Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Moving Forward: Automating A Walmart Executive View From Existing Manual Financial Systems, Alexandra Rosen

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Walmart, the largest retail giant globally, is a company that needs no introduction. Headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, it has become synonymous with retail innovation and efficiency. Last summer, I had the unique opportunity to immerse myself in Walmart’s culture and the world of finance and accounting through Walmart's Accounting and Finance Development Program (AFDP) internship. This analysis examines my summer in the program and applies my experience to the importance of in-person office work.

Valuing Circularity: Sustainable Finance With Real Options Methodology, Mostafa Alloub

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an enhanced framework for valuing circular investments based on the Value Hill model using real options analysis. We propose a new flexible numerical methodology for valuing circularity using the Least Squares Monte Carlo simulation (LSMC) method of Longstaff and Schwartz (2001). The Value Hill model of circularity represents the course followed by the value of an asset, specifically after primary use. To validate the efficiency of our model, we conduct an empirical study on the smartphone business using the case of Apple. Results of our empirical analysis show that investing in circularity enhances financial value. Our model …

Factores Que Dificultan La Rentabilidad Y Estabilidad Financiera De Las Pymes Del Sector Mobiliario En Bogotá, Duván Norberto Contreras Solaque, Ruddy Lorena Guevara Méndez

Maestría en Finanzas

Desde la literatura se identifican elementos que dificultan el normal funcionamiento de las Pymes como: falta de planeación estratégica, escasa profesionalización del talento humano, crisis económicas a nivel nacional e internacional, dificultad de acceso al sistema financiero, entre otros; lo anterior no les permite tener estabilidad y generar rentabilidad en el mercado. Por estas razones, el propósito de la presente investigación es analizar los factores que determinan la rentabilidad y la estabilidad financiera de las pymes del sector de fabricación de muebles especializado en el mobiliario institucional y de oficinas en Bogotá. La metodología está soportada desde una visión pragmática …

Market Reaction Test On Banks & Brokers Based On Bitcoin Price History. A Look At National Commercial Banks And Security Broker, Exchanges, And Service Stocks Following The Most Volatile Swings In Bitcoin’S Price., Payton Earl

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines if there is an inverse correlation between Bitcoin’s most volatile price swings and national commercial banks and security brokers, exchanges and service companies performance. Company performance in the dataset is measured by Cumulative Abnormal Returns during 2021 within a two-day period where Bitcoin has had the most significant uptick and downtick events. Using a market-adjusted model for my regression, it is concluded that Bitcoin’s largest uptick event did indeed have an inversely negative effect on traditional banks and trading securities companies, as the Cumulative Abnormal Returns were negative for my 107 observations and the event was statistically …

Essays On Corporate Debt Structure, Kyuyoung Oh

Theses and Dissertations--Finance and Quantitative Methods

The dissertation consists of three chapters exploring three different facets of corporate debt structure choice. In the first chapter, “Risk Management and the Choice between Secured and Unsecured Debt: Evidence from Natural Experiment,” I study whether and how corporate hedging affects firms’ choice between secured and unsecured debt. Exploiting the introduction of steel futures as a natural experiment, I provide causal evidence that risk management enables firms to switch from secured to unsecured debt without sacrificing debt capacity. Cross-sectional evidence supports the interpretation that risk management drives the results. The effects are stronger for firms that are more likely to …

Three Essays On Corporate Debt Contracting And Innovation, Olaleye Morohunfolu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation comprises three essays investigating topics in Corporate Debt Contracting and Innovation. The first essay examines the relation between Passive Institutional Ownership (IO) and debt covenants. Using Russell 1000/2000 annual index reconstitution as a source of exogenous variation in passive IO, I find that passive IO leads to reduced covenants in the bond market. Specifically, I find that passive IO leads to reduced (a) Investment, (b) Dividend restriction, and (c) Subsequent financing restriction. However, I observe weaker results for loan covenants, implying that loans, usually collateralized, are less sensitive to changes in passive ownership. The overall effect of passive …

Análisis Comparativo De La Solvencia Empresarial Entre Startups Unicornio Y Empresas Medianas Tradicionales En Colombia, Cristian Camillo Amaya Osorio, Yesenia Andrea Álvarez Duarte

Maestría en Finanzas

El surgimiento de las startups, empresas de nueva creación las cuales, gracias a su modelo de negocio escalable y al uso de las nuevas tecnologías, han llegado a 1.327 startups para el año 2022 en Colombia (Colombia Tech Report 2022), sin embargo, las startups unicornios colombianas (aquellas valorizadas en más de un millón de dólares) han enfrentado dificultades financieras debido a la inestabilidad política y económica mundial, lo que ha llevado a despidos masivos y cierres de operaciones en otros países. Por lo tanto, esta investigación se centra en comparar la solvencia empresarial de las startups unicornios en Colombia con …

Modelo De Valoración Financiera Para Coomeva Medicina Prepagada S.A., Angela María Suárez Galvis

Maestría en Finanzas

Las empresas de Medicina Prepagada han adquirido relevancia en los últimos años debido a las dificultades inherentes al sistema de salud, en relación con la prestación de servicios de calidad y oportunidad en la atención. Resulta relevante realizar el ejercicio de valoración financiera, el cual funge como un indicador clave para tomar decisiones sobre si se debe continuar con una línea o modelo de negocio; adicional a ello, expone factores que impactan su valor financiero. El objetivo de este proyecto de investigación es determinar el valor financiero para Coomeva Medicina Prepagada S.A; para esto, encuentra que los modelos de flujos …

Don't Make Me Look Bad: A Study On The Relationship Between Ceo Narcissism And Opinion Shopping, Ali Jon Kooti

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

CEO narcissism has become an urgent growing trend in business and accounting literature lately due to its strategic impact on CEO behavior and decision-making. Similarly, the opportunistic behavior of audit opinion shopping is a well-known concern among U.S. and international regulators and has been the subject of academic research for decades. This study investigates the association between the two. Specifically, this study examines whether narcissistic CEOs, motivated by their need for positive self-image, recognition, and praise, as well as their fear of adverse effects on their status and compensation, engage in opinion shopping in order to avoid receiving an unfavorable …

Unions’ Impact On Firms’ Financial Decision Making: A Look At Right-To-Work Laws And Their Impact On Firms’ Leverage Decisions, Rachana Muvvala

CMC Senior Theses

I study the impact of unions on firms’ financial decision making by exploring their capital structure, specifically leverage. I test two opposing hypotheses to understand the relationship between unions and firms’ leverage: (1) the bargaining hypothesis which suggests that firms use higher leverage as a bargaining device with unions, and (2) the crowding-out hypothesis which suggests that firms have lower leverage because unions crowd out their debt capacity due to their perceived riskiness. Focusing on the 2007 to 2022 period, I examine right-to-work (RTW) laws, since they are exogenous shocks that decrease union power in five different states. Then, I …

Leading Financial Indicators Of Corporate Bankruptcy, Macee Patritti

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Spacs And The Macroeconomy: An Empirical Examination Of Real Interest Rates' Impact On Spacs, Ryan A. Jacobs

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

Special Purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) are an alternative way private entities enter public markets through reverse merger of a publicly listed pool of capital. Price discovery is more transparent than the traditional IPO process, as valuations are negotiated between the SPAC Sponsor and the firm’s management team before shareholders approve through a shareholder vote. I conducted an OLS regression test for a relationship between SPAC activity, using capital invested in SPAC IPOs as a proxy, and various macroeconomic variables. I did not find evidence of a linear relationship. I examined the impact of the real interest rates on monthly pre-merger …

Leadership Behaviors, Practices, And Sytles In Mergers And Acquisitions In The U.S. Technology-Based Organizations: A Qualitative Study, Susan E. Glover

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Leaders guide and shape the success of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to meet an organization’s goals and objectives. In this study, I explored the role of leadership during M&A and the effect of different leadership behaviors, practices, and styles (BPS) on different organizational cultures during M&A. This study explored the contribution of leadership BPS on M&A outcomes within an organization with a robust and innovative culture. I focused on the human capital investment strategies of M&A integration concerning different leadership BPS utilized to improve the success rate of M&A goals and objectives. I concentrated on technology-based organizations because they are …

Cultural Distance And Momentum Effect—The Case Of Cross-Listed Companies In The United States, Ling Liu

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

This paper examines the momentum effect in U.S. cross-listed companies, exploring the relationship between cultural distance and momentum portfolio formation, and how cultural distance affects momentum portfolio returns for US cross-listed firms. The study selects cross-listed companies from January 2001 to December 2022 and create momentum portfolios (Chui, Timan, & Wei, 2010) to test the momentum effect of cross-listed companies in the United States. The cultural distance for cross-listed companies is then calculated using the within-group cultural diversity method (Frijns, Dodd, & Cimerova, 2016) and the Hofstede (2001) dimensional method to find the momentum effect in cultural distance sorted groups. …

Esg Ratings Rewriting Or Recalibration?, Chengshuang Zhang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

ESG ratings are the nexus of sustainable development. Are ongoing retroactive adjustments of ESG scores rewriting or recalibration? Using datasets from 20 random weeks of downloads of Refinitiv ESG universe between 7 October 2021 to 14 December 2022, we find that the positive link between ESG scores or E&S scores to firms’ stock returns existed between 2011 to 2017, disappeared between 2002 to 2011 and attenuated between 2017 to 2021. Using the formation of the International Sustainability Standard Board on 3^rd November 2021 as the external shock event, we further find that the retroactive ESG score adjustments are not …

Assessing Diversification Of S&P500 And Cdx Indexes, Jeffrey A. Palma

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

In this paper, I conduct a study of comovement between equity and corporate bonds using S&P500 and Investment Grade and High Yield CDX Indexes to evaluate the diversification benefits of holding these assets in portfolios. I assess comovement and diversification potential using DCC-GARCH and copulas. This approach allows for a review of equity and credit linkages through multiple lenses and evaluation of how these relationships have evolved over time. In general, I find only modest potential for diversification between equity and CDX markets and strong evidence of increased comovement over time.

Essays On Tax Impacts On Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance And Regional Disparity, Mei Li

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of three chapters that cover topics on tax impacts on corporate finance, regional disparity and corporate governance.

Chapter 1 - How Do Net Operating Loss Carryforwards Affect Tax Impact on Corporate Capital Structure? This paper examines the impact of net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards on the tax implications of corporate capital structure. Leveraging the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), the largest tax reform in four decades, this paper investigates the effect of NOL carryforwards on firms' sensitivity to tax reforms. As NOL carryforwards have become increasingly significant since 2000, but not widely researched due …

But Is It Material? A Case Study Evaluating Climate Risk’S Place In Financial Disclosures, Matilda Lindberg

Student Theses and Dissertations

The year of 2022 highlighted the importance of understanding how Environment, Social, and Governance (hereafter, ESG) factors impact investors. By the end of 2021, 37.8 trillion USD had been invested in ESG funds, a number expected to grow to $53 trillion by the end of 2025. Despite this bullish projection, controversy has grown about the “materiality” of ESG factors, especially climate risks, as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (hereafter, SEC). On March 21, 2022, the SEC proposed rules to enhance the standardization of climate- related disclosures (hereafter The Proposal) to promote consistent, comparable, and reliable information for investors …

Stock Splits And Corporate Peer Effects, Albert J. Saad

Theses and Dissertations

We find that a company’s decision to execute a stock split is affected by the number of stock splits carried out by its peers. Through the use of a broad peer group construction methodology, we also reveal the presence of asymmetric effects with regard to companies of different market capitalization size. In the periods of 1983–1996 and 1997–2009 we find that firms are more likely to split their stock if more of their peers have recently done so. However, in the period of 2010–2019 we see that the opposite is true. These results provide further evidence on social learning from …

The Opportunities And Challenges Of Automation: Insights From An Internship Experience At Ultrasource Llc, Olivia Madden

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis provides insight into Olivia Madden's time as an intern at UltraSource LLC. UltraSource LLC is a Kansas City company that produces meat manufacturing equipment and operational supplies. Olivia worked as a finance intern, where she was tasked with automating processes for the accounts receivable and payable teams and also did ad hoc projects for the finance department as a whole. These insights are recorded through weekly journal entries describing what was done and what was learned every week.

These insights are translated into research on the opportunities and challenges of automation, and the impact automation has on worker …

Internship Experience At Accenture, Drew Keatts

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper discusses my internship experience at Accenture and all of the things I learned from it. I worked out of Dallas, Texas, and it was a 10-week internship. Some of the things I discuss include financial management, financial analysis, profit margins, and professionalism. I cannot express how amazing this experience was and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work for Accenture. I hope you enjoy my experience and the key takeaways I had from it.

How The Finance Industry Is Shaped By Technology – A Corporate Experience, Max Pabin

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

For this paper, I want to analyze how new technology affects the financial industry for individual clients. My internship at Fidelity Investments provided me with a back-end view of the technology used for clients, while my Chase experience has provided me with an in-depth view of how clients use technology daily. I believe that the financial services industry is being taken over by new technology. This has created a new experience for customers that has made it easier for them to bank, apply for credit, and invest their money. I find this subject to be very interesting as someone who …

Financial Advising Experience, Joshua Wittenauer

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Building wealth can be easier with the help of a financial advisor. Wealth consists of assets and savings, and while there are many ways to save, there are some basic steps to get started:

1) Earn enough money to live and have some left over for saving. 2) Control your spending so you can save. 3) Invest your money in different assets – “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Multinational Corporations Use Of Operational And Financial Hedging For Foreign Exchange Risk – Walmart Global Treasury, Zachary Hassan

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines how multinational corporations can leverage different types of hedging tools to avoid foreign exchange risk. We look at two different hedging methods, financial and operational hedging. Weighing the costs benefit relationship of both of these methods we come to a resolution that a balance of both of these methods is most optimal for multinational corporations.

Fraud And The Audit Expectation Gap, Samuel Pelumi Olatunde

Honors College Theses

This study seeks to explore the expectation gap Georgia Southern University business and non-business majors have toward the work of an auditor. This study aims to assess the understanding of Auditors' responsibility for preventing and detecting fraud. This study will help assess the roles of an auditor, a forensic accountant, and management in fraud detection and prevention. The study will also highlight the importance of equipping students with accounting knowledge relevant to the business environment. The research for the study is conducted through a survey questionnaire and interpreted with Excel software. The hypothesis is that students that are majoring in …

The Dark Side Of Leadership: Mid-Level Managers And Their Experience With Hubristic Behaviors Of Executives, Leili Sadaghiani

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify the emotional reactions of mid-level managers to executives’ hubris behaviors in a corporate setting.

Methodology: This leadership study uses qualitative phenomenological methodology was executed to explore the lived experiences of mid-level managers with past executives who practiced hubristic behavior.

Findings: The findings of this research on the lived experiences of mid-level managers with hubristic behaviors of executives suggest that the lack of support lessens the mid-level manager’s confidence; with little support; the mid-level manager was either afraid to fight the executive or gave up trying; the mid-level manager faced stress even …

The Effect Of Nondiagnostic Information On Internal Auditor Skepticism: Capturing The Dilution Effect, Joseph Anthony Giordano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Internal auditors assigned to assess internal controls over financial reporting incorporate irrelevant information into their judgment, showing decreased skepticism when irrelevant information contradicts preconceived stereotypes of management, known as the dilution effect and attributed to the representativeness heuristic. Irrelevant information consistent with preconceived stereotypes does not decrease skepticism. In this experiment practicing internal auditors are provided an irrelevant description of the Chief Information Officer portrayed as either gregarious or introverted then subsequently receive relevant internal controls information. When the Chief Information Officer is described as gregarious, counter to common stereotypes, internal auditors assess risk as less likely to occur compared …

Bearer Negotiable Instruments: Addressing A Financial Intelligence Gap And Identifying Criminogenic Weaknesses, Hollis B. Kegg

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI) are a long-standing category of financial instruments used to transfer large amounts of money in ways that may not be subject to regulation, reporting, tracking, review, or oversight. There is limited information available on BNIs, and no evidence that any studies have been undertaken on BNIs alone, much less reported. Increasingly, BNIs are being used for illegal purposes including money laundering. This study gathers information about their characteristics, nature, purpose, legal status, and numbers. It also focuses on the crime risks associated with BNIs, the crime opportunities they facilitate, and the criminal weaknesses in the financial …

Desempeño De Activos Financieros Como Alternativa De Inversión En Colombia Después De Pandemia, Gilmar Andres Quijano Barragán, Sebastián Alonso Orozco Palomino, David Eduardo Pinzón Botero

Maestría en Finanzas

La emergencia social y sanitaria generada por la pandemia COVID – 19 impactó de manera significativa el sector financiero, propagando efectos negativos en la mayor parte de los países, por lo que Colombia también fue afectada durante este proceso. Los efectos fueron en diferentes sectores, entre ellos uno de los más significativos fue la caída en los precios del mercado de valores, puntualmente en la rentabilidad de los activos financieros. Es claro que la pandemia y sus efectos consecuentes, mostraron que existen diferentes aspectos que generan efectos negativos, por este motivo, se hace relevante y pertinente utilizar herramientas financieras especializadas …

Microcrédito Como Herramienta De Financiamiento Para Vendedores Ambulantes: Análisis Del Riesgo Crediticio, Heidi Daniela Prieto Ortega, Lina Briyit Barrantes Ríos, Diego Alejandro Peñaloza Cubillos

Maestría en Finanzas

La informalidad laboral es un problema persistente que afecta a gran parte de la población, de acuerdo con el Boletín Técnico de Ocupación Informal del DANE para el segundo trimestre del año 2023, alrededor del 56% de los colombianos aún trabaja sin contrato laboral, una de las tasas más altas de América Latina, sumado a esto, existe una baja cultura financiera en algunos sectores del país, que representan obstáculo para la inclusión financiera, como ocurre en el caso de los vendedores ambulantes. Dicho esto, los vendedores ambulantes conforman una realidad tangible en las calles y en la vida urbana, de …