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We examine how government ownership in banks affects earnings management to determine whether competing political or agency interests prevail. Using bank ownership data for 171 Chinese commercial banks from 2006 to 2018, we find more accruals management in government‐owned banks, especially to reduce earnings. This effect is stronger in banks with less influence from controlling shareholders, more concentrated ownership structures, and in more developed provinces. Overall, our results find support for the agency view, where managers in government‐owned banks use accruals management to reduce social and political responsibilities, leading to increases in their promotion prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the determinants and consequences of student satisfaction, measured by satisfaction scores reported in the QILT surveys from 2012 to 2017. We find that university‐level profitability determines overall student satisfaction, where a positive relationship exists between student satisfaction and university performance. This association is more pronounced for Group of Eight (Go8) universities and those with higher academic expenditure. These findings have important implications for higher education providers as the Australian Government is contemplating the use of QILT student satisfaction in allocating public funding for higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine how algorithmic trading (AT) changes the trading environment for corporate insiders, specifically in terms of motivation to trade and timing of trade. Using SEC Form 4 insider filings and AT computed from the limit order book, we find that AT affects insiders' decisions to buy or sell, depending on whether the trades are information driven, resulting in changes in trading returns. AT reduces returns associated with routine insider sales by 0.9% of a change in AT. However being sophisticated and informed traders, insiders are able to trade strategically, leaving their purchase returns unaffected by AT. The results also show that while AT reduces information acquisition efforts in the pre‐earnings announcement period, insider trades counteract this effect by releasing information to the market. Our findings reinforce the important role of insider trading in providing fundamental information and aiding price discovery, especially in an era of computerized financial markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of AASB 6 by extractive industries firms is examined to determine the issues and challenges faced by financial statement preparers when applying the standard. The results show that while the area‐of‐interest method is extensively chosen to account for exploration and evaluation costs, there was lack of consistency in its description. Interviews revealed that while preparers reported flexibility in the application of AASB 6, they sought more guidance to reduce reliance on external publications. The findings show that while preparers supported the retention of AASB 6, more guidance on its application was needed, especially in its interaction with new accounting standards and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High disclosure quality can be achieved through an effective investor-relations program and results in firm benefits such as enhanced market exposure, increased analyst coverage and institutional following. We examine [...]

When investors are uncertain about firm value, they collect private information and contemplate the decisions made by management before trading. In this study, we examine the effects of policy uncertainty on managers' payout decisions and investors' reactions to these decisions. We show that managers tend to increase dividend payouts when uncertainty surrounding government policies is high. This relationship is particularly evident among better performing firms. Investors also respond more favorably to dividend increases in times of uncertainty. As a result, we conclude that policy uncertainty affects the firm's information environment owing to which managers respond to investor demand for information by paying dividends to signal firm quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we review the financial research on regulation in the Asia‐Pacific region. We do this by analysing six leading regional accounting and finance journals – Abacus, Accounting & Finance, Australian Accounting Review, Australian Journal of Management, International Review of Finance and the Pacific‐Basin Finance Journal. We identify five main themes of regulation research relating to: (i) banking and financial institutions, (ii) markets and trading, (iii) corporate governance, (iv) disclosure and (v) accounting standard setting. Our paper synthesises the regional literature in these areas and provide some suggestions for future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]