Essay one investigates registered insider sales as stated in the final prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to test managerial market timing ability during the Seasoned Equity Offering (SEO) process. Using a comprehensive sample of 1,051 SEOs between 1997 and 2005, the findings suggest that the initial market reaction and the long-run post-issue performance of issuers are negatively related to C-level executive insider sales, but unrelated to sales by non-executive insiders. Overall, the findings are consistent with the notion that executive insiders are aware of the mispricing in their firm’s securities and successfully time their sales by participating in the secondary components of SEOs. The implication is that SEOs with C-level executive sales are overvalued relative to both SEOs without insider sales and SEOs with only non-executive insider sales. In the second essay, we compare shareholder wealth effects of dual-class and single-class Seasoned Equity Offerings (SEOs) between 1997 and 2005. While there is no difference in pre-issue stock performance or the initial market reaction to the SEO announcements, dual-class issuers significantly underperform single-class issuers in the post-issue years. The mean three-year underperformance of dual-class firms relative to single-class is a significant 28.93% (30.45%) in buy-and-hold raw (abnormal) stock returns, and robust to alternative model specifications. We document that this relative long-run stock underperformance is related to differences in the impacts of post-issue capital expenditures and acquisitions for dual and single-class issuers. Similarly, post-issue corporate cash holdings also contribute less to the shareholder wealth for dual-class firms.

Titel: Cooking the Books: En analys av resultatmanipulering vid svenska börsintroduktioner. Nivå: Examensarbete på grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi. Författare: Rasmus Bergman Enarsson & Isak Larsson. Handledare: Jan Svanberg. Datum: 2024-05-28. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att analysera om resultatmanipulering förekommer i samband med börsnoteringar på den svenska aktiemarknaden. Metod: Denna studie har tillämpat en kvantitativ strategi för att analysera förekomsten av resultatmanipulering vid börsnoteringar. Finansiella data samlades in från Retriever för företag noterade på First North, NGM Equity, Spotlight och Nasdaq STHLM under perioden 2018–2022. Analysen gjordes i IBM SPSS Statistics. Resultat och slutsats: Vår studie finner signifikanta bevis för att företag manipulerar sina resultat uppåt under perioden före, under och efter en börsnotering. Examensarbetets bidrag: Det finns lite till ingen forskning om sambandet mellan börsnoteringar och förekomsten av resultatmanipulation på den svenska aktiemarknaden. Denna studie bidrar med värdefulla insikter för marknadens olika intressenter, i syfte av att minska de risker och felaktiga värderingar som kan uppstå vid börsnoteringar. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Framtida forskning kan utöka tidsramen och inkludera fler variabler. Marknadens reaktioner på resultatmanipulation kan dessutom utforskas. Den kassaflödesbaserade resultatmanipulationen kan också beaktas. Till sist vore det även intressant att tillämpa Dechows et al. (2012) metodik i andra kontexter, som under covid-19-pandemin. Nyckelord: Redovisning; Redovisningsval; Periodiseringar; Periodiseringsbaserad resultatmanipulering; Resultatmanipulering; Börsintroduktioner. / Title: Cooking the Books: An analysis of earnings management among Swedish IPOs.  Level: Degree project at first level (bachelor’s degree) in the subject Business Administration.  Authors: Rasmus Bergman Enarsson & Isak Larsson.  Supervisor: Jan Svanberg.  Date: 2024-05-28.  Aim: The purpose of this study is to analyze whether earnings management occurs in context with IPOs on the Swedish stock market.  Method: This study has applied a quantitative strategy to investigate earnings management in the context of Swedish IPOs. Financial data from 2018–2022 were collected from the database Retriever for companies listed on First North, NGM Equity, Spotlight, and Nasdaq STHLM. The analysis was conducted with IBM SPSS Statistics.  Results and conclusions: This study provides evidence that firms inflate their earnings during the period before, during, and after an IPO.  Contribution of the thesis: There is little to no research on the relationship between IPOs and the practice of earnings management in the Swedish stock market. This study provides valuable insights for the various market stakeholders, aiming to reduce the risks and inaccurate valuations that can arise during IPOs.  Suggestions for future research: Future research can extend the analysis timeframe and include more variables. Additionally, market reactions to earnings management can be explored. Real activities management can also be considered. Finally, it would be interesting to apply the methodology of Dechow et al. (2012) in other contexts, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Key words: Accounting; Accounting choices; Accruals; Accrual-based earnings management; Earnings management; Initial public offerings.

Yes / This study examines stock market reaction to the announcement of various forms of seasoned issues in China. Our empirical evidence demonstrates that market reactions differ in ways that suggest a difference between management's internal assessment and the market's assessment of the stock price. The market responds unfavourably to the announcement, notably in the case of rights issues and also with regard to open offers. Private placements experience an unfavourable pre‐announcement reaction, which contrasts with the favourable reaction after the event. Convertible bond issues generate positive excess returns consistent with the market's confidence that they can help to align management and shareholders’ interests. Further investigation shows that market reaction is related to factors specific to the issuer and issue by reference to the period immediately surrounding the issue. Specifically, ownership concentration, agency matters connected with equity offerings, investor protection connected with fund allocation and security pricing, and the influence of powerful moneyed interests together provide an instructive insight into market reaction. Institutional inefficiency pertaining to underwriting, auditing, analysts’ forecasts and credit ratings are found to have a weak association with market price, consistent with due public scepticism concerning management and their gatekeepers.

Les trésors de vaisselle précieuse de l’Antiquité tardive dans les îles britanniques présentent un corpus d’étude digne d’intérêt à la fois grâce à leur nombre important, à la variété des objets réunis et aux métaux employés. En effet, de nombreux ensembles de vaisselle précieuse ont été ensevelis entre le 3ème et le 5ème siècle en Bretagne romaine, tandis que d’autres dépôts issus de butins de pillage ont été trouvés en dehors des frontières de l’Empire (Écosse et Irlande actuelles). En outre, alors que les grands services d’argenterie y tiennent une part assez exceptionnelle, cette province se démarque du reste de l’Empire par une grande richesse en dépôts constitués de petits objets variés en métaux précieux (or et argent). Enfin, cette région voit se développer de façon quasiment exclusive, dès le 3ème siècle, l’industrie de l’"étain" (un alliage d’étain et de plomb dans des proportions variables), qui se prête bien à l’imitation des plats d’argenterie, donnant ainsi la possibilité à des familles moins aisées de posséder des services entiers de vaisselle de table.À partir de la constitution d’un catalogue de 229 dépôts et objets isolés, cette étude s’ouvre par une analyse typologique de la vaisselle d’argent et d’étain, comprenant l’observation des formes, des éléments décoratifs et de l’iconographie. S’ensuit l’analyse comparative du contenu de ces ensembles et de leur contexte d’enfouissement, menant à l’élaboration de tableaux typologiques et de cartes de répartition géographique. Des différenciations sont ainsi mises en évidence et permettent de tenter une interprétation de ces dépôts, témoins matériels d’une époque bouleversée. / Several hoards of precious vessels come from Roman Britain, some of them were found outside imperial boundaries (Scotland and Ireland) and represent loots of pirates. They were deposited during all Roman period, especially during the 3rd to the 5th centuries. Though large silver treasures are very rare there, this region is very rich in hoards of small precious objects of gold and silver (spoons, strainers, toothpicks, jewellery, coins, ingots…). In the meantime pewter industry flourishes from the 3rd century and vessels of this matter are produced in great quantity and diffused through the entire island, imitating silver vessels of the same period. It is often called the "poor man's silver".Through a descriptive catalogue of 229 Roman pewter and silver vessels hoards and single finds from the British Isles, this study starts with a typological and stylistic analysis of precious vessels and their imitations (forms, decoration, and techniques). It continues with a classification of all treasures and hoards that contain silver or pewter vessels, through a comparison of what they contained and where they were buried. Some of them could be of votive origin, inherited from Bronze Age.

本研究主要探討生技產業公開說明書之風險因子揭露對首次公開發行公司5年內的獲利能力做研究，想得知風險因子的揭露是否會影響公司獲利時間的長短。本研究以美國生技產業首次公開發行公司為研究對象，樣本期間為1997年至2012年。 許多文獻指出越來越多公司在尚未獲利前即先行上市，但公司未來的前景及獲利能力卻充滿高度的不確定性，而透過資訊的揭露可使該不確定性下降，因透過揭露，投資者可以了解公司營運狀況及表現，對公司價值能做較正確之判斷， 此時願意提供資金給公司營運，充足的資金使公司未來獲利機會上升。 本研究參考過去文獻，建立資訊揭露的四級指標加上風險因子所揭露的項目多寡，系統性地衡量生技公司公開說明書之風險因子，並以存活分析檢測假說。實證結果顯示：風險因子的內容描述越著重在某些特定資訊，例如：顧客資訊、重要員工資訊、量化資訊的表達、公司未來不確定性、財務需求時，公司未來獲利能力機會大增，而當更進一步的探究時，又發現對顧客資訊和量化資訊的表達越具體，越詳細時，也會使公司未來獲利機會上升。 / This study investigates whether disclosure of risk factors in the prospectus will influence the probability of the biotech firms to attain profitability. Data is collected for biotech companies of U.S IPOs issued from1997 to2012 as the research sample. Many extant empirical evidences indicate that the proportion of firms going public prior to achieving profitability has been increasing over time. There is considerable uncertainty regarding the long-term economic viability of these firms at the time of going public. Disclosures in the prospector may mitigate the effects of ex-ante uncertainty about firm’s value, and disclosures are potentially important means for management to communicate firm performance and governance to outside investors. Therefore, firms can raise more money by disclosing more information in IPO prospectors, because more information reperesent lower uncertainty between investors and firms.This study uses risk factors in the prospectus as concern issue and expects that the quantity of risk factors and the content or description of risk factors will influence the uncertainty and would mitigate investors’ concern. Referring to past literature, this study builds four-class index for disclosure score and uses two classifications of risk factors to systematically measure risk factors in the prospectus. The empirical results show that a biotech IPO with more information or some specific information of risk factors, like disclosures of main customers and key employees, will experience good performance after IPO. In addition, more detail descriptions in quantitative risk factors and customers’ information contributed to better performance in the future. In conclusion, disclosure of risk factors in the prospectus are related to firms’ probability of profitability after IPO as expected.

Esta tesis consiste de tres ensayos. En el primero, documentamos la correlación imaginaria entre las decisiones de compensación de los ejecutivos (CEO) al demostrar que el hándicap de los ejecutivos que juegan al golf no está correlacionado con su desempeño en la empresa mientras que sí lo está con su compensación. Los golfistas ganan más que los que no juegan al golf, y las pagas se incrementan con la habilidad en este juego. En el segundo ensayo explicamos la reciente espiral de las compensaciones de los ejecutivos basados en el sesgo de atribución fundamental. El análisis de las series temporales agregadas y de datos de sección cruzada correspondiente a la burbuja del mercado accionario en los noventa sugiere que los accionistas exageran al atribuir las subidas y bajadas de los precios de las acciones corporativas a las aptitudes de liderazgo del ejecutivo mientras que subestiman el rol de las fluctuaciones del mercado accionario que se encuentran fuera del control de estos. En el tercer ensayo demostramos que un gran número de Ofertas Públicas Iniciales predice sistemáticamente, tanto dentro como fuera de la muestra, el subsiguiente bajo rendimientos agregado y ponderado, y la diferencia de rendimientos entre las pequeñas y grandes firmas. / This thesis consists of three essays. In the first, we document illusory correlation in CEO compensation decisions by demonstrating that golf handicaps of CEOs are uncorrelated with corporate performance, but related to CEO compensation. Golfers earn more than non-golfers and pay increases with golfing ability. In the second essay we propose a fundamental attribution bias-based explanation of the recent explosive growth in CEO pay. Analysis of aggregate time series data and cross sectional data from the late 1990s stock market bubble period suggests that shareholders overattribute prominent increases and decreases in the prices of corporate stocks to the leadership and skill of the CEOs and underestimate the role of stock market fluctuations that are beyond CEO control. In the third essay we show that increases in the number of Initial Public Offerings reliably predicts in-sample and out-of-sample decreases in subsequent equally weighted aggregate stock returns and the return differential between small and big firms.

本研究探討台灣上市櫃公司發行可轉債及現金增資的決策議題。從發行公司的角度來看，利用錯誤評價及成長機會，同時輔以一些公司特徵變數以了解發行動機。後續並追蹤發行公司發行後資金運用情形，以了解發行公司發行動機及目的是否一致。另一方面，從投資人角度來看，觀察可轉債及現金增資公司宣告效果，並由後續資金配置驗證宣告效果之可靠性。 本研究採用Rhodes-Kropf, Robinson and Viswanathan(2005)提出的方法，將市值帳面比(M/B)拆解成錯誤評價與成長機會。以2001年至2011年台灣上市上櫃公司發行可轉債或現金增資為研究對象，發現無論是可轉債或現金增資，發行公司發行前錯誤評價及成長機會皆顯著較未發行公司高。接著，利用logit模型，發現可轉債發行公司之成長機會及代理問題為其主要發行動機，而現金增資公司則利用資訊不對稱擇時與調整資本結構為發行考量。本文進一步檢視發行後資金配置情況，發現成長機會越高之可轉債，後續資金用途顯著投資於資本支出與研發費用上，符合實質投資理論之觀點。另一方面，錯誤評價越高之現金增資，在前兩年有累積現金之現象，但不用於償還長期負債，且顯著運用於資本支出與研發費用上，僅部分符合行為理論之解釋。因此，本研究歸納現金增資公司發行動機除擇時外，亦有投資需求。最後，在宣告效果上，可轉債與現金增資均呈現負向宣告效果，且投資人給予現金增資較為負向的宣告效果，本文認為此乃投資人意識到公司利用資訊不對稱擇時，且後續資金配置不完全符合行為理論的預期造成的結果。 / This study examines the issuance of convertible bonds (CBs) and seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) for listed companies in TSE and OTC market in Taiwan. From the aspects of issuers, we use mispricing and growth opportunities along with other firm characteristics to understand the motivation of the issuance. We also track the use of post-issue proceeds and relate to the motivations of issuers. From the aspects of investors, we look at the announcement effects to examine appropriateness. We decompose market-to-book ratios into mispricing and growth option components through a methodology proposed by Rhodes-Kropf, Robinson and Viswanathan (2005). By using the samples of CB and SEO issuance between 2001 and 2011, we find that issuing firms of both types are overvalued and have greater growth opportunities relative to non-issuers. Next, we find that CB issuers show greater pre-issue growth opportunities and agency problems, while SEO issuers have greater pre-issue mispricing and tend to adjust capital structure implied by logit model. Furthermore, we examine the post-issue use of proceeds. For CB, firms with greater growth opportunities invest more in capital expenditures and R&D, consistent with real investment explanations. On the other hand, for SEO, firms with greater mispricing stockpile cash in the first two years but don’t pay down long-term debt. They also invest in capital expenditures and R&D. Thus, we conclude that the motivation of SEO firms might be timing and investment needs, partly consistent with behavioral explanations. Finally, the announcement effect of SEO is more negative than CB. Judging from the evidence above, it seems that investors know something.

I tidigare studier har det framkommit att amerikanska företag manipulerar sina finansiella räkenskaper inför en nyemission med hjälp av Earnings Management genom oförklarliga periodiseringar. Detta görs i syfte att reflektera en bättre bild av företagets finansiella ställning gentemot hur det i verkligheten ser ut. Företeelsen tillämpas med avsikt att erhålla ett större finansiellt riskkapital då företaget utfärdar nyemission. Denna studie undersöker om svenska företag agerar likt amerikanska företag vid en nyemission och därför är syftet i studien att undersöka om svenska företag tillämpar Earnings Management genom oförklarliga periodiseringar vid perioden då de utfärdar nyemission. Svenska företag har varit av intresse i följande studie då svenska företag verkar under ett annorlunda redovisnings- och skattesystem än amerikanska företag gör, varpå vi vill testa om teorin Earnings Management genom oförklarliga periodiseringar är tillämpbar på även svenska företag, trots de skillnader som föreligger mellan ländernas lagsystem. Studien har genomförts med hjälp av en kvantitativ metod som vi presenterat med hjälp av en deskriptiv statistisk analys. De resultat som framkommit i studien är att även svenska, såväl som amerikanska, företag tillämpar Earnings Management genom oförklarliga periodiseringar vid de kvartal då ska utfärda nyemission, trots de olikheter i redovisnings- och skattesystem som råder länderna emellan. Förutom detta visar studien på att svenska företag även tillämpar en extrem form av Earnings Management samt att olika branscher tillämpar Earnings Management genom oförklarliga periodiseringar i olika grad då de ska utfärda nyemission. De resultat som framkommer i följande studie visar att det är av stor betydelse att investerare har en medvetenhet om att Earnings Management genom oförklarliga periodiseringar förekommer när svenska företag ska utfärda nyemission. Detta är av vikt då tidigare studier har påvisat att många investerare som förvärvat aktier i företagen som tillämpat Earnings Management genom oförklarliga periodiseringar har känt en besvikelse samt upplevt att de blivit missledda av företagens publicerade finansiella rapporter efter nyemissionen. Besvikelsen grundar sig i att det rapporterade resultatet vanligtvis kraftigt sjunker kvartalen efter nyemission då företagen tillämpat Earnings management genom oförklarliga periodiseringar. / In previous studies, it has been found that US companies manipulate their financial statements before issuing Seasoned Equity Offerings (SEO) using Accrual-based Earnings Management. This is done by the company in order to reflect a better financial position compared to their true underlying financial performance. Accrual-based Earnings Management is applied with the intention of obtaining larger financial capital when issuing SEOs. This study examines whether Swedish companies, consistent with US companies, apply the phenomenon in a similar way while issuing SEOs and the purpose of our study is therefore to investigate whether Swedish companies apply Accrual-based Earnings Management in the period they issue SEOs. Swedish companies have been of interest in the following study, as Swedish companies operate under a different accounting and tax law compared to that of American companies. As a result, we want to test the theory of Accrual-based Earnings Management to see if it is applicable to Swedish companies, despite the differences in tax law that exists between the countries. The study has been conducted using a quantitative methodology which has been presented through a descriptive statistical analysis. Our results imply that Swedish- as well as American companies, apply Accrual-based Earnings Management in the period they issue SEOs. This is found despite differences in accounting and tax law between the two countries. In addition to this, the study also shows that Swedish companies apply an extreme form of Accrual-based Earnings Management, and that it exist industrial differences in the level of Accrual-based Earnings Management that is applied when issuing SEOs. The results found in the following study show that it is of the utmost importance that investors have an awareness regarding Accrual-based Earnings Management and that it occurs when Swedish companies issue a SEO. This is important as previous studies have shown that many investors who acquired shares in the companies who applied Accrual-based Earnings Management when issuing SEOs, have felt disappointed and have found that they have been misled by the companies published financial reports following the SEO. The disappointment is based on the fact that as companies apply Accrual-based Earnings Management, the companies reported earnings usually fall in the period after issuing a SEO.

Tereza Kolmačková Votive offerings at selected Catholic pilgrimage sites: Theoretical reflection and anlysis of extant examples Abstract The aim of my thesis is to analyse votive offerings at Catholic Marian pilgrimage sites mainly from the early modern period. Firstly I discuss Marian images at pilgrimage sites to show who were the votive offering brought to and to describe a broader context of their placement. The thesis is then focused on analysis of textual evidence from the 17th century relating to the Czech pilgrimage site Svatá Hora and of extant objects mainly from Bavaria. Based on these sources the most common types of votive offerings seem to be painted pictures, models of body parts, statues and figures, candles and jewelry, other objects, however, occur as well. The votive offerings were mostly donated to express gratitude for a miracle. Therefore, the miracle process is also shortly discussed in my thesis. Votive offerings did not, however, only show the gratitude of a devotee but it seems that their promise was needed for Virgin Mary to perform a miracle. My analysis suggests that very important aspects of votive offerings were their performative character and the power to create and maintain relationships with Virgin Mary and other pilgrims.

This diploma thesis is divided into two parts, theoretical and practical. The theoretical part itself is divided into four chapters which focus on the issues of tourism and marketing. The theory was clarified with the use of various reference books. The practical part focuses first of all on the demarcation of the discussed area of the region of Pelhřimov. Then a profile of a visitor was emerged of the survey results. On the basis of the region's primary and secondary offerings analysis, a SWOT analysis of the discussed region has been made. Furthermore, a thorough strong and weak points analysis of the sport-recreation services has been made, which together with the survey results contributed to a proposal for modernization and potential accomplishing of the supporting infrastructure for the leisure time spending in which particular destination.