Search Results (9)

(1) Background: In integrated financial markets where traditional diversification often fails, analyzing sustainability-oriented investments under non-linear dynamics is critical to averting erroneous decisions. This study investigates whether corporate sustainability provides effective downside mitigation against volatility in emerging markets, using Borsa Istanbul as a case study. (2) Methods: The analysis employs US Dollar-denominated excess returns of an equal-weighted portfolio from the longest-tenured BIST Sustainability Index constituents versus the broader BIST 100 Index (2014–2025), utilizing Markov Regime Switching (MS-AR) and Regime-Switching CAPM methodologies to model non-linear dynamics. (3) Results: Empirical results reveal two distinct regimes, where market variance surges approximately 8.5-fold during crises. The sustainable portfolio exhibits a low systematic risk sensitivity (Beta: 0.76) in normal conditions, driven by its distinct structural composition without generating statistically significant Alpha. In crisis regimes, despite increased sensitivity (Beta: 0.90), the portfolio remains resilient with a beta strictly below 1.00. While BIST 100 investors suffered a massive 40.86% USD wealth erosion over the full period, the sustainability portfolio significantly mitigated this damage, limiting the total capital loss to 20.73% due to substantial compounding accumulated during normal regimes. (4) Conclusions: Consequently, sustainability proves to be not merely an ethical preference but a rational financial strategy offering diversification benefits in tranquility and acting as an effective partial hedge during turbulence in high-volatility markets. Full article

With the impact of globalization, logistics has evolved beyond mere goods transportation to become an indispensable component of international trade and a strategic force that provides a competitive advantage. Through logistics companies with strong financial performance, the sector plays a decisive role in enhancing industry efficiency and supporting global economic sustainability. In this context, measuring and improving the financial performance of logistics companies has become critically important. This study introduces an innovative approach to evaluating the financial performance of logistics companies listed on the Borsa Istanbul (BIST) Transportation Index by integrating four distinct Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods. The SIWEC, MEREC, and LODECI methods, recognized for objective weighting, were used to assign weights to financial criteria for logistics companies. The obtained criteria weights were combined for each research period using the Heron mean, and then the performance rankings of logistics companies were determined using the CoCoSo method. The consistency of the results obtained was also evaluated through sensitivity analysis, and the reliability of the model was tested. It has been determined that the methods used are moderately to highly sensitive to changes in parameters. Full article

Purpose: the purpose of this study is to investigate whether corporate governance mechanisms and attributes influence the sustainability performance of companies included in the BIST 50 Index. Results and contributions: Regression analysis showed that there was a significant positive influence of board tenure on sustainability performance and all its types; board size on environmental performance; and a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated and company size on sustainability, environmental, and social performance. A significant negative impact of director attendance at board meetings on social performance was also revealed. This study contributes to the literature on the role of corporate governance in achieving the SDGs for BIST 50 Index companies, highlighting the significant impact of its individual indicators on the achievement of sustainability performance. Methodology: The authors reviewed 45 sustainability reports of BIST 50 Index companies for 2023. Four indices—Sustainability Performance, Environmental Performance, Social Performance, and Corporate Governance Performance Indexes—were developed to characterize sustainability performance and its types based on a content analysis of sustainability disclosures. To analyze the influence of mechanisms and characteristics of the corporate governance system on sustainability performance, eight independent variables were used: board size, number of board meetings, director attendance at board meetings, board independence, board tenure, a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated, a dummy variable for internal auditors present, and a dummy variable for CEO and Chair functions combined. Two control variables, company size and leverage, were used as well. Gap: Today, the scientific literature has no universal approach and understanding of how the corporate governance system should be developed to improve sustainability performance or its individual components. Relevance: Development of a corporate governance system is one of the ways to increase the level of sustainability performance of companies. Impact: The results of the study made it possible to produce several recommendations (expand the number of board members, develop an effective procedure for regular changes of general directors in company boards, introduce independent external control tools in the corporate governance systems of companies) that will lead to the achievement of SDGs 5, 8, 16. Full article

Understanding and examining energy markets correctly is crucial for stakeholders to attain maximum benefit and avoid risks. As a matter of fact, the volatility that occurred in energy markets and recent crises had major impacts on national economies. Dynamic connectedness relationships (DCRs) can make quite powerful predictions for both low-frequency data and limited time-series data. The objective of this study is to explicate the dynamic connectedness relationships among the BIST sustainability index, BIST 100 index, S&P Global Clean Energy index (S&P GCEI), and S&P GSCI carbon emission allowances (EUA). The daily data obtained over the period 11 April 2014–11 November 2022 were used for the research study. The DCRs among the variables used in the study were investigated by employing the time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model. As a result of the study, the volatility from carbon emission allowances was determined to spill over to S&P GCEI, BIST 100, and BIST sustainability indexes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, significant reductions were detected in the volatility spillover (VS) from carbon emission allowances to S&P GCEI, BIST 100, and BIST sustainability indexes. Moreover, it was revealed that a weak VS existed from S&P GCEI to BIST sustainability and BIST 100 indexes. The findings reveal the importance of policymakers taking some incentive measures in EUA prices and also its role in portfolio diversification. Full article

This study investigated the effect of sustainability performance on financial performance in developed and developing countries. It also aimed to determine the moderator effect of firm size. The factor for sustainability performance was listed in the BIST Sustainability Index for Turkey and the Dow Jones Sustainability Korea Index for South Korea. ROE, ROA, ROS, and MV/BV were used as financial performance factors. Companies included in the KOSPI 100 index for South Korea and the BIST 100 index for Turkey were examined. Panel regression analysis and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) analysis were performed to determine the effect of the past value of financial performance factors on their current value. The results show that the impact of sustainability performance on financial performance differs between South Korea and Turkey. In addition, the moderator variable has a significant effect only on ROA (return on assets) for Turkey and on ROE (return on equity) and ROS (return on sales) for South Korea. The results of the GMM analysis show that the past ROA and ROE values affect the current values statistically and positively for South Korea. For Turkey, the past ROE, ROS, and MV/BV (Market Value/Book Value) positively affect the current values. In addition to theoretical implications, implications for policy-makers and practitioners are also presented. Finally, this study provides significant insights for decision-makers and policy-makers to improve sustainability and corporate responsibility in financial and other similar settings. Full article

Risk management requires firms to mitigate the negative consequences of market dynamics on their performance outcomes. Traditional risk management solely addresses the threats and negative consequences of risk. However, total (effective) risk management is capable of regulating out-of-control market conditions to boost corporate performance by restraining market volatility and hence providing return sustainability considering the opportunities of risk as well. Based on a sample of 286 firm-year observations drawn from 26 firms listed on Borsa Istanbul, BIST-50 index, the empirical study examines the association between total risk management and firm performance and the moderating role of innovation, intellectual capital, and the pandemic period for the years 2011–2021. The analysis is performed by applying the hierarchical panel regression using ROE and ROI as proxies to measure firm performance. The results have shown that there is a positive association between total risk management and performance measures, especially among firms applying more innovation and intellectual capital investments. However, the effect of innovation on the performance relationship of total risk management (ROE) was found to be negative surprisingly. Moreover, results suggest that total risk management has a lower positive association with firm performance during the pandemic period for both performance measures. Full article

The impact of sustainability on corporate financial performance has been an important subject of both academic and professional debate since the 1990s. However, there is a lack of consensus in the literature, and studies from developing countries remain scarce. Accordingly, this study uses discriminant analysis to shed light on the variables that discriminate between sustainable and non-sustainable companies using the companies included in Borsa Istanbul (BIST100) (Istanbul Stock Exchange) and the Borsa Istanbul Sustainability Index for a three-year period. Financial and market variables are used in the analysis. Financial variables include the return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA), leverage ratios, and company size. The analysis also incorporates market variables such as alpha, beta, volatility, earnings per share, and the price to book ratio. The results show that the relationship between sustainability and performance is significantly influenced by the company size, leverage, volatility, and price to book ratio. The large companies are considered to be more sustainable as their commitment is well recognized. In this way, they attract more investors. Therefore, their stock prices are less volatile and achieve a better price to book ratio. They obtain easy access to external financing compared to companies considered to be non-sustainable. Moreover, they are less volatile in the market and better valued by investors. Full article

This study examines the relationships between corporate sustainability (CS) performance of the companies (proxied by inclusion in sustainability index) listed in Borsa Istanbul (BIST, Istanbul, Turkey) and market-specific company performance measures over the period of 2014–2017. The results show that there is no strong evidence of the effect of inclusion in or exclusion from the BIST Sustainability Index (BIST SI) on stock returns and systematic risk (betas) of companies. However, the results reveal that inclusion in the BIST SI reduces the total risk of the companies and protects them from stock declines in case of a severe crisis by improving their resilience compared to other companies not included in the BIST SI. Although no significant link is found concerning the impact of the companies’ inclusion on the level of foreign ownership, a positive association is noted between BIST SI inclusion and the level of institutional ownership. Full article

Due to the increasing sustainability concerns among society and investors, companies share information demonstrating their social and environmental impacts to make an impression in corporate reports. Thus, impression management is used to influence company stakeholders’ perception of their performance through graphs. Graphs presented in corporate reports are powerful impression management tools which communicate performance-related messages to the stakeholders. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of graphs to apply various impression management tactics in economic, social, and environmental disclosures of corporate reports. In this research, the use of graphs as an impression management tool has been determined through the corporate reports of 49 companies selected in the BIST (Borsa Istanbul) Sustainability Index of 2018 and 2019, Turkey. In total, 502 graphs in the reports of the selected companies were examined by descriptive analysis and the findings were statistically tested. According to the results, it was found that companies use both presentational enhancement and obfuscation as impression management tactics in corporate reports. This study helps to fill the research gap in the absence of an empirical study conducted in an emerging economy, Turkey. Additionally, it is the first study that focuses on graphs with impression management tactics that has ever been conducted in Turkey. Full article