The Privatization Dividend : A Worldwide Analysis of the Financial and Operating Performance of Newly Privatized Firms

The study described in this Note compared the pre- and post-privatization performance of 61 companies in 18 countries and 32 industries. These companies were sold to the public through a share issue and thus their comparable pre- and post-issue fin...

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Main Authors: Megginson, William L., Nash, Robert C., van Randenborgh, Matthias
Format: Viewpoint
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1996/02/696757/privatization-dividend-worldwide-analysis-financial-operating-performance-newly-privatized-firms
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11633
id okr-10986-11633
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-116332021-06-14T11:02:42Z The Privatization Dividend : A Worldwide Analysis of the Financial and Operating Performance of Newly Privatized Firms Megginson, William L. Nash, Robert C. van Randenborgh, Matthias DENATIONALIZATION PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS PUBLIC ENTERPRISES PROFITABILITY PRODUCTION EMPLOYMENT OWNERSHIP DIVIDENDS OPERATING EFFICIENCY ACCOUNTABILITY ACCOUNTING ASSETS BOARDS OF DIRECTORS CAPITAL EXPENDITURES CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATION DEBT DIVIDEND PAYOUT EMPLOYMENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP FINANCIAL POLICIES FIRMS INFLATION INVESTMENT SPENDING JOB LOSSES LABOR UNIONS OPERATING EFFICIENCY OPERATING LOSSES PENALTIES PRESENT VALUE PRIVATIZATION PROFITABILITY PUBLIC ENTERPRISES RETAINED EARNINGS RETURN ON SALES The study described in this Note compared the pre- and post-privatization performance of 61 companies in 18 countries and 32 industries. These companies were sold to the public through a share issue and thus their comparable pre- and post-issue financial and accounting data could be obtained from the firms' offering prospectuses and annual reports. The study tested for increased profitability, increased operating efficiency, increased capital investment spending, increased output, and privatization without lowering employment levels. It tested for these results both for the full sample and for several subsamples: privatizations of firms in competitive and non-competitive industries, full and partial privatization, privatization involving firms headquartered in OECD countries and in developing countries, and "control" and "revenue" privatizations. It showed significant increases among newly private firms in profitability, output per employee, capital spending, and employment. It also found that the financial policies of these firms start to resemble those typically associated with private entrepreneurial companies--with lower leverage and higher dividend payout ratios. Although the data did not allow precise documentation of the causes of these performance improvements after divestiture, the study was able to rule out price increases as a frequent source of profitability increases. It also showed that privatization has a positive effect on a firm's operating and financial performance while maintaining employment. 2012-08-13T15:35:19Z 2012-08-13T15:35:19Z 1996-02 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1996/02/696757/privatization-dividend-worldwide-analysis-financial-operating-performance-newly-privatized-firms Viewpoint. -- Note no. 68 (February 1996) http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11633 English Viewpoint CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Viewpoint Publications & Research
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic DENATIONALIZATION
PERFORMANCE
ANALYSIS
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
PROFITABILITY
PRODUCTION
EMPLOYMENT
OWNERSHIP
DIVIDENDS
OPERATING EFFICIENCY ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTING
ASSETS
BOARDS OF DIRECTORS
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
CAPITAL MARKETS
CORPORATION
DEBT
DIVIDEND PAYOUT
EMPLOYMENT
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
FINANCIAL POLICIES
FIRMS
INFLATION
INVESTMENT SPENDING
JOB LOSSES
LABOR UNIONS
OPERATING EFFICIENCY
OPERATING LOSSES
PENALTIES
PRESENT VALUE
PRIVATIZATION
PROFITABILITY
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
RETAINED EARNINGS
RETURN ON SALES
spellingShingle DENATIONALIZATION
PERFORMANCE
ANALYSIS
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
PROFITABILITY
PRODUCTION
EMPLOYMENT
OWNERSHIP
DIVIDENDS
OPERATING EFFICIENCY ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTING
ASSETS
BOARDS OF DIRECTORS
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
CAPITAL MARKETS
CORPORATION
DEBT
DIVIDEND PAYOUT
EMPLOYMENT
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
FINANCIAL POLICIES
FIRMS
INFLATION
INVESTMENT SPENDING
JOB LOSSES
LABOR UNIONS
OPERATING EFFICIENCY
OPERATING LOSSES
PENALTIES
PRESENT VALUE
PRIVATIZATION
PROFITABILITY
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
RETAINED EARNINGS
RETURN ON SALES
Megginson, William L.
Nash, Robert C.
van Randenborgh, Matthias
The Privatization Dividend : A Worldwide Analysis of the Financial and Operating Performance of Newly Privatized Firms
relation Viewpoint
description The study described in this Note compared the pre- and post-privatization performance of 61 companies in 18 countries and 32 industries. These companies were sold to the public through a share issue and thus their comparable pre- and post-issue financial and accounting data could be obtained from the firms' offering prospectuses and annual reports. The study tested for increased profitability, increased operating efficiency, increased capital investment spending, increased output, and privatization without lowering employment levels. It tested for these results both for the full sample and for several subsamples: privatizations of firms in competitive and non-competitive industries, full and partial privatization, privatization involving firms headquartered in OECD countries and in developing countries, and "control" and "revenue" privatizations. It showed significant increases among newly private firms in profitability, output per employee, capital spending, and employment. It also found that the financial policies of these firms start to resemble those typically associated with private entrepreneurial companies--with lower leverage and higher dividend payout ratios. Although the data did not allow precise documentation of the causes of these performance improvements after divestiture, the study was able to rule out price increases as a frequent source of profitability increases. It also showed that privatization has a positive effect on a firm's operating and financial performance while maintaining employment.
format Publications & Research :: Viewpoint
author Megginson, William L.
Nash, Robert C.
van Randenborgh, Matthias
author_facet Megginson, William L.
Nash, Robert C.
van Randenborgh, Matthias
author_sort Megginson, William L.
title The Privatization Dividend : A Worldwide Analysis of the Financial and Operating Performance of Newly Privatized Firms
title_short The Privatization Dividend : A Worldwide Analysis of the Financial and Operating Performance of Newly Privatized Firms
title_full The Privatization Dividend : A Worldwide Analysis of the Financial and Operating Performance of Newly Privatized Firms
title_fullStr The Privatization Dividend : A Worldwide Analysis of the Financial and Operating Performance of Newly Privatized Firms
title_full_unstemmed The Privatization Dividend : A Worldwide Analysis of the Financial and Operating Performance of Newly Privatized Firms
title_sort privatization dividend : a worldwide analysis of the financial and operating performance of newly privatized firms
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2012
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1996/02/696757/privatization-dividend-worldwide-analysis-financial-operating-performance-newly-privatized-firms
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11633
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