Corporate Finance Commons^™

The Integration Of Big Data In Fintech: Review Of Enhancing Financial Services Through Advanced Technologies, Soudeh Pazouki, Mohammad B. Jamshidi, Mirarmia Jalali, Arya Tafreshi

Management Faculty Publications

Big data analytics is revolutionizing the FinTech industry, offering new opportunities for real-time decision-making, personalized financial services, and improved risk management. By leveraging advanced technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence, financial institutions can efficiently detect fraud, predict market trends, and create innovative solutions tailored to customer needs. Big data also plays a critical role in promoting financial inclusion through alternative credit scoring models, providing access to credit for underserved populations and fostering broader participation in the financial system.

However, the integration of big data into FinTech is not without its challenges. Issues such as data privacy concerns, regulatory complexities, …

Merchant Guild Culture And Companies’ Sustainable Development: An Empirical Investigation Based On Esg Performance, Yi Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the context of global economic growth and growing emphasis on sustainable development, this study focuses on the impact of merchant guild culture, an important part of traditional Chinese culture, on the sustainable development of enterprises. Through an in-depth exploration of the historical evolution and cultural connotations of merchant guild culture, this paper systematically analyzes its potential influence on corporate behavior and sustainable development. Using a sample of A-share listed companies and applying regression analysis and other empirical research methods, this study finds that merchant guild culture facilitates the sustainable development of enterprises. Mechanism analysis reveals that merchant guild culture …

Partner Performance Evaluation, Disclosure Of Key Audit Matters, And Audit Quality, Shenghua Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Transparency of information and audit quality are crucial for the efficiency and stability of the market. The disclosure of key audit matters has become an essential part of audit reports, yet there remains widespread debate regarding the role of key audit matters. This study finds a significant positive correlation between the extent of key audit matter disclosures and audit quality. Detailed disclosures can enhance information transparency, strengthen auditors’ sense of responsibility, and reduce information asymmetry. However, over-templating may have negative effects on audit quality, leading to a lack of personalized judgment by auditors. Additionally, this paper suggests that the partner …

Is Corporate Social Responsibility A Must Or A Plus? The Role Of National Culture, Liu Wang, Shaomin Li

Management Faculty Publications

This study examines the role of national culture in shaping corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and how CSR is valued by investors. In a multilevel study of 4998 firms across 34 nations, we find that firms in performance-based culture (PBC) are more likely to engage in explicit CSR activities, but performance-driven investors view such an effort as a drag on shareholder returns in PBC-oriented societies, resulting in lower valuation. In contrast, firms in socially supportive culture (SSC) tend to invest less in explicit CSR activities, but such an investment is viewed favorably by social-minded investors in SSC-oriented societies, and thus …

“The Entire Art Movement Has Become An Enormous Business Venture” Financing The American Art Museum, Lucy Owen

MA Theses

This thesis examines the intricate relationship between financial operations and the public function of American art museums. The distinctive American nonprofit model relies heavily on private funds for its survival and success. The thesis traces the historical development of this model, and then analyzes the contemporary state of American art museums, with a specific focus on two prominent institutions: MoMA PS1 and the Yale University Art Gallery. The analysis highlights the significant influence of board members' financial contributions and their business expertise on museum operations. Moreover, the thesis argues that the museum world has undergone rapid financialization in the twenty-first …

Market Reactions To Disruptions In The Aerospace Industry: An Event Study Analysis Of Abnormal Returns And Corporate Resilience, Rose L. Lauture

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

This study examines the effects of component failures, regulatory actions, and safety violations on stock returns and market volatility in the U.S. aerospace sector. Using FAA incident reports, WRDS market data, and corporate disclosures, the analysis combines event study methodology with ARCH/GARCH volatility models and a multiple regression approach. The results reveal that while incident frequency does not significantly affect stock prices measured by abnormal returns, firm-specific financial indicators—such as cash holdings and book-to-market ratio—play a substantial role. The study highlights the limited explanatory power of traditional regression models and calls for the inclusion of market risk and investor sentiment …

Optimizing Bitcoin Allocation: Predictability Of Bitcoin Portfolio Weights Through Macroeconomic Variables, Kirby Baynes

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines whether Bitcoin is a beneficial asset in a diversified, mean-variance optimized portfolio and whether its portfolio weights can be reliably predicted using macroeconomic variables. Using data from December 2013 to February 2025, the analysis applies rolling-window portfolio optimization and OLS regressions with Newey-West standard errors to test the relationship between Bitcoin allocations and a set of macroeconomic indicators. Results show that Bitcoin receives non-zero weights across portfolios and that its optimal allocation is sensitive to variables such as changes in the Credit Spread and Yield Curve. These variables were statistically significant in several models and produced meaningful …

Startup Equity To Stock Exchange: Key Drivers In Venture-Backed Ipo Journeys, Aryaman Shiv Khosla

CMC Senior Theses

This study investigates the components that shape the probability of a venture capital (VC) backed company’s ability to transition from private to public markets through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The study employs logistic regression models to analyze firm-specific and funding-related determinants of IPO likelihood. Key predictors in this study include total VC funding, number of VC rounds, average deal size growth, size of first round, average days between rounds, company age, number of employees, and primary industry sector. The findings reveal that higher total funding increases IPO likelihood, highlighting the critical role of robust capital access in fueling growth …

Provision Cfo: Empowering Strategic Financial Excellence For Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs, Cindra Vang

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Project Overview

ProVision CFO offers strategic financial management solutions tailored to the unique needs of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and rapidly growing organizations. This project aims to equip clients with robust financial strategies and actionable insights necessary for sustainable growth, operational excellence, and long-term success. ProVision CFO provides comprehensive financial guidance including fractional CFO and accounting services.

Project Themes

The ProVision CFO framework encompasses three key components designed to optimize financial performance and organizational effectiveness. Component One—Strategic Clarity: Establishing clear financial goals aligned with organizational vision, mission, and values. Component Two—Financial Optimization: Providing accounting services to streamline financial processes and enhance …

Proof Of Reserves: A Double-Helix Framework, Maksym Lazirko, Deniz Appelbaum, Miklos Vasarhelyi

Department of Accounting and Finance Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Cryptocurrency exchanges face increasing pressure to demonstrate reserve adequacy following platform failures, yet current Proof of Reserves (PoR) systems suffer from incomplete verification approaches that examine either on-chain or off-chain assets separately. This study introduces the Double-Helix Framework, a verification methodology that integrates on-chain blockchain analysis with off-chain consensus algorithms to provide complete assessment of exchange financial positions. The framework employs parallel verification strands that simultaneously validate blockchain-recorded transactions and off-chain financial information, creating a unified assessment mechanism that addresses the verification gaps in existing PoR systems. The framework's integration of traditional auditing principles with distributed ledger verification creates new …

The Financialization Of The American Dream: Private Equity’S Rise In The Single-Family Rental Market, Colby Sherwin

Honors Theses and Capstones

This thesis examines how private equity firms and other institutional investors are reshaping the single-family rental market in the United States, and what that shift means for homeownership, affordability, and community stability. What began as a short-term strategy to acquire foreclosed homes after the 2008 financial crisis has evolved into a long-term business model, with firms now owning hundreds of thousands of properties across the country. Leveraging their financial scale, these investors often outbid individual buyers, particularly in fast-growing cities. While proponents argue that institutional ownership brings professionalism and much-needed supply to tight housing markets, data shows that it has …

Dynamic Quantile Positioning: A Visual Approach To Financial Ratio Benchmarking Against Industry Peers, Wojciech Kuryłek

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

Purpose: This paper introduces an innovative visualization method for financial ratio benchmarking that enables comprehensive evaluation of a company’s financial performance relative to industry peers, addressing the challenge of information overload in financial analysis.

Design/methodology/approach: The method analyses data from nearly 200,000 Polish companies classified by PKD codes (aligned with NACE Rev. 2). It evaluates 14 financial ratios across five categories: sales characteristics, profitability, financial leverage, liquidity, and working capital. Each ratio is mapped against industry distributions divided into five quantiles ranging from ‘far below average’ to ‘far above average’. The visualization displays current and previous year positions …

The Usefulness Of The Industry Trade Credit Risk Indicator In The Polish Economic Realities In 2013–2023, Robert Dyrcz, Artur Hołda

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

Purpose: The aim of this article is to introduce the methodology for creating a synthetic industry indicator of trade credit risk (PICM Risk Index©), which will be useful in forecasting the number of defaults in economic sectors. In particular, the PICM Risk Index© indicator is to be characterized by the smallest possible forecast error and is to be variable in monthly periods.

Methodology: In the construction of the indicator, the economic situation research of the Central Statistical Office was used. The research hypotheses assumed were that the indicator shows a statistically significant relationship with insolvencies in the sectors …

Taking Stock: Investigating The Relationship Between Stock-Based Compensation And Share Price Performance In Public Software Companies, Ethan Choi

CMC Senior Theses

There has been considerable debate around the practice of compensating employees and executives using stock-based compensation (“SBC”). Studies point to a myriad of both benefits and drawbacks of SBC; while in practice, firms with high SBC intensity have harmed shareholders through share count dilution. One industry in particular has drawn sharp investor criticism for its SBC intensity: software. Despite the software sector’s growing importance to the economy and influence in the public markets, no academic literature has analyzed the impacts of SBC on software companies specifically. Filling the gap, investor literature has sought to examine this topic in the context …

Digital-Only Banks – Retail Banks For Retail Customers Only?, Katarzyna Schmidt-Jessa, Maciej Stradomski

Journal of Banking and Financial Economics

This paper explores how traditional banks perceive digital-only banks and the potential impact of digital-only banks on the retail segment of the banking sector. To obtain the main goal, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with managers and directors representing different traditional banks with profound insight into the bank digitalisation process. The results indicate that, for traditional banks, the development of digital-only banks does not pose a threat or challenge that can significantly undermine their business. A high level of user experience, innovativeness, and lack of obsolete processes and technologies are the main advantages of digital-only banks that attract retail customers. …

Personal Finance – Emerging Issues And Trends. Opening Remarks, Katarzyna Kochaniak, Witold Gradoń

Journal of Banking and Financial Economics

Personal Finance – Emerging Issues and Trends. Opening Remarks

Deconstructing The Greenium: Exploring Mispricing In The Green Bond Market, Koto Yamada

Honors Theses

This paper investigates the sources and conditions under which the greenium – a yield discount observed for green bonds relative to comparable conventional bonds – appears in global fixed income markets. Using a dataset of over 26,000 bonds issued between 2012 and 2024 across 37 countries and 5,400 firms, I find that the existence of the greenium is highly context-dependent, shaped by factors such as issuer reputation, institutional trust, and green capital allocation across sectors. Repeat green issuers receive yield discounts of up to 57 basis points, particularly in the EU and Nordic countries, where strong climate policies and disclosure …

Do Environmental Risks Explain The Sovereign Sukuk Yields In Malaysia?, Roslina Mohamad Shafi, Norhasimah Shaharuddin, Norsaliza Abu Bakar, Amirul Afif Muhamat, Mosab I. Tabash

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

Given the increasing risks posed by environmental degradation, severe climate change, and recent pandemics, the establishment of a sustainable economy has become a priority for numerous nations. From this perspective, it is crucial to emphasize sustainable finance since it has the potential to serve as a vehicle for accomplishing a green economic agenda. Sovereign sukuk held a prominent position in the sukuk market, both domestically and internationally, but its influence was particularly significant inside the domestic sphere. The study seeks to examine the link between environmental risks and the yield performance of sovereign sukuk. Sukuk performed less favourably compared to …

Impact Of Firms’ Innovation And Environmental, Social, And Governance (Esg) Score On Financial Performance: A Study Of Telecommunications And Information Technology Companies Listed On Apec Member Countries’ Stock Exchanges In The Period Of 2018-2022, Navira Putri Apriliani, Rahmat Aryo Baskoro

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

The telecommunications and information technology sectors significantly drive economic growth through continuous innovation. This study investigates how Innovation and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics affect the financial performance of 80 telecommunications firms listed on stock exchanges in APEC member nations from 2018 to 2022. Innovation is evaluated based on research and development expenditures, whereas financial performance is determined by examining revenue and Tobin’s Q. Employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression methods, the findings reveal that innovation positively influences ESG scores, notably improving governance aspects. ESG scores positively impact revenue but negatively affect Tobin’s Q. …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Corporate Performance And Cash Dividend Distribution In China's Manufacturing Industry, Wang Danni, Lim Thien Sang, Lei Guangmei

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

As an unprecedented global public health emergency with rapid spread and challenging prevention and control measures, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted corporate performance worldwide. Notably, the manufacturing industry in China has been severely impacted. To comprehensively understand the influence of significant public health incidents on enterprises and mitigate the epidemic's repercussions, the unbalanced panel data of China's A-share listed manufacturing enterprises from 2018 to 2023 was analyzed by regression analysis. The findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 outbreak has diminished these enterprises' financial and market performance. Moreover, companies with higher cash dividends and more excellent stability exhibit superior future performance …