This paper is an empirical exploration of the impact of total asset turnover ratios on stock returns of 1961 US public firms in different types of industries from 2001 to 2015. Stock prices are significantly influenced by operating performance of a company in efficiently utilizing its assets. For that matter, operating efficiency (as measured by total asset turnover ratio) plays a role in portfolio investment decisions. Pedroni’s heterogeneous panel co-integration procedures, associated bivariate error-correction model (ECM), dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) and generalized method of moments (GMM) are applied. Both stock returns and total asset turnover ratios in levels are nonstationary with I (1) behavior. Subsequently, both variables are found cointegrated. The panel ECM estimates suggest convergence of variables toward long-run equilibrium at moderate pace with short-run interactive positive feedback effects. Again, both DOLS and GMM estimates reveal short-run contemporaneous positive effects of total asset turnover ratios on stock returns in levels. In view of the findings of this study, firms should strive to improve operating efficiency, among others, to enhance competitiveness and thereby to boost their stock prices for rewarding shareholders.

Purpose: This paper aims to empirically explore the effects of globalization, corruption perception, political stability, macroeconomic vulnerability and gross domestic savings on illicit financial outflows of 60 developing countries from 2004 to 2013.Design/methodology/approach: Pedroni’s heterogeneous panel data methodology for co-integration is applied. Panel unit root tests reveal non-stationarity of each variable in level, and a battery of seven panel co-integration tests largely confirm long-run equilibrium relationship among the variables under study.Findings: The panel vector error correction model estimates show that variables tend to converge toward long-run equilibrium at a very slow pace amid some short-term random fluctuations. At the same time, political stability reduces illicit financial outflows.Originality/value: There are enhancing impacts of globalization, corruption perception, macroeconomic vulnerability and domestic gross savings on illicit financial outflows. Political stability dampens such outflows. To the authors’ knowledge, such studies are either very scant or non-existent.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of total assets, stock performances, CEOs’ tenures, ages, and board sizes on total CEO compensations of 249 publicly listed US companies over a nine-year period from 2004-2012.Design/methodology/approach: Pedroni’s panel cointegration, generalized method of moments, and dynamic ordinary least squares methodologies are applied.Findings: All variables are non-stationary in log-levels. The findings show significant positive effects of total assets and stock performances on total CEO compensations. The effects of CEO’s tenure and age as well as board size on total CEO compensation deem negative. However, short-run net interactive feedback effects are generally positive with some exceptions.Research limitations/implications: The above variables matter in rewarding the CEOs. They should be carefully weighed in for proper formulation of CEO compensation policy.Originality/value: This paper applies relatively new econometric tools for a large panel data set. This work considers some new variables for determining CEO compensation in USA. The findings are relatively new with empirical originality.

The primary purpose of this paper is to explore the long-run association among growths in US housing starts, real consumer debt, real GDP and the long-term real interest rate. To carry out this exploratory work, Johansen and Juselius (1990) vector cointegration procedure is applied. Monthly data from January 1960 through April 1993 are employed. The empirical results suggest that each time series in levels is non-stationary. Also, a general conclusion emerges which suggests that all these macroeconomic variables possess a long-run interactive inter-relationship.

This paper re-examines the issues of integration and causality in US mortgage and T-bond markets by using the well-known cointegration and error correction methodology. It employs monthly data from January 1980 through June 1993. The unit root test reveals nonstationarity in 30-year nominal mortgage rates and 30-year nominal T-bond yields. The DF tests affirm cointegration between these two variables. The estimates of the associated error correction model depict unidirectional long-run as well as short-run Granger causality that runs from the 30-year T-bond market to the 30-year mortgage market. Reversible short-run feedbacks are also observed between the two markets.