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Purpose The main purpose of this study is to evaluate COVID-19’s impact on the emerging stock markets. Design/methodology/approach To evaluate the influence of COVID-19, this study uses a novel method of event study methodology to measure the impact of COVID-19 on emerging stock markets. The research’s sample includes a total of 79 firms from 26 industries that are included in the KSE-100 Index from the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Three events were studied: (1) Announcement of the first case, (2) Start of lockdown and (3) End of lockdown. Findings This study establishes the findings that industries in the Pakistan Stock Exchange were overall negatively affected by the COVID-19. Commercial banks, Insurance, Real Estate and Textile were badly affected by the COVID-19. However, the Pharmaceutical, Refinery and Food and Personal Care Products industries had shown a positive response. Practical implications This study could bring in a new and useful insight into the literature on the impact of COVID-19 on the emerging stock markets. The results of this study provide insight to the investors in the emerging stock markets of the industries that are likely to show responses either negative or positive to news of regional or global outbreaks, lockdowns and end of lockdowns. Originality/value The work on COVID-19 has been mostly limited to the developed markets and the emerging markets have been overlooked. This study is a potential gateway to future works regarding pandemics in emerging markets.

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between credit risk and financial performance in non-financial firms.Design/methodology/approachIn order to test the relationship between Altman Z-score model as a credit risk proxy and the Return on Asset and Equity as indicator for financial performance with control variables leverage, liquidity and firm size. Least Square Dummy Variable regression analysis is opted. This research's sample included 69 non-financial companies from the Pakistan Stock Exchange KSE-100 Index between 2012 and 2017.FindingsThis study establishes the findings that Altman Z-score, leverage and firm size significantly impact the financial performance of the KSE-100 non-financial firms. However, liquidity is found to be insignificant in this study. Altman Z-score and firm size have shown a positive relationship to the financial performance, whereas leverage is inversely related.Practical implicationsThis study brings in a new and useful insight into the literature on the relationship between credit risk and financial performance. The results of this study provide investors, businesses and managers related to non-financial firms in the KSE-100 index with significant insight about credit risk's impact on performance.Originality/valueThe evidence of the credit risk and financial performance on samples of non-financial firms has not been studied; mainly it has been limited to the banking sector. This study helps in the evaluation of Altman Z-score's performance in the non-financial firms in KSE-100 index as well.

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to investigate the investment choices' relationship with cognitive abilities, risk aversion, risky investment intentions, subjective financial literacy and objective financial literacy.Design/methodology/approachTo examine the relationship, two investment choices were given to 256 subjects from Pakistan. Questionnaire had total 20 questions for measuring five variables. To review this nexus, discriminant analysis was used as to explore the depth of the nexus that is the ability of the variables to predict the investment choices.FindingsThis study establishes the findings that Investment choices are guided by risk aversion, risky investment intentions, financial literacy (subjective and objective) and cognitive abilities. The risk aversion has negative relation to investment choices and other variables depict positive relationship to with investment choices.Practical implicationsThis study provides a new and useful understanding into the existing literature on investment choices. The results are significant as the cognitive abilities show a positive contribution to the investment choices. This is point of significance as the portfolio managers and advisors would get help in regards of advising investments as they are aware what factors impact the investment choices.Originality/valueThis study is novel in its nature to evaluate investment choices using the cognitive ability alongside risk attitudes and financial literacy.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to find the empirical causal relationship between Islamic bank term deposit rates (IBTDR) and conventional bank term deposit rates (CBTDR) in the short-term. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzes the short-term causal relationship between the term deposit rates (TDRs) for the time period of three years 2015 to 2018 on monthly data of IBTDR and CBTDR. Granger causality test, variance decomposition and impulse response function are applied to examine if there is any short-term causal relationship between the IBTDR and CBTDR. Findings This empirical study establishes that the IBTDR are dependent on the CBTDR in the short-term. Practical implications This research provides an insight for the customers of TDRs of the Islamic banking system. This study is not only a significant insight for the end-users but also for the regulators and researchers as it provides important empirical evidence. This could lead to further research on the reasons for causality. Originality/value There has not been any study of this nature in Pakistan to identify the causality of the two-TDRs. This research expands the dynamics of research in the context of the banking sector.