The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Rating, Firm Value and the Corporate Ownership Concentration

This study analyzed the relationship between ESG performance and corporate value using panel data from Chinese equipment manufacturing companies spanning from 2012 to 2021, and it also examined whether ownership structure moderates this relationship. We have contributed to filling the gap in existing research. The main conclusions of this study are as follows: Firstly, similar to previous researches, ESG performance was found to have a positive and statistically significant impact on corporate value. Secondly, when the three dimensions of ESG - Environmental (E), Social (S), and Governance (G) - were analyzed separately, it was observed that E and S have a positive and statistically significant impact on corporate value, while G has a negative and statistically significant impact. Thirdly, ownership concentration emerged as a significant moderating factor in explaining the connection between ESG performance and corporate value. Lastly, when the three dimensions of ESG were analyzed separately, ownership concentration was found to serve as a positive moderating factor in the relationship between corporate value and E and S, but it did not play a statistically significant role for G.