O16 - Economic Development: Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and GovernanceReturn

This article examines whether investing in ESG impacts banks’ stock returns, aiming to illustrate the value generated by ESG investment in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The fiscal year-end data of thirty-five financial companies within the Index, covering the period from December 31, 2015, to December 31, 2022, have been utilised. The analysis employs a pooled panel regression model utilising robust least squares estimation. Firm-specific and market-specific variables are used as independent variables. We have observed a significant positive direct relationship between the social pillar score and stock returns. Banks may initiate investments in social pillars in the Index. In addition, firm-specific variables such as market capitalisation, return on equity, capital adequacy, and price-earnings ratio influence the relationship between ESG pillar scores and stock returns. We recommend that portfolio managers closely monitor improvements in ESG pillar scores alongside firm-specific variables to predict banks’ stock returns in the index.

Corporate Governance has acquired a significant place in the national economies globally. Quality of governance impacts the business confidence index and resource mobilizations in the global marketplace. In various countries there is a conventional dominance of promoters or majority shareholders on the board of companies which implicates various propensities of risks and forms of risk cultures, making the problem of governance typical and critical for the regulators. Our paper examines the risk behaviour of firms in context of CG practices and creates distinct bundles of companies with specific risk cultures. Using a sample of 10 years’ panel data of 84 companies listed on the National Stock Exchange in India (NSE) for selected risk and CG variables, we measure the influence of CG measures on the risk propensity and behaviour and based on combinations of selected CG practices formulated the risk bundles. Based on the derived bundles of risk behaviour, regulators and policymakers can make informed decisions.