The aim of this paper is to assess if and how a concept of accounting quality differs from perspectives of various types of organisations affected by the accounting harmonisation process. Accounting harmonisation is commonly associated with worldwide adoption of IFRS by public interest companies. However, in the EU this process is much broader and also involves efforts to harmonise accounting standards for non-listed companies and public sector organisations. Analysis of the previous scientific research revealed that accounting quality was commonly assessed from IFRS users’ perspective and approximated with the quality of financial statements. However, based on the interviews with experts of Lithuanian accounting market, the concept of accounting quality for small and medium companies and public sector institutions is ambiguous and still needs to be clarified. Definition of accounting quality only as the quality financial statements is too narrow as financial disclosure is not that important for such companies. For non-listed companies and public sector organisations, other aspects and factors, such as qualification of accountants, supervision of accounting and reporting, overall and managers’ perspective on importance of accounting, have more importance while defining accounting quality.

Research background: The problem of base erosion and profit shifting by multi-national corporations has been debated from different perspectives because of its multiple impact on the key actors in the economy. Studies refer to its positive impact on companies via corporate taxes saved, but its negative impact on governments via reduced tax collection. A number of empirical studies conducted in different countries support the substantial BEPS impact on company performance, but report differences in its magnitude. Other authors claim that, despite a wide range of tax avoidance opportunities available, tax avoidance is limited due to institutional measures imposed (tax audits, penalties for non-compliance) and high implementation costs. A majority of the previous empirical research covered large countries (USA, Germany) or regions (e.g. Europe), but there is a gap in the re-search assessing the BEPS impact on multinational corporations’ subsidiaries’ performance in countries with lower corporate income tax rates such as the Baltic countries. Purpose of the article: To assess the impact of base erosion and profit shifting on multinational corporations’ subsidiaries’ performance in the Baltic countries. Methods: Empirical research is conducted based on the framework employed by Hines and Rice (1994) to measure BEPS impact on company performance. Regression analysis with fixed effects was applied to a sample of 3,422 Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian subsidiaries of multinational corporations, which are characterized by low corporate tax rates.  The data for the period of 2007–2015 was retrieved from the Amadeus database. Findings & Value added: The research revealed that Baltic countries’ tax differentials between multinational corporations’ parent and subsidiary countries might have a significant impact on the subsidiary’s financial performance. When the tax rate differences between Baltic and the foreign countries decrease by 1%, reported profits in Baltic countries increase by 2.3%, indicating profit-shifting behaviour. This is in line with the empirical literature and practices applied by multinational corporations. It is also in favour of anti-tax avoidance measures introduced by the EC to be adopted by Baltic and other EU countries.

Research background: Recent financial crisis of 2007–2008 has influenced global banking system and led to reduction of cross-border bank lending in the EU and worldwide. Global banking network has been analysed extensively in prior or post-crisis periods, but the literature on regionalization is scarce, especially with regard to the banking sector in the EU. Moreover, in previous empirical research evaluation of banking sector regionalization using network analysis methodology has not been yet applied. Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to map the EU banking network and to assess its regionalization during post-crisis period. Methods: the paper employs comparative literature analysis and synthesis; BIS bilateral interbank cross-border claim yearly flows matrix data and network analysis method (including network mapping, structural and comparative analysis and the data of intraregional and interregional banking network matrices) to assess the changes in regionalization of the EU banking system. Findings & Value added: The results of the research show that during post-crisis period both, EU 12 and EU 28, banking networks became more clustered and more decentralized; also the level of regionalization within the EU banking network increased. Such results prove that the EU banking network has undergone structural changes with respect to bilateral interbank cross-border claims. This research adds to the knowledge of regionalization processes within the EU banking network during the post-crisis period and intends to be beneficial for market participants, EU level governmental bodies and financial policy makers.

The paper is aimed to analyze and evaluate the dividend announcement impact on stock prices of companies listed on the NASDAQ OMX Baltic market during 2010-2015. The analysis was performed using the market model event study analysis and calculating AARs based on 3 strategies, which assume that investors buy shares 30 days prior to the dividend announcement and sell them either 1, 3 or 7 days after the dividend announcement. During the research period, dividends were paid by 40 out of 72 companies listed on the NASDAQ OMX Baltic. A total of 168 dividend announcements have been made and analyzed in this paper. The results of the research revealed that within the analyzed event windows, positive AARs exist; however, they are not statistically significant. Positive AARs obtained 3 or 7 days after the dividend announcement imply that stock prices do not drop shortly after the dividend announcement, which would indicate weak NASDAQ OMX Baltic market efficiency.

No abstract

The main goal of this paper is to discuss theoretically and to evaluate empirically the differences of risk and risk management information disclosure (RRMID) among companies listed in Nasdaq OMX Baltic and Euronext Brussels and to determine factors influencing such differences. The authors use analysis and systemization of scientific literature, induction, content analysis and coding procedure for risk and risk management information disclosure assessment, as well as correlation and regression analyses. The results suggest that companies listed in Euronext Brussels disclose more risk and risk management (RRM) information; RRM related disclosures are more qualitative, focused on past or present events and have a neutral meaning in both markets. Companies also disclose more information about risks themselves than about risk management. Finally, only companies' size and presence of audit committee are significant factors influencing RRMID.Keywords: Risk management; information disclosure; Nasdaq OMX Baltic; Euronext Brussels JEL classification: M41, G30 IntroductionCorporate risk is inevitable and it is necessary to analyze and observe it on a continual basis. This process helps control and supervise companies' activities. Control and supervision are essential, because a certain probability of losing something exists all the time. Consequently, corporate risk is related to losses, certain expenditures or probability of failure (Mackevicius, 2006).The incrementing intricacy in business strategies, processes, operations and regulations has boosted a certain tendency that highlights the need for a greater amount of information provided by companies to foster transparency, improve the quality of disclosed information and reduce information asymmetries between companies and investors. In the scope of corporate communication, RRMID is an issue which stands out significantly and can be improved (Domínguez and Gámez, 2014).The goal of this research is to assess the differences in risk and risk management information disclosure among the companies listed in emerging (Nasdaq OMX Baltic) and developed (Brussels Euronext) markets and to determine factors influencing them. Three main hypotheses are developed. All of them include sub-hypotheses for a better and more detailed evaluation. Table 1 summarizes all hypotheses and sub-hypotheses which are tested in the research. The extent of financial RRMID is higher than non-financial RRMID; The extent of qualitative RRMID is higher than quantitative RRMID; The extent of past and present RRMIDs is higher than forward looking RRMID;The extent of good RRMID is higher than bad or neutral RRMIDs'; The extent of risks-related disclosures is higher than risk management disclosures; The extent of mandatory RRMID is higher than voluntary RRMID. Corporate governance characteristics:There is a negative relationship between RRMID and companies' ownership concentration;There is a positive relationship between RRMID and companies' board size; There is a positive relationship between RRMID and ...

Research background: The global banking network has been undergoing structural changes since the recent financial crisis. Previous studies on connectedness of global banking network during post-crisis period revealed the trends of regionalization and segmentation. Our previous research has also shown that during post-crisis period the level of regionalization within the EU banking network has increased; the network became more clustered and more decentralized. This paper continues our research of structural changes of EU banking network during post-crisis period by adding a global context and questioning the connectedness of EU banking network within global banking system. Purpose of the article: The aim of the paper is to evaluate the EU banking network’s connectedness in the global context during the post-crisis period. Methods: network analysis method and data on yearly flows of BIS bilateral interbank cross-border claim were used to evaluate the connectedness of global and EU banking systems. Findings & Value added: Evaluation of the global banking network’s connected-ness revealed that global banking network density decreased by 4.50 %, suggesting that connectedness is decreasing, but it is happening slowly. Structural changes in the global banking network did happen during post-crisis period with regards to out-degree, betweenness and closeness centrality indicators. In the global context, the EU banking network became more connected during post-crisis period. The EU banking network was regionalized in 2011, but this regionalization disappeared in 2015, as the level of intraregional density decreased in 2015 and became lower than the interregional density. This research contributes to previous research in a way that it applies intraregional and interregional network density measures for evaluation of the EU banking network’s connectedness, and analyses it as a subset of the global banking network.

The research aims to assess how rational investors are in making real estate crowdfunding investment decisions and weather similar rationality investors share common individual-level characteristics. The research data was collected through an online survey and investors’ rationality was assessed according to risk & return and behavioral biases criteria. Results revealed that 18% of the respondents were rational and as much as 78.1% of them demonstrated bounded rationality behavior. Further clustering of bounded rationality investors identified three distinct clusters and suggested that bounded rationality proved to be largely based on established behavioral biases rather than on failing to understand and apply risk and return criteria. In terms of individual-level characteristics, rationality of real estate crowdfunding investors significantly related to their financial knowledge, but not to their age, sex, income level, education, occupation, residence and interface with finance sector.