Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Analyzing The Influence Of Gender Biases On College Students' Attitudes Towards Flexible Work Arrangements, Leah Elizabeth Rubino

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Flexible work arrangements are becoming more prominent after the Covid-19 pandemic. These flexible work arrangements, including flextime and flexplace structures, better allow for working individuals to find a work-life balance and have been shown to improve morale and productivity. However, previous studies have found that gender biases impact the utilization of flexible work arrangements as well as the attitudes and perceptions towards those who employ them. We propose that these gender bias impacts on the utilization and perception of flexible work arrangements will differ between college students with no work experience from the data collected using individuals in the workforce, …

An Analysis Of Bank Willingness To Decrease Deposit Fees, Madison E. Settlage

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bank deposit fees have been at the forefront of bank criticism for years, as many view them as being too severe and having a disproportionate effect on low-income customers. In recent years, there has been a strong push for declines in these rates. In this paper, I analyze banks willingness to decrease deposit fees using data from bank call reports over the 2017 to 2023 time period. Through statistical analysis, I find that various factors such as 2017 deposit fee level, ROA, total assets, average personal deposits, population, median income, and poverty rates are significant in determining bank fee levels …

Internship Experience At Dannah Investment Group, Llc, Isabelle Linkous

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

My internship and employment experience at a small investment management firm in Dallas, Texas, has been one of the most valuable components of my college career. Dannah has three rules at the heart of everything we do:

1. Make Money

2. Have Fun

3. Influence Others

The Value Of Cryptocurrency In An Efficient Portfolio, Bryn Taylor

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the recent approval of Bitcoin-backed exchange traded-funds, it is now easier than ever for mainstream investors to gain exposure to cryptocurrencies. This paper aims to employ the Markowitz efficient frontier model to determine the potential for cryptocurrency investment to increase the risk-adjusted performance of a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds. The analysis finds that investors can expect a meaningful increase of 4.41% to the risk-adjusted performance of their portfolio when allocating 4.83% of their total investment to cryptocurrency. However, this potential increase is highly sensitive to cryptocurrency returns, volatility, and correlations to stock. As such, whether adding cryptocurrency …

Topgolf Callaway Brands, Corp. Strategic Analysis, Sean Smith

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Topgolf Callaway Brands, Corp. (the “Company”, “Topgolf Callaway”, “Topgolf”, or “Callaway”) is an industry-leading golf and active lifestyle company that provides golf entertainment experiences, designs and manufactures premium golf equipment, and sells golf and active lifestyle apparel and other accessories through their family of brand names. They operate under the Topgolf, Callaway, Jack Wolfskin, OGIO, TravisMathew, Odyssey and Toptracer logos for their various product and service offerings. This report seeks to understand the industries in which the firm operates, the forces present in those industries, the resources and advantages of the firm, risks associated with their operations, and recommends several …

Finance And Artificial Intelligence, Luke Schawang

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into finance represents a significant evolution in the industry, one that has been ongoing for years but is now accelerating rapidly. This paper explores the various forms and functions of AI, from reactive machines to the potential for superintelligence, and examines its impact on banking, business finance, and investing.

In banking, AI has bolstered cybersecurity and fraud detection, leveraging machine learning algorithms to continuously improve accuracy and efficiency. Similarly, in business finance, AI tools like chatbots and algorithms streamline processes, enhance productivity, and reduce costs. In investing, AI-driven solutions such as robo advisors offer …

Reinforcement Learning With Maskable Stock Representation For Portfolio Management In Customizable Stock Pools, Wentao Zhang, Yilei Zhao, Shuo Sun, Jie Ying, Yonggang Xie, Zitao Song, Xinrun Wang, Bo An

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Portfolio management (PM) is a fundamental financial trading task, which explores the optimal periodical reallocation of capitals into different stocks to pursue long-term profits. Reinforcement learning (RL) has recently shown its potential to train profitable agents for PM through interacting with financial markets. However, existing work mostly focuses on fixed stock pools, which is inconsistent with investors’ practical demand. Specifically, the target stock pool of different investors varies dramatically due to their discrepancy on market states and individual investors may temporally adjust stocks they desire to trade (e.g., adding one popular stocks), which lead to customizable stock pools (CSPs). Existing …

From Tweets To Token Sales: Assessing Ico Success Through Social Media Sentiments, Donghao Huang, S. Samuel, Quoc Toan Huynh, Zhaoxia Wang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

With the advent of social network technology, the influence of collective opinions has significantly impacted business, marketing, and fundraising. Particularly in the blockchain space, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) gain substantial exposure across various online platforms. Yet, the intricate relationships among these elements remain largely unexplored. This study aims to investigate the relationships between social media sentiment, engagement metrics, and ICO success. We hypothesize a positive correlation between favorable sentiment in ICO-related tweets and overall project success. Additionally, we recognize social media engagement indicators (mentions, retweets, likes, follower counts) as critical factors affecting ICO performance. Employing machine learning techniques, we conduct …

Quantum Machine Learning For Credit Scoring, Nikolaos Schetakis, Davit Aghamalyan, Micheael Boguslavsky, Agnieszka Rees, Marc Rakotomalala, Paul Robert Griffin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This study investigates the integration of quantum circuits with classical neural networks for enhancing credit scoring for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We introduce a hybrid quantum–classical model, focusing on the synergy between quantum and classical rather than comparing the performance of separate quantum and classical models. Our model incorporates a quantum layer into a traditional neural network, achieving notable reductions in training time. We apply this innovative framework to a binary classification task with a proprietary real-world classical credit default dataset for SMEs in Singapore. The results indicate that our hybrid model achieves efficient training, requiring significantly fewer epochs …

Artificial Intelligence In Finance: Transforming Decision-Making And Risk Management For Enhanced Financial Outcomes, Bryce Layn

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The impact of artificial intelligence on the financial sector is evaluated in this study, focusing on its management of financial risk capabilities and its role in creating tailored banking experiences. AI's rapid evolution has brought unprecedented capabilities, raising questions about human adaptability to these developments in finance. The thesis will conduct further research on how AI manages financial risks and navigates regulatory frameworks and potential mismanagement. Multiple companies will be investigated to showcase their diverse capabilities, with each one highlighting unique characteristics and contributions to the AI finance landscape. This Thesis presents a comprehensive summary of the evolving financial industry, …

An Exploration Of Synergy Evaluation Application Model To Support Implementation On Merger And Acquisition, Jieping Mei

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The project focuses on a comprehensive system’s analysis and design of the front-end of the Synergy Evaluation Application Model (SEAM) system for mergers and acquisitions (M&As). The research questions asked are: Q1. How did the SEAM system incorporate the system requirements and design that incorporated the strategic goals and priorities of both the acquirer and the acquiree? Q2. What data sources will the SEAM system rely on, and how does it overcome data integration, automation, visualization challenges? Q3. How will the model identify build in potential synergies, both quantitative and qualitative? The research questions were analyzed through the SEAM …

Effectiveness Of Cnn-Lstm Models Used For Apple Stock Forecasting, Ethan White

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This culminating experience project investigates the effectiveness of convolutional neural networks mixed with long short-term memory (CNN-LSTM) models, and an ensemble method, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), in predicting closing stock prices. This quantitative analysis utilizes recent AAPL stock data from the NASDAQ index. The chosen research questions (RQs) are: RQ1. What are the optimal hyperparameters for CNN-LSTM models in stock price forecasting? RQ2. What is the best architecture for CNN-LSTM models in this context? RQ3. How can ensemble techniques like XGBoost effectively enhance the predictions of CNN-LSTM models for stock price forecasting?

The research questions were answered through a thorough …

The Mathematics Of Financial Portfolio Optimization Incorporating Environmental, Social, And Governance Score Information, Ian Driskill

Master's Theses

We numerically investigate the effects that Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores have on portfolio optimization with Modern Portfolio Theory assumptions and how ESG scores correlate with the market returns of a rated company's stock. Additionally, we review and analyze a research paper published in the Journal of Financial Economics regarding ESG investing titled “Responsible investing: The ESG-efficient frontier” by Pedersen, Fitzgibbons, and Lukasz. Our overall goal is provide insight for socially responsible inclined investors, to help them understand what ESG scores tell us and how those scores may effect their overall investment returns."

Robo-Advisers And Investor Behavior, Benjamin Loos, Pengfei Ma, Alessandro Previtero, Andres Hackethal

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

Using data from a large German retail bank, we investigate the effects of the introduction of a robo-advisory tool on clients’ portfolios. Robo clients experience a significant increase in financial risk-taking and improve portfolio efficiency along several dimensions (more diversification, less home bias, more investment in passive funds, reduced investment fees). Our evidence is consistent with robo-advisers being a more cost-effective approach for offering financial advice, especially to less sophisticated investors.

The Cost Of Student Mandatory Fees: An Examination Of The Longitudinal Growth In Student Mandatory Fees At Four-Year Public Universities In Texas And Their Impact On Student Retention Rates, Charles Matthew Crouse

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The ever-increasing costs and debt incurred by US college students is a hotly contested issue. In March 2022, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) released a refreshed strategic plan for the stateâ??s higher education: Building a Talent Strong Texas. The refreshed plan concentrated on access for minority populations, enhanced student completion goals, and expanded the focus on reducing student debt. Texas set out to lead the nation in the least college student debt reported. One of the least examined or understood college costs is student mandatory fees (Arnott, 2012; Black & Taylor, 2018; Kelchen, 2016; Reinagel & Cooper, 2020). …

Lululemon Strategic Audit, Tessa Mozingo, Olivia Eno, Molly Mitchell, Connor Morrissey, James Eshleman

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This case study focuses on lululemon, a prominent athleisure apparel company. Our team conducted an audit of the company revolving around strategic business management principles. Our research used publicly available information that included the company’s website, SEC filings, news articles, lululemon’s annual reports, financial statements, IBIS industry reports, and online sources. The goal of this strategic audit is to develop an understanding of lululemon’s business activities and strategies, collect and analyze both internal and external data, and evaluate lululemon based on strategic management concepts.

In this strategic audit, we conduct internal, external, performance, and competitive analyses and an examination of …

Corporate Technological Patent And Financing Accessibility - An Empirical Analysis Based On Startups, Tao Xu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Technological innovation is not only central to competition among firms but also a crucial driver of economic growth. The process of corporate technological innovation often demands substantial financial support. However, due to information asymmetry and capital constraints, tech startups encounter numerous obstacles in sustaining innovation. Venture capital is instrumental in fostering continuous corporate innovation, providing essential financial support for innovative activities, and playing a key role in achieving core technological breakthroughs. As a significant manifestation of corporate innovative technology, patents can mitigate the information asymmetry between startups and investors by creating a positive patent signal from diverse perspectives. Therefore, investigating …

Bidding Strategy For A Wind Power Producer In Us Energy And Reserve Markets, Anne Stratman

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wind power is one of the world's fastest-growing renewable energy resources and has expanded quickly within the US electric grid. Currently, wind power producers (WPPs) may sell energy products in US markets but are not allowed to sell reserve products, due to the uncertain and intermittent nature of wind power. However, as wind’s share of the power supply grows, it may eventually be necessary for WPPs to contribute to system-wide reserves. This paper proposes a stochastic optimization model to determine the optimal offer strategy for a WPP that participates in the day-ahead and real-time energy and spinning reserve markets. The …

Has Electricity Deregulation Eliminated The Nuclear Option?: Rethinking The Coasian Ios For Project-Finance Investments, Stephen Dansky

Theses and Dissertations

Installed electric generation capacity in the United States is expected to grow significantly over the next two decades. This raises concern about climate change as several common methods of electricity generation emit greenhouse gases. Nuclear power, which doesn’t create greenhouse gases while generating electricity, has been heavily promoted by the nuclear industry and a segment of the environmental community ever since it was codified by the United Nation’s 26^th Climate Change Conference of the Parties as an acceptable energy source to fight climate change. However, this dissertation establishes that the increased revenue risk and uncertainty created by the deregulation …

Estate Planning Toolkit - A Beginner's Guide To Estate Planning In Utah, Amanda Christensen, Melanie Jewkes, Andrea Schmutz, Kristilyn Wilkinson, Vincenza Vicari-Bentley, Jerevie Canlas, Alicia Nelson-Bell, Lisa Schainker, Melanie Dabb, Justin Baer, Jared Hawkins

All Current Publications

Normalizing the estate planning conversation can help eliminate emotional distance or fear when discussing important life planning matters. Approaching discussions in a loving and calm manner can bring family closer together and minimize or avoid contention and resentment. Talking about estate planning doesn’t have to be uncomfortable and emotional. Where possible, start conversations early to have a more positive experience, rather than planning at the time of a life crisis. If you have children, start these conversations when they are young to help normalize the process. The Estate Planning Toolkit is a helpful preparation resource that covers wills, trusts, life …