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As distributing cash dividends has been a growing trend in A-share market, related regulations and taxation have also become issues of concern for investors. In recent years, the China Securities Regulatory Commission has implemented a series of measures to enhance the regulation of distributing cash dividends by listed companies, and encourage the increase of dividend pay-out ratios, which reflects the regulator's commitment to protecting the interests of individual investors.

As distributing cash dividends has been a growing trend in A-share market, related regulations and taxation have also become issues of concern for investors. In recent years, the China Securities Regulatory Commission has implemented a series of measures to enhance the regulation of distributing cash dividends by listed companies, and encourage the increase of dividend pay-out ratios, which reflects the regulator's commitment to protecting the interests of individual investors.

We examine whether Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) usage affects the stock price crash risk of Chinese firms, and whether the effect differs between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non-SOEs. We find that ERP usage is associated with lower stock price crash risk, but this pattern is largely concentrated in non-SOEs, consistent with our arguments that more acute shareholder-manager agency problem and more organizational rigidity can inhibit the successful assimilation of ERP. The results are further confirmed by a difference-in-differences analysis exploiting the privatization of SOEs as a negative shock to their shareholder-manager agency problem and organizational rigidity. Three channels help explain why ERP usage helps lower stock price crash risk: it improves the quality of internal control, reduces the chance of financial restatements, and mitigates information asymmetry, and all effects are concentrated in non-SOEs. Our study is among the first to examine how ERP usage affects stock price crash risk – an overall outcome measure of a firm's information environment. Using SOEs vs. non-SOEs as a powerful measure of the shareholder-manager agency problem and organizational rigidity, it also represents the first test of the moderating effect of agency problem and organizational rigidity on the effectiveness of ERP usage.

In mature stock markets, many listed companies distribute cash dividends to provide investors with recurrent income and boost their confidence in the companies. Last year, a total of 3,859 A-share listed companies proposed to pay out cash dividends, increased by 565 companies compared to two years before. The total cash dividends amounted to 2.24 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.16% from the previous year. This trend can be attributed to the policy guidance of the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

In mature stock markets, many listed companies distribute cash dividends to provide investors with recurrent income and boost their confidence in the companies. Last year, a total of 3,859 A-share listed companies proposed to pay out cash dividends, increased by 565 companies compared to two years before. The total cash dividends amounted to 2.24 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.16% from the previous year. This trend can be attributed to the policy guidance of the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

Theory offers two diverging views on the effects of ex ante litigation risk on corporate liquidity proxied by cash holdings. Ex ante litigation risk, however, is difficult to measure. We test the liquidity effects of ex ante litigation risk by exploiting the phase-by-phase introduction of securities class actions (SCAs) in Korea. Following the increase in litigation risk, firms significantly increase their internal liquidity, especially those without directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and those that are financially constrained. The results hold robustly in difference-in-differences and regression discontinuity designs. We also find that the increase in ex ante SCA risk improves firms’ stock market liquidity and valuation, especially for firms that do not carry liability insurance. Taken together, the results are consistent with the arguments that SCAs increase firms’ liability risk and lower investors’ risk.

繼筆者上周在本欄撰寫的〈內地股票發行制度改革躍登新台階〉，本文將聚焦於全面實行股票發行註冊制（以下簡稱註冊制）之後，對內地A股市場和香港股票市場的潛在影響扼要分析如下。

繼筆者上周在本欄撰寫的〈內地股票發行制度改革躍登新台階〉，本文將聚焦於全面實行股票發行註冊制（以下簡稱註冊制）之後，對內地A股市場和香港股票市場的潛在影響扼要分析如下。

註冊制是市場化程度更高的股票發行制度，為美國、英國、香港、新加坡等市場所採用，此次全面落實制度之舉，體現內地證券市場與國際證券市場進一步接軌。本文對註冊制的推展歷程作一扼要回顧，並分析新舊制度的不同特色。