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Item Open Access The determinants of financial flexibility and investment efficiency: some evidence from JSE - Listed and Non - Financial firms(2021-06-23) Kayiira, Joseph; Moyo, V.; Munzhelele, FreddyMaking and implementing financing decisions to achieve corporate objectives has been a challenging task for many corporate managers for decades. Achieving and maintaining financial flexibility, investment efficiency and ensuring the availability of funds for investment through payout policies are important financing decisions to maximise shareholder’s value. Financial flexibility is important as it determines the financing, investment and distribution policies of a firm and the firm’s payout policy determine the amount of capital available for investment. On the other hand, investment efficiency is fundamental in making strategic investment decisions as it requires that capital investment should only be allocated to profitable projects. Therefore, it is essential to understand the driving factors of these financial management aspects as there are no studies that have examined the impact of firm specific factors and payout policies on the firm’s financial flexibility and investment efficiency in Africa, including South Africa. To examine these financial management aspects, firstly, the study derived and tested estimation models of financial flexibility and investment efficiency in the context of the South African non-financial firms listed on the JSE Limited. Secondly, the study investigated the impact of selected firm-specific factors on the financial flexibility of the non-financial firms listed on the JSE Limited. It further analysed the impact of selected firm-specific factors on the investment efficiency of the non-financial firms listed on the JSE Limited. Lastly, the study examined the relationship between financial flexibility and investment efficiency of non-financial firms listed on the JSE Limited. A panel of 106 non-financial firms with complete data for periods from 2000 to 2019 was constructed and used in these tests. The research hypotheses were formulated and tested using the appropriate regression models selected from the Random Effect Model (REM), Fixed Effect Model (FEM) and System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM-SYS). The study shows that financial flexibility decreases with an increase in leverage, investment opportunities, payout and finance costs. However, it increases with profitability, cash and cash equivalents and asset tangibility. Based on the study, JSE-listed firms are financially flexible and the determinants of financial flexibility in these firms are leverage, Tobin’s Q, finance cost, dividends, profitability, tangibility and cash and cash equivalents. The significant factors that determine financial flexibility in the JSE-listed non-financial firms are Tobin’s Q and finance cost as they show a significant correlation with financial flexibility. On the v other hand, dividends, profitability, tangibility and cash and cash equivalents show an insignificant relationship. Also, the study shows that investment efficiency in the JSE-listed non-financial firms increases with leverage, payout, growth options, sales growth and cash flow. It, however, decreases with financial flexibility, firm age and size. The main determinants of investment efficiency in these firm are leverage, payout policy, growth options, sales growth, cash and cash equivalents, firm age and firm size.Item Open Access The impact of macroeconomic variables on the equity market risk premium in South Africa(2018-09-21) Obadire, Ayodeji Michael; Moyo, V.; Mache, F.The relationship between the Equity Market Risk Premium (MRP) and macroeconomic variables has been a subject of extensive discussion in the finance literature. The MRP is a central component of the main asset pricing models which are used to estimate the cost of equity which is mainly used in investment appraisal, performance measurement and valuation of equity assets. Past studies have identified inflation rate, interest rate, foreign exchange rate and political risk as the key macroeconomic variables that determine the size of the MRP. The test of the impact of these variables on the MRP have however been based mainly on data from developed countries and a few emerging countries. To the researcher’s knowledge, there are no studies that have investigated the impact of these macroeconomic variables on the MRP in South Africa. It is necessary to test the impact of these variables in the context of South Africa as these variables vary across countries. Using time series secondary data that was obtained from the SARB database, JSE database and World Bank database for the period 2002 to 2017, this study investigated the impact of these variables on the MRP in South Africa. A total of 192 observations per series of the inflation rate, interest rate, foreign exchange rate, political risk, JSE-ALSI and 91-days Treasury bill was used in the study. The data used were tested for possible misspecification errors that could arise from using a time series secondary data and the regression model was fitted using the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) estimator. The misspecification tests and models were both implemented on STATA 15 software. The results shows that inflation rate, interest rate and foreign exchange rate have a negative impact on the MRP whilst political risk has a positive impact on the MRP. Furthermore, the result shows that the inflation rate is the only variable amongst other variable tested that has a significant influence on the MRP for the study period. The study, therefore, concludes that inflation rate has the highest impact on the MRP in the context of South Africa. The study recommends that inflation rate should be monitored and kept within its target of 3-6% amongst other variables tested in order to increase investors’ confidence in the security market and also foster economic growth. The main limitations to the study were the limited data sources and insufficient funds.Item Open Access The impact of the global financial crisis on the cash flow sensitivity of investment: some evidence from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed non-financial firms(2018-05-18) Munthali, Ronald; Moyo, V.; Mache, F.The relationship between a firm’s investment behaviour, financial constraints and the level of internally generated cash flows has been a subject of extensive discussion in finance literature. The discussion revolves around the effectiveness of investment cash flow sensitivity (ICFS) as a measure of financial constraints with contradicting conclusions. Empirical literature is also not in agreement about the best firm-specific proxy to distinguish firms into financially-constrained versus financially-unconstrained ones and the effect of the 2007 to 2009 global financial crisis on the ICFS of South African firms is still to be determined. There are very limited studies that have investigated ICFS in developing economies. This is important as institutional differences and capital market developments between developed and developing economies justify a separate study of South Africa as a developing economy. This study used data drawn from 131 Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed non-financial firms for the period 2003 to 2016 to establish the most suitable criterion for distinguishing firms into financially constrained versus unconstrained, to determine the effect of the 2007 to 2009 global financial crisis on the ICFS and to determine if ICFS is a good measure of financial constraints. The data for the 131 sampled firms was obtained from the financial statements on the IRESS database. The dataset was split into constrained versus unconstrained firms using three firm specific splitting variables: firm size, cash flow holding and dividends pay-out. The data was further split into panel 1 (2003 to 2006 covering the period before the global crisis); panel 2 (2006 to 2010 covering the period including the global financial crisis period) and panel 3 (2010 to 2016 covering the post global financial crisis period). The study utilised the system generalized moments method (GMM) regression model that yields consistent estimates even with unbalanced panel data sets and the Fixed Effects estimator. The models were both implemented on STATA 15 software. Samples split based on the dividend pay-out showed the highest ICFS for financially-constrained firms before, during and after the global financial crisis period. ICFS is highest during the period including the global financial crisis years compared to samples split using firm size and cash flow holding. The study concludes that dividends pay-out is the best criterion to distinguish firms into financially-constrained versus unconstrained; the global financial crisis constrained all firms; and that ICFS can be a good measure of financial constraints. The main limitation to the study was that it used a small sample size in relation to other international studies.Item Open Access Impact of working capital management on the performance of non-financial firms listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)(2018-05-18) Oseifuah, Emmanuel K.; Gyekye, A. B.This is the first study to investigate the impact of working capital management on the performance (profitability and value) of South African firms listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) before, during and after the 2008/2009 global financial crisis. Richards and Laughlin’s (1980) Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC) theory was used as the theoretical framework for analysing and linking working capital management to firm performance. In addition, the study investigates how the separate working capital management components impact the performance of firms. The study used both accounting and market based secondary data obtained from I-Net Bridge/BFA McGregor database and the JSE for 75 firms for the 10 year period, 2003 to 2012. Panel data regression models were used in the analyses. The key findings from the study indicate the following. First, the average profitability (ROA) for the sample firms decreased from 27% (before the financial crisis) to 20.2% during the crisis period and increased to 25.9% after the financial crisis. Second, the average market capitalisation (firm value) decreased from R18.9 billion before the crisis to R16.3 billion during the crisis period, and thereafter increased to a high of R24.4 billion after the crisis. Third, the average firm’s CCC was 28.4 days before the crisis and decreased to 12.5 days during the crisis period and later increased to 16.2 days after the crisis. Fourth, and interestingly, of the four working capital management variables, only accounts receivable conversion period is significantly negatively related to profitability during the financial crisis. Fifth, the three firm-specific variables (size, financial leverage, and current assets to total assets ratio) have no significant relation with profitability during the crisis period. Sixth, the external variable, change in GDP growth rate, has a significant positive relation with profitability. This suggests firms perform better when the economy is booming and otherwise during economic downturns, which is consistent with economic theory. Finally, and perhaps the most important contribution is that the study found an inverted U-shape relationship between working capital management (proxied by cash conversion cycle) and firm value before the crisis. This implies that there exists an optimal level of investment in working capital for which the sampled firms’ value is maximized. At this point, costs and benefits are balanced. Thus corporate managers should aim to keep as close to the optimal level as possible and try to avoid any deviations from it that destroy firm value. On the contrary, the results have not established any such relationship between working capital management and profitability for any of the three financial crisis periods. Based on the findings, it is recommended that firm managers should aim at keeping as close to the optimal working capital level as possible and try to avoid any deviations from it that may destroy firm value.Item Open Access Testing the FAMA and French Five - Factor Model on the JSE - Listed firms(2021-06-23) Neluvhalani, Khathutshelo; Moyo, Vusani; Reynolds, ArthurThe Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) has its fair share of weaknesses and problems such as its well documented series of unrealistic assumptions. As a response Fama and French (1992) introduced the Fama and French three-factor model (FF3FM), but it remains unpopular among investors, practitioners and academics compared to the CAPM because it is deemed not cost effective and thought of as not being better than the CAPM. In 2015, Fama and French introduced the Fama and French five-factor model (FF5FM) that augmented profitability and investment into their FF3FM. Cakici (2015), Jiao and Lilti (2017), Foye (2018) and others have tested the five-factor model using data from their respective stock markets. The findings of these studies may not necessarily apply to South Africa because of institutional differences between countries. However, South African studies used different testing methods compared to this study. Therefore, given this background, this study sought to test the effectiveness of the FF5FM against the CAPM and the FF3FM in estimating stock returns on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange Limited (JSE Ltd). This study tested the performance of the FF5FM against the CAPM and the FF3FM using data from the JSE-listed firms. The study sought to find out if the FF5FM performs better than the CAPM and the FF3FM when estimating stock returns of JSE-listed firms. Specifically, this study tested the CAPM, FF3FM and FF5FM using all the JSE-listed firms to determine which model explains better the common variation and the cross section of expected future stock returns. In addition, the study investigated whether the value factor became redundant when the additional factors, profitability and investment were added to the FF3FM as per Fama and French (2015). Using the bespoke Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) of Hansen (1982) to carry out the regressions with data from the JSE for the period 2003 – 2019, the results show that profitability is a more reliable factor than investment in explaining share returns. The results also show that the FF5FM performs better than the other two models in estimating returns based on the assumption that most holding periods are significantly shorter than 16 years. Furthermore, the test results rejected the hypothesis that the value factor becomes redundant in explaining stock returns when more factors are added to the FF5FM.