 2008 to 2019. We discovered that the number of shareholders in the coalition and the leveraging of the voting rights of the biggest shareholder in the coalition are negatively related to the dividends distributed, and that the voting rights of the coalition are positively related to the dividends distributed. These results contribute to the principal-principal approach of agency theory and highlight that the incentives and capacity of shareholder coalitions to pursue private benefits of control depend on their own characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study addresses the informativeness of accounting earnings in Brazil by analysing the impact of distributed dividends and the existence of financial constraints. Panel data regression with fixed effects and quantile regression estimated that the dividend informativeness in Brazil and the presence of financial constraints affect earnings informativeness, even when the different forms of earnings distribution in Brazil are considered. The main contribution of the study is to provide further evidence on the Brazilian market that adopts a rare mandatory minimum dividend rule, and moreover, defines the distribution of earnings under different tax regime categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We test whether a market‐level corporate governance reform in Brazil influences the behavior of firms. To do so, we first verify whether the Novo Mercado (NM)—the segment applying more stringent corporate governance practices—impacts specific firms' financial characteristics. We also investigate if it impacts firms' dividends and leverage, two well‐known mechanisms for mitigating agency problems. Results show the NM impacts many firms' characteristics and reduces firms' dividends and leverage. We thus claim that market‐level reform may be an effective trust‐enhancing mechanism and may improve minority investor protection, thus providing evidence that a country's institutional setting can evolve over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade there has been a strong expansion of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the world, including the decision of its adoption by Brazil in 2007. Since then, brazilian accounting has undergone significant transformations and several national and international studies tries to evaluate the economic effects of IFRS adoption. This study aims to assess whether IFRS adoption in Brazil was reflected in payout policies from public companies (electricity sector), using a sample from 2005 to 2014, comprising five year before e after the full IFRS adoption. The results indicate the existence of a positive and significant relationship between payouts and unrealized profits and leverage, denoting that companies are willing to increase leverage and pay dividends on unrealized profits to maintain its distribution policies. These findings are consistent with theories that companies are making efforts to avoid a payout reduction given possible impacts of its market value. The study also indicated a positive influence of IFRS adoption on dividends payout after that. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the determinants of cash holding and dividends and the relation existing between them in the institutional framework of Brazil, an emerging market on the world scenario. It also presents specific cultural and institutional characteristics. Through the panel data methodology, we show how peculiar the behaviour of Brazilian firms is, surprisingly quite different from the traditional theories and stereotypes. It was found that they have lower cash holdings and pay higher dividends compared to the UK market. In addition, analysis of the relation between these two policies showed a positive relation, together with other closely related items such as the relevant effect of profitability and investment opportunities. All this leads us to confirm the importance of the institutional framework in the financial decisions taken in the Brazilian market. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses issues related to the so-called demographic dividend. It explains that demographic dividend is the accelerated economic growth resulting from the changes in age structure of a population where there are fewer younger people compared to working age adults. It describes the experience of Brazil and Thailand in achieving demographic dividends and evaluates the prospects of African countries.

O Modelo de Valor Presente (MVP) -- conceito de que os preços correntes dos títulos dependem do valor presente de dividendos futuros descontados, em que a taxa de desconto é equivalente à taxa requerida de retorno--é um dos conceitos da Teoria Financeira. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a validade do MVP entre preços e dividendos ao nível da firma a partir de técnicas em painel aplicadas a processos não estacionários e potencialmente cointegrados para o mercado acionário brasileiro. Considerando-se o Modelo de Valor Presente com Retornos Constantes e Variantes no Tempo, a evidência de que (log de) preços reais e (log de) dividendos reais são não estacionários I(1) e que (log da) razão preço-dividendo é I(0) não pode ser rejeitada. Em relação aos estimadores FMOLS e DOLS para modelos cointegrados em painel, verificam-se que os preços das ações encontram-se sobreavaliados sob ambas as hipóteses de retornos constantes ou variantes no tempo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether characteristics other than corporate operation, a proxy for clientele effect, marginally differentiated the dividend policies of 401 firms (2339 firm/years) traded on BM&Fbovespa in the period 1998-2010. A statistically significant association between the decision to declare dividends (and amounts) and the clientele effect was hypothesized. Following testing with logistic and TOBIT regressions, the hypothesis could not be conclusively rejected. The dividend policies of Brazilian firms to some extent support Miller and Modigliani's (1961) proposition concerning the clientele effect and dividend decision. The impact of the latter is probably due to corporate governance issues and related to predominant mechanisms of financing in the Brazilian financial market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the relation between dividend yield and interest on own capital and stock return. Miller & Modigliani’s (M&M, 1961) Dividend Irrelevance Theory and Gordon & Lintner’s (1963) Birdin-the-Hand Theory serve as the theoretical framework, besides Brazilian studies on the theme. In view of its objectives, this research is classified as descriptive and the empirical-analytic approach will be used to treat the data. Analysis data were collected from Economática software. The sample consisted of companies traded on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (Bovespa). The period between 1995 and 2008 was analyzed. Before regression analysis with panel data, the multivariate correspondence analysis (Anacor) technique was used for an exploratory analysis of the study variables. The results indicated that dividend yield and interest on own capital are related with stock return, so that the study hypothesis was not rejected. Based on the use of regression with fixed effects, applying the ordinary least squares method, with R2 equal to approximately 47.55%, it was verified that dividend yield and interest on own capital are inversely related with stock return. Through this research, the intent is to provide and expand empirical evidence on the theme and offer support for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper consists of a review of the literature about dividend policy in Brazil, focusing on the empirical studies conducted from 1990 to 2010 that were published in major Brazilian administration, accounting and finance journals and major conference proceedings on this subject. The analyzed sample comprised 39 studies using various methods and conducted in various periods. Based on the model of Harris and Raviv (1991), this paper grouped studies according to model type, and it found five main categories. We were able to find some tendencies, such as: dividend policy relevance in the Brazilian market; confirmation of existence of agency problems; conflicting findings regarding the clientele hypothesis; tax signaling in, and tax impact on, defining dividend policy; non-conflicting findings regarding key factors of dividend policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to verify the determining reasons for Brazilian companies to repurchase shares in the period from 1995 to 2008. The explanatory variables used in the statistical tests were based on previous studies (DURAND, 1952; JENSEN; MECKLING, 1976; SPENCE, 1973). The data were obtained from the Economática database and the empirical tests consisted of multiple regression with pooled data, with the help of least squares and Tobit methods. Pooled and Tobit regressions were applied to verify the statistical robustness of the results. The study was based on the capital structure adjustment, agency, dividend substitution and signaling theories. The reasons for share repurchases tested were adjustment of the capital structure, reduction of available cash flow, substitution of dividend payments and firm undervaluation. The only statistically significant reason for share buybacks was reduction of available cash flow. In light of agency theory, this indicates that firms with available cash can repurchase their shares with the intention of minimizing the principal-agent conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risky investments assume that profits are on average higher than those obtained from risk-free assets; this difference is traditionally called an equity risk premium. Its importance is unequivocal: for investors, when deciding on being exposed to the stock market's risks; for corporation managers, in project selection and even for government agencies when regulating utility company returns and supervising pension funds. However, this applicability requires trustworthy values to be used in the models. This paper analyses estimates obtained by three different approaches covering the period of January of 1996 to December of 2008. In the historical approach, the results vary from 5% to 7% for the IBrX and FGV-100 indexes; in the prospective approach (which reflects the expected premium) the result was 3.35%; finally, in the indirect approach (by market models), negative equity premiums were found, an unexpected but significant result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses a sample of 213 Brazilian firms listed between 1995 and 2004 to examine the effect of the presence or absence of growth opportunities on the subsequent effect of leverage, dividend payout, and ownership concentration on firm value. First, we find that leverage plays a dual role: whereas it negatively affects the value of firms with growth opportunities (i.e., underinvestment theory), it positively affects the value of firms without growth opportunities (i.e., overinvestment theory). Second, we find that dividends play a disciplinary role in firms with fewer growth opportunities by reducing free cash flow under managerial control. Finally, the results show that ownership structure has a nonlinear effect-that is, ownership concentration initially improves the value of most firms. However, after a certain threshold, in firms with growth opportunities, the risk increases that large shareholders expropriate wealth at the expense of minority shareholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the ability of Brazilian companies to distribute earnings to their shareholders in the form of dividends based on interest on net equity and mentions the deductible of amounts for corporate income tax and social contribution on net profits.

This study has as reference the works by Fama and French (2002) accomplished with data of North American companies and by Brito and Silva (2003) accomplished with data of Brazilian companies. This work tested the forecasts of the tradeoff and pecking order theories on indebtedness and payout, using the methodology by Fama and McBeth (1973). The results demonstrated that Brazilian companies increased the remuneration goal, however they still distribute a small proportion of the profits, if compared to the American pattern, in spite of the Brazilian legislation to be quite favorable. The results indicate that the payout is negatively related with the investment opportunities and that the dividends don't suffer variation of short period to accommodate the investments, as it defends the theory of the pecking order. The profitability demonstrated to be relevant in the determination of the indebtedness politics, what indicates that the most profitable companies are less indebted confirming the pecking order. Besides, the variable "size" demonstrated to be significant in the indebted politics, corroborating pecking order and trade-off theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The information is vital for ensuring harmony among the constituent parts of the capital market. The value of information is recognized and appreciated by all in the contemporary world. While each individual has his interpretation, access to it is imperative for a more efficient and fair functioning of markets. The lack of communication or the darkness of the property market results in the emergence of different degrees of information (asymmetric information) that can cripple the business, or make it extremely costly. Therefore, it is necessary to study the informational asymmetry of the Brazilian capital market, because their greater understanding is related to the development of the Brazilian financial system. This study tested the asymmetric information in the traditional market of the BOVESPA and in markets with differentiated corporate governance. The asymmetric information has been tested in various ways and pointed out the fall of asymmetric information in companies with additional corporate governance practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capital structure and dividends have been frequently studied in corporate finance. In 2002, Fama and French simultaneously analyzed these two subjects in the context of tradeoff and pecking order theories. The simultaneous analysis means acknowledging that dividend influences capital structure and vice versa, leading to an endogeneity problem. Extending and adapting Fama and French's study to the Brazilian environment and including yet another dependent variable, i.e. interest on equity, this article aims to analyze the relationship among capital structure, dividends and interest on equity in the context of Brazilian companies. The analysis comprises the period from 1995 to 2004. Results corroborate many of the predictions of tradeoff and pecking order theories,' despite the fact that dividend payout in Brazil is low, when compared to the United States. Profitability was the most significant variable in explaining dividend and leverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an empirical study about a possible interrelation between dividend and investment policies practiced by Brazilian companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange BOVESPA). The objective was to identify if the Brazilian companies modify their dividend policy in view of the need for permanent investments. The theoretical framework of this research is particularly based on the 1961 classic proposals by Miller and Modigliani. The empirical study was realized through multiple regression analysis, applied to a sample of 476 pooled data for the period from 1998 to 2002. The sample was studied, contemplating all data, and was divided in quartiles, according to company size and volume of loans in the period. The main evidence shows that there is no relation between these policies. As the Brazilian market cannot be considered perfect, this evidence reveals that possible imperfection in other markets are not efficient justifications to explain evidences about a relation between dividend and investment policies. Other factors influenced the empirical results. In the Brazilian case, the regulation of dividend politics cannot be ignored in this type of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the railway subsidy in Brazil from the year 1854 to 1913. Historians are captivated by the implications of government transport subsidies for the growth in the nineteenth century. Transport improvements was promoted by the constitutional monarchy of Brazil which challenges benefits to supporters of the government. On the establishment of an 1873 legislation, the Great Western of Brazil opened to traffic which collected dividends from the year it opened to the turn of the century.

The article focuses on Circular Letter No. 063/2013-DP from the Brazilian Securities, Commodities, and Futures Exchange (BM&FBOVESPA). Information is also provided on the methodology for calculating taxation on commodities, futures, and securities in Brazil. Topics include the exclusion criteria used when calculating the taxation on securities.

A correction to the article "Cross institutional cash and dividend policies: focusing on Brazilian firms," which was published in the same issue, is presented.