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Full-Text Articles in Finance and Financial Management
Are Us Economic Variables Useful For Chinese Stock Market Forecasts?, Knowledge@Smu
Are Us Economic Variables Useful For Chinese Stock Market Forecasts?, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
It is commonly thought that the economic systems of the world's two largest economies distinct, and so one's experience may not necessarily inform the other. Yet, a new study that compares and analyses stock market data from both countries offers a contrarian view. Undertaken by a PhD candidate at SMU's Lee Kong Chian School of Business, this study was recently presented at the HU-HUE-SKBI Tripartite Conference.
Attributes For Successful Fund Management: Experience Or Education?, Knowledge@Smu
Attributes For Successful Fund Management: Experience Or Education?, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Successful fund management is no longer about having “rock star” fund managers, but a team, made up of mutually respecting members bringing them with a mix of the right education, and the relevant experience, said Simon Davies, executive chairman of Threadneedle Investments, at a seminar at SMU.
Markowitz 2.0: Innovations For Asset Allocation, Knowledge@Smu
Markowitz 2.0: Innovations For Asset Allocation, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
The idea of conducting financial analysis on asset classes, while widely accepted today, was a new concept in the 1950s. It was so new that Nobel Prize winner in economics Harry Markowitz almost did not receive his doctorate because his thesis on portfolio optimisation was deemed as “not economics” by his supervisor. Dr Paul Kaplan, quantitative research director at Morningstar, introduces an updated model of Markowitz’s portfolio optimisation model at a seminar in SMU.
Walking The Talk Of Wall Street, Knowledge@Smu
Walking The Talk Of Wall Street, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Years after he theorised that a blindfolded monkey throwing darts at stock listings can select a portfolio that would perform as well as one chosen by experts, Princeton economist Burton Malkiel is sticking by it. In the tenth edition of his investment classic, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Malkiel explains why the experts are overrated, and why sticking with a buy-and-hold strategy using a broad stock market index fund will outperform the professionally managed ones.
Large Mutual Fund Families: Bigger May Not Always Be Better, Knowledge@Smu
Large Mutual Fund Families: Bigger May Not Always Be Better, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Investments are vital to one’s financial freedom. But investment strategy is an art which not everybody can master. Those who are new to investing may see mutual funds as an easy tool to make money. It has been traditionally thought that larger mutual fund families tend to perform better than their smaller counterparts. Do they really?
Financial Literacy And Numerical Ability: Keys To Better Mortgage Outcomes, Knowledge@Smu
Financial Literacy And Numerical Ability: Keys To Better Mortgage Outcomes, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
The US mortgage crisis and its dire after effects have highlighted the criticality of financial literacy. And while most people would have picked up fundamental mathematical principles in schools, not everyone appreciates how arithmetic translates within the complex world of finance. Yet, given what has transpired with the subprime crisis, is it important for borrowers to appreciate complicated financial concepts before taking up a loan? A study of the US mortgage market, presented at a SMU School of Economics Seminar Series, provides some clues as it uncovers links between basic numerical skills and financial fate.
Risk Management In A Volatile Market, Knowledge@Smu
Risk Management In A Volatile Market, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
The September 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers was the 9/11 on Wall Street. Since then, the global risk landscape has changed and swings in the equity markets have become more volatile Now, a study of statistically significant changes in global financial risks and sharp increases in conditional Value-at-Risk after September 2008 has suggested a technically superior technique for effective risk management.
Opportunities And Challenges For The Asset Management Industry, Knowledge@Smu
Opportunities And Challenges For The Asset Management Industry, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Singapore, with its open economy and stable business environment, is host to some of the world's largest asset management companies. It has been observed, however, that local asset management firms are lagging far behind; somehow unable to capitalise on the same opportunities available to the global giants. Speaking at a conference organised by SMU's Centre for Asset Securitisation and Management in Asia, a panel of industry experts shared their views on what it would take to get both local and Asia-based firms into the big league.
Designing A More Efficient And Fairer Tax System, Knowledge@Smu
Designing A More Efficient And Fairer Tax System, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
A competent tax system should meet an economy's fiscal needs, but that cannot exist without a tax design that understands, pre-empts, and ultimately shapes human behaviours. Drawing from the UK's Mirrlees Review, Richard Blundell, research director at the London-based Institute of Fiscal Studies, delivered a lecture at Singapore Management University's School of Economics on the principles of the tax reform, and the challenges that await governments in formulating a coherent and economically efficient tax structure.
Supporting Global Metals Markets: The Role Of The London Metals Exchange, Knowledge@Smu
Supporting Global Metals Markets: The Role Of The London Metals Exchange, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Most people would expect automobiles and electronics, comprised of many important metal parts, to be sold at relatively stable prices. Little do consumers appreciate, however, the backend market mechanisms that keep these prices stable. A prospective car buyer does not have to monitor his or her dream car's daily price fluctuations, for example, precisely because the parts that go into its manufacture maintain steady prices. This is, in part, the doing of metal exchanges that regulate the demand and supply of metals. Liz Milan, managing director of the London Metals Exchange Asia, explained this and more at a seminar organised …
Predictions For Protection: A System To Measure And Detect Asset Bubbles, Knowledge@Smu
Predictions For Protection: A System To Measure And Detect Asset Bubbles, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Millions of lives can be ruined with the bursting of economic bubbles. Just in the past two decades alone, the world has had the misfortune of witnessing two such incidents; first with the dot-com burst, and then most recently, with the housing and sub-prime crisis that led to a global recession. While there is reportedly no cure for the greed, economists have made strides to identify and predict bubbles – thereby paving the way for institutional stopgaps that could well prevent a financial crisis.
How The Mindless Growth Mantra Of Modern Economics Is Failing Us, Knowledge@Smu
How The Mindless Growth Mantra Of Modern Economics Is Failing Us, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
As the world ponders the possibility of yet another global recession, one economist has offered up, instead, a critical view of the fundamental flaws within a system so caught up with consumption that a second wave recession would seem more intentional than unnerving. In 'The End of Progress: How modern economics has failed us', author Grame Maxton takes readers through a re-examination of 'the invisible hand' and puts forth several radical ideas for how the world economy may repair itself.
Building Structured Products: Like Manufacturing A Complex, Abstract Car, Knowledge@Smu
Building Structured Products: Like Manufacturing A Complex, Abstract Car, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
The inner workings of structured financial products and the structured products industry might seem complicated to outsiders looking in. After all, regulatory restrictions, quantitative financial modelling, and foreign exchange options are not exactly universally understood commonplace terms. Industry insiders at a Lee Kong Chian School of Business Public Lecture say, however, that an appreciation for this seemingly complex domain is more about attitude than aptitude.
Roubini On Global Economic Risks: “Dr Doom” Or “Dr Realist”?, Knowledge@Smu
Roubini On Global Economic Risks: “Dr Doom” Or “Dr Realist”?, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Renowned as the brutally frank commentator that correctly predicted the 2008 financial crisis, New York University's economics professor Nouriel Roubini has made a reputation for himself as the prophet of doom. What does 'Doctor Doom' make of all the fuss about Asia's tiger and dragon economies? He shares his take at a lecture organised by SMU's Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics while informing audiences that he prefers to be known as 'Doctor Realist'.
Value Investment And Market Timing: Opportunities In Times Of Crises, Knowledge@Smu
Value Investment And Market Timing: Opportunities In Times Of Crises, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Luminary 'small-cap king' Dr Tan Chong Koay sees opportunities in crises. After all, this industry stalwart's most prolific performances have been during the periods of global economic meltdowns. Beyond financial gains, those who survive these crises would have gained much confidence, he believes. Sharing his investment philosophies at SMU's Centre for Asset Securitisation and Management in Asia, Tan, founder of Pheim Asset Management, explains what he sees as the art and science of investing.
Back To Basics: The Little Book That Still Beats The Market, Knowledge@Smu
Back To Basics: The Little Book That Still Beats The Market, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Investment theories and principles can be complex and befuddling for many. Yet, one man has devised a formula so simple that it could speak to novices and children. In The Little Book That Still Beats the Market, Columbia University lecturer Joel Greenblatt explains, in large fonts, how he derived what has been termed "the magic formula" and provides some examples as proof of its wizardry. As for weather-beaten investors with no latitude left for "magic", Greenblatt offers a humorous revision of the fundamentals.
China’S Red Capitalism: A Gravity-Defying Economy Built On A Foundation Of Sand?, Knowledge@Smu
China’S Red Capitalism: A Gravity-Defying Economy Built On A Foundation Of Sand?, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
With more than US$3 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, the clutch of four big banks and dozens more internationally-listed state-owned enterprises, there is not much doubt that China has some serious economic muscle. Yet, as authors Carl E. Walter and Frasier J.T. Howie explained in their book, 'Red Capitalism: The fragile financial foundation of China’s extraordinary rise', not all is as it seems in the labyrinth that is China's financial system.
Filling Stomachs Worldwide With Agriculture Risk Transfer Solutions, Knowledge@Smu
Filling Stomachs Worldwide With Agriculture Risk Transfer Solutions, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
A confluence of factors, such as weather, energy and growing demand, has given rise to a volatile food supply situation worldwide. With few investors willing to take the plunge with this industry, supply and production problems perpetuate. Speaking at a recent seminar at the Singapore Management University, Roman Hohl, an expert in this field with Swiss Re, explains how this issue can be addressed with some help from the insurance industry in the form of risk transfer products. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A "Glittering" Bubble: Where Is Gold, At A Record High, Heading Next?, Knowledge@Smu
A "Glittering" Bubble: Where Is Gold, At A Record High, Heading Next?, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Since 2000, the price of gold has surged more than four times to an all time high of more than US$1,400. Is it purely speculative demand that is driving this unprecedented, multi-year surge, or are there other factors at play? With gold at such a high level, is it time for investors to bet that it will drop? Tarun K. Tandon, CEO of FLS Corporation, shares his thoughts at a recent International Trading Institute@SMU seminar.
After The Year Of Two Halves: Outlook, Risks And Opportunities For 2011, Knowledge@Smu
After The Year Of Two Halves: Outlook, Risks And Opportunities For 2011, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
The post-Lehman Brothers recovery in global financial markets may not have been as reassuring as investors hoped. Meanwhile, conflicts and natural disasters continue to cloud the overall outlook. Through it all, which are the sectors and asset classes to watch in 2011? Senior portfolio fund manager Ong Guat Cheng shares her personal take at SMU's Centre for Asset Securitisation and Management in Asia.
Divining The Merits And Pitfalls Of Dividends, Knowledge@Smu
Divining The Merits And Pitfalls Of Dividends, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Capital gains on stock investments are not always a given, but many companies make it a point to give their shareholders a steady flow of returns that do not require a sell. While such payouts are not as exciting as hitting that 'multi-bagger', here’s something more certain: over time, patient shareholders have more to reap. In 'The Little Book of Big Dividends', author Charles Carlson draws readers' attention to the merits and red flags of investing for dividends.
Trend Of The Future, Not Flavour Of The Month: The Changing Private Equity Industry In Emerging Markets, Knowledge@Smu
Trend Of The Future, Not Flavour Of The Month: The Changing Private Equity Industry In Emerging Markets, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
With memories of the recent global financial crisis still fresh in many people's minds, investors are shying away from anything that may sound too risky or complex. TPG Capital, on the other hand, is taking this opportunity to place their bets on the emerging markets. To secure its investments, Ashish Shastry, managing director and Southeast Asia head of this prominent private equity firm, recommended to the audiences at SMU's BNP Paribas Hedge Fund Centre, a road less travelled – engagement and consulting. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carnivorous Lions And Herbivorous Asians: How The Recession Has Made A Case For Leadership In Asia, Knowledge@Smu
Carnivorous Lions And Herbivorous Asians: How The Recession Has Made A Case For Leadership In Asia, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
It may seem as if the worse is over. Those oversights and indiscretions which led to the global financial crisis have been exposed and dealt with – or have they? According to Andrew Sheng, renowned economist and distinguished speaker at SMU's Ngee Ann Kongsi Annual Lecture Series, the severity of the crisis is far more extensive than most people believe. Compounding the problem are systemic complexities brought on by "shadow banking", "moral hazards", and the carnivorous lions of Wall Street.
Gold, Gas And Grains: Smartest Investment For The Coming Decade?, Knowledge@Smu
Gold, Gas And Grains: Smartest Investment For The Coming Decade?, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
The disappointing performance of investments like stocks, bonds and real estate during the recent crisis, has only served to accentuate the attractiveness of investing in commodities. With finite supply and voracious demand from countries like China, it seems that the prices of oil, gold, iron and other natural resources could only rise. John Stephenson, of First Asset Investment Management Inc, tells us more in The Little Book of Commodity Investing, why investing in commodities is timely and smart.
Private Banking In Asia: Going Beyond Trust And Confidence, Knowledge@Smu
Private Banking In Asia: Going Beyond Trust And Confidence, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Asia's private banking industry is expected to expand in the near future, and all signs point to greater competition amongst existing markets and wealth management entities. The nature of the financial service, however, remains rather interpersonal. Private bankers work almost exclusively with sophisticated, high net worth individuals. Long term survival, for them, means sticking with high value clients over the long haul, over and above sticking it out with the institutes that back those financial services. What might this spell for the market? SMU's Ang Ser-Keng asked industry experts through a series of interviews.
Wait Not For Another Crisis: Weighing In On The Fair Value Accounting Debate, Knowledge@Smu
Wait Not For Another Crisis: Weighing In On The Fair Value Accounting Debate, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
The use of fair value accounting – simply defined as the booking of numbers based on current market value – has been named as a catalyst in worsening the recent financial crisis. Emerging from the rubble, accounting regulators, like the IASB and FASB, together with industry players, are now trying to work out rules and standards. However, the question of to “fair” or not to “fair” is the subject of a hot debate. Columbia University’s Stephen Penman weighs in at a recent SMU lecture.
Private Equity: The Players, The Jargons, And What Lies Ahead, Knowledge@Smu
Private Equity: The Players, The Jargons, And What Lies Ahead, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
What do private equity and venture capital fund managers do? The short answer to that question will hardly do justice to the profession. Yet, it is not easy to provide an accurate explanation without first condensing the nuts and bolts that form the mechanics of the industry. Dan Schwartz, editor of the Asian Venture Capital Journal, does just that, albeit in the form of the 236-page The Future of Finance: How Private Equity and Venture Capital Will Shape the Global Economy – a book that has prominent industry leaders speaking to the layman.
Before The Fields Run Dry: How To Avoid The 'Dutch Disease', Knowledge@Smu
Before The Fields Run Dry: How To Avoid The 'Dutch Disease', Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
For any economy, the discovery of abundant natural resources is almost akin to striking nature's lottery. But as any eager financial planner might say to a lottery winner, no windfall can last for long without a solid financial plan. Singapore, a country admired for its relatively substantial national reserves, is home to almost no natural resources (except for human capital, we're told). This lack of natural resources, however, may well be the reason behind the country's economic success. According to Svein Gjedrem, governor of Norges Bank, natural resource-rich countries often suffer from a 'disease' that causes them to rely too …
Secrets And Lies: How One Man Charmed His Way Into The Hearts, Minds And Wallets Of New York's Rich And Powerful, Knowledge@Smu
Secrets And Lies: How One Man Charmed His Way Into The Hearts, Minds And Wallets Of New York's Rich And Powerful, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Bernie Madoff’s reputation as the largest ponzi scheme operator will probably outlast the 150-year jail sentence he is now serving. For decades, the man created an aura around himself that spoke to the romantic ambitions of Wall Street's sycophants: unyielding success, exclusivity and power. Moreover, Madoff conjured a mystique so intriguing he had investors practically begging to surrender their money. But not everyone was blinded. Harry Markopolos, a financial consultant turned famous whistleblower, was convinced that the magician hath no magical abilities. For close to ten years, he nudged US regulators to no avail. His journey is detailed in the …
Hot Seats And Seat Warmers: The Hunt For Directors Of Quality, Knowledge@Smu
Hot Seats And Seat Warmers: The Hunt For Directors Of Quality, Knowledge@Smu
Knowledge@SMU
Is it humanly possible for a person to hold more than five directorships? Why are there so few female directors in Singapore? Are we short of qualified directors? How can regulations help maintain standards? These were some of the questions that confronted a panel of seasoned directors speaking at the graduation ceremony of a certification programme for directors; issues that have seen heated debates in Singapore of late. This follows recent reports that an unusually high percentage of directors sit on many different boards, leading to questions of their ability to fully discharge their responsibilities as directors.