Oloyede Obagbuwa

This study investigates how variation in monitoring intensity affects the efficiency of firms’ investment decisions in an emerging market in South Africa. The study hypothesis argues that the distraction of institutional shareholders has a statistically significant positive effect on corporate investment inefficiency. Using a more robust Generalized Method of Moments (Sys GMM) estimation approach to analyze data collected for firms listed at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for the period 2004–2019, the results showed that the distraction of institutional shareholders has a positive and statistically significant impact on investment inefficiency. That is, when the attention of institutional shareholders is shifted, the intensity of their monitoring drops, and the executive is involved in investment decisions that are not profitable. This insight has an implication for stakeholders and the value-creating corporate governance mechanism. The study concludes that institutional shareholders must always sustain their monitoring intensity to ensure that corporate decisions are consistent with the firm’s value.

This paper investigates green investments in energy and mining firms in South Africa to determine the efficiency level in terms of overinvestment and underinvestment. The general Richardson residual measurement model is employed, and an enhanced model is created by including variables that influence green investment, such as political connections and pollutant emissions. Data from 17 companies (5 energy and 12 mining) were used because of the significant effects of their operations on the environment over the period between 2015 and 2022. The study findings show that, in comparison to the estimated optimal investment level, South African energy and mining firms are not consistent regarding their investment level. It interplays between underinvestment and overinvestment. However, both firms demonstrated the tendency to green investment inefficiency due to underinvestment recorded in the latter years of the sample period. The study provides understanding as regards green investment levels of energy and mining firms and hence recommends adequate oversight and formulation of environmental policy by the government to ensure green investment efficiency in line with both national and international policies and regulations to facilitate a sustainable environment.

This study aims to examine the internal determinants of financial performance of food supermarkets listed on the South African stock exchange. Food supermarkets play an integral role in socio-economic development of the country. The study employed an econometric approach utilizing fixed effect panel data. Drawing information from audited financial statements, data were gathered from four major listed food supermarkets in South Africa covering the period from 1994 to 2022, resulting in a total of 116 observations over 29 years. The robust longitudinal statistics obtained from balanced data revealed a significant positive correlation between equity financing, size of corporate governance, and current debt with financial performance, as measured by sales revenue at 0.0000, 0.054, and 0.000 significance levels, respectively. The findings indicate that as these variables increase, the financial performance of the studied food supermarkets (Shoprite, Woolworths, Spar, and Pick n Pay) also increases. Conversely, a negative and significant relationship is noted between company age, current assets, and financial performance at significance levels of 0.007 and 0.002, respectively. This suggests that as these variables increase, financial performance will decrease. As per the research findings, it is imperative for supermarkets to uphold a well-rounded blend of equity and debt and adopt inventive business approaches as they mature to improve financial outcomes. Therefore, the study proposes a framework focusing on internal factors that impact the financial performance of listed food supermarkets in South Africa.