Business Commons^™

Topgolf Callaway Brands, Corp. Strategic Analysis, Sean Smith

Honors Theses

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Cost Of Being Healthy In The United States, Bradford Creecy, Sonny Wilson, Youssef Moussa, Nicholas Harris

ENGL 1102 Showcase

This anthology is exploring how expensive it is to be healthy in the United States. We are researching this topic because it directly applies to us along with millions of other United States citizens. This Anthology covers how food deserts impact individuals, why it is difficult but important to learn how to cook from home, how individual's lifestyle and activeness can affect their personal health, and how the ready to cook meal kits have emerged and spread in recent history.

The Hidden Scams In Business & Finance, Jake Patten, Carter Harrell, Claude Auguste, Sheldon Jerome Downing Ii

ENGL 1102 Showcase

For our research papers, we chose to look into different kinds of scams lurking in the business world, and how they can affect businesses and society as a whole. There are hundreds of different scams at any given time, but we decided to focus on lesser-known scams that the majority of people don't even think about. These scams include rigged casinos, charity fraud, business email compromise, and embezzlement within smaller businesses.

We chose this topic in an attempt to bring more attention to the criminal side of the business world that people otherwise see as harmless. Especially with the recent …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On The Mobile Payment Banking System, Sydney Mason

Senior Honors Theses

This study includes an examination of the effect of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on electronic payment apps. Ever since the pandemic caused a global shutdown, the banking industry was forced to adjust their usual operations and adopt new technological advancements that would allow for contactless payment. Consumers, worried about contracting the virus through the physical exchange of currency, resorted to utilizing payment apps. This contributed to the increase in electronic payment usage. This research addresses the effect of COVID-19 on three different electronic payment apps, Venmo, PayPal, and Zelle. A comparative longitudinal analysis shows the increase in total transactions from …

From Space To Ground Zero: The Application Of Geographic Information Systems And Rocket Cargo Transportation To Disaster Management Operations, Sarah Stout

Senior Honors Theses

This paper provides an overview of the application of space-based technologies, specifically Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and rocket cargo launches, to disaster management operations. GIS links data from satellites, remote sensing, and other sources to dashboards, allowing relief teams to monitor relevant demographic, environmental, and disaster details. This information supports multiple aspects of planning and decision-making in the preparedness, response, and relief stages of the disaster management cycle. Rocket cargo transportation, an emerging method of shipping supplies, will allow for supplies to be shipped anywhere in the world in under twenty-four hours. This can be used in a future …

Import Penetration And Corporate Misconduct: A Natural Experiment, Christopher Dupuis

Honors Projects in Finance

Import penetration from China is largely exogenous to the U.S. product market. Using this natural experiment, we find that heightened China import penetration curbs corporate misconduct of U.S. firms. The effect is more pronounced for firms with weaker corporate governance and firms more vulnerable to product market competition. The findings suggest that when import penetration increases, firms may improve corporate governance, and differentiate themselves through product innovation or corporate social responsibility to cope with the competition. In addition, we address the exogeneity concern derived from the influence of China value penetration. Furthermore, we find that competition related policies such as …

The Landscape Of Gender Lens Investing In The United States And Performance Analysis, Sarah Monsini

Honors Projects in Finance

This study aims to analyze the performance of environmental, social, and governance mutual funds and ETFs, particularly those composed of companies that prioritize the gender diversity pillar of ESG. This method of investing, known as gender lens investing, involves selecting securities with a high social ESG score attributable to strong gender diversity throughout all levels of the company, or in this case, companies that an ETF or mutual fund is invested in. I expect to find that gender diverse ETFs and mutual funds perform better than their benchmarks, promoting the inclusion of policies that facilitate this aspect of ESG in …

How Spending Patterns Of Different Groups Affect Long And Short-Term Savings, Peter Misiaszek

Honors Projects in Mathematics and Economics

Many young Americans are concerned whether they will have sufficient savings as they age. This paper will explore the factors that influence the spending habits of young Americans and how those patterns correlate to lifetime savings. There is a plethora of psychological and sociological factors that contribute to different patterns of spending which ultimately affect long-term savings. Savings rates have dropped significantly over the past few decades, and this decline is leaving many Americans without sufficient wealth for retirement. Data that will be collected will be used to run a regression model, ultimately to conclude what the most important factors …

Implementing Universal Design For Learning In Financial Literacy Education, Andreas Kotsironis

Honors Projects in Finance

The purpose of the study is to understand what students currently know regarding financial literacy, what learning style they use in the classroom, and how to fuse the two into a simple and informational version of financial literacy education. Financial literacy education can be used to increase household savings for retirement, personal financial goals, and risk management purposes. By joining the concept of UDL and Financial Literacy Education, each obstacle listed can be improved upon. Learning styles focus attention onto three different approaches to teaching that are based in auditory, visual, and kinesthetic pedagogies. UDL focuses on curating individual learning …

Green Transition And Financial Stability: The Role Of Green Monetary And Macroprudential Policies And Vouchers, Ying Tung Chan, Maria Teresa Punzi, Hong Zhao

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This paper analyzes a mix of alternative policies in supporting the green transition and the phase-out of fossil fuels, without compromising financial stability. An environmental dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (E-DSGE) model with two sectors (green and brown) and endogenous default is developed to assess potential climate-induced financial stability threats that can be mainly generated through physical and transition risks mechanism. Those risks are evaluated through a compound capital depreciation shock and a carbon tax shock. The paper offers several findings. First of all, a too stringent carbon tax would increase the medium-term default rate in both sectors, harming financial stability …

Equity Fund Monthly Report, April 2024, Archway Investment Fund

Archway Investment Fund

No abstract provided.

Fixed Income Fund Report, April 2024, Archway Investment Fund

Archway Investment Fund

No abstract provided.

Environmental, Social, And Governance (Esg) And Artificial Intelligence In Finance: State-Of-The-Art And Research Takeaways, Tristan Lim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The rapidly growing research landscape in finance, encompassing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics and associated Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications, presents challenges for both new researchers and seasoned practitioners. This study aims to systematically map the research area, identify knowledge gaps, and examine potential research areas for researchers and practitioners. The investigation focuses on three primary research questions: the main research themes concerning ESG and AI in finance, the evolution of research intensity and interest in these areas, and the application and evolution of AI techniques specifically in research studies within the ESG and AI in finance domain. Eight archetypical …

The Impact Of Government Subsidies On Ev Manufacturers, Connor Quinton

Senior Honors Theses

Government subsidies play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of the electric vehicle (EV) industry in the United States. This research delves into the relationship between government support and the financial performance of EV manufacturers. This research aims to examine financial statements and market data to analyze the impact of government subsidies and incentives influence the revenue of EV manufacturers to provide a comprehensive understanding of the economic aspects of these policies on both individual companies and the EV sector as a whole. Beyond the financial aspects, this study will also address the ethical considerations associated with government support …

Fringe Lending: The Case For A National Minimum Standard, Don Loos

Senior Honors Theses

In the American financial sector, the liberalization of usury laws and legal complexity has allowed for controversial fringe financial products to become widely available. Payday loans, car title loans, and short-term, high-interest installment loans, also referred to as fringe loans, have often been classified as “predatory” and unconscionable. The central question in this controversy is whether increased regulation of fringe loans, or their complete prohibition, is effective to protect consumers from a harmful cycle of debt, or whether regulation will cause more harm than good. Since state legislation is ineffective to limit the negative externalities associated with fringe loans, a …

“Njangi Never Dies”: The Social Impacts And Non-Financial Benefits Of Njangis In Batoufam And Yaoundé, Cameroon, Georgia Schaefer-Brown

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Rotating Credits and Savings Associations (ROSCAs) are present in much of the developing world and are incredibly common in Cameroon. The financial impacts of ROSCAs have been researched extensively, but there has been less research on the social impacts and non-financial benefits. This research aims to fill this gap and add to the discussion of ROSCAs in Cameroon (called njangis), as well as demonstrate how njangis are social institutions. This project is in the specific context of njangis in Batoufam and Yaoundé, Cameroon. Interviews and observations informed the conclusion that there are extensive social impacts and non-financial benefits within the …

Siphoned Apart: A Portfolio Perspective On Order Flow Segmentation, Markus Baldauf, Joshua Mollner, Bart Zhou Yueshen

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We study liquidity supply in fragmented markets. Market makers intermediate heterogeneous order flows, trading off spread revenue against inventory costs. Applying our model to payment for order flow (PFOF), we demonstrate that portfolio-based considerations of inventory management incentivize market makers to segment retail orders by siphoning them off-exchange. Banning order flow segmentation reduces total welfare, can make trading more costly for all investors, and can resolve a prisoner's dilemma among market makers. These results differentiate our inventory-based model from the existing information-based theories of PFOF.

Channeling The Capital Of Others: How Luxembourg Came To Be Asset Managers’ "Plumber" Of Choice, Samuel Weeks

College of Humanities and Sciences Faculty Papers

This article analyzes the development and growth of the administrative practices and structures necessary for leading asset-management companies and other firms to create and sell their “product” of choice: investment funds. To investigate this problematic, I turn to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which currently serves as the domicile for over $5 trillion in fund assets. Indeed, since the 1980s, Luxembourg’s “offshore” financial center has become a leader in providing the “plumbing,” to quote an interviewee of mine, for worldwide asset-manager capitalism. On offer in Luxembourg to asset managers are the routine-but-essential tasks such as domiciliation, compliance, calculation of net-asset …

Limited Attention To Detail In Financial Markets: Evidence From Reduced-Form And Structural Estimation, Henrik Cronqvist, Tomislav Ladika, Elisa Pazaj, Zacharias Sautner

Business Faculty Articles and Research

We show that firm valuations fell after a key expense became more visible in financial statements. FAS 123-R required firms to deduct option compensation costs from earnings, instead of disclosing them in footnotes. Firms that granted high option pay experienced earnings reductions, while fundamentals remained unchanged. These firms were more likely to miss earnings forecasts, and they experienced recommendation downgrades and valuation declines. Our findings suggest that market participants exhibited limited attention to option costs before FAS 123-R. As we reuse the FAS 123-R natural experiment, we show how one can address confounding channels by integrating reduced-form and structural estimation.

Investing In Climate: A Role For 'Sovereign Climate Funds', Marianna Kozintseva, Thierry Wizman

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

Efforts to address climate change have generally been focused on deploying mitigation technologies. However, it is adaptation technologies (and climate risk transfer) that will have to gain an increasing share of an investment pool dedicated to climate if human systems are to stay resilient to climate forces. Just like mitigation projects, adaptation projects have a strong public goods aspect, wherein public returns exceed private returns, and thus call for the state’s involvement. We argue that sovereign climate funds (SCFs) - new types of sovereign wealth funds with a climate investment mandate - can be critical purpose-built conduits especially for undertaking …

Long-Term Orientation And Tax Avoidance Regulations, Katarzyna Bilicka, Danjue Clancey-Shang, Yaxuan Qi

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

In this paper, we explore the relationship between the culture of the country where a multinational corporation (MNC) is headquartered and the MNC's stock market reaction to tax avoidance regulations. Specifically, we examine the different responses of MNCs following the implementation of the 2010 UK reform that restricted profit shifting for a specific group of firms. We find that, in countries with short-term-oriented cultures, MNCs affected by this reform experienced positive stock market responses relative to their unaffected counterparts. This is not found in long-term-oriented cultures. This difference in response can partly be explained by the differing perceptions of the …

Equity Fund Monthly Report, March 2024, Archway Investment Fund

Archway Investment Fund

No abstract provided.

Fixed Income Monthly Report, March 2024, Archway Investment Fund

Archway Investment Fund

No abstract provided.

The Abcs Of Modified Bond Duration And Wxyzs Of Bond Convexity, Tom Arnold, Andrew C. Szakmary

Finance Faculty Publications

By breaking the mathematical derivation of Macaulay Duration, Modified Duration, and Bond Convexity into smaller easily calculated component parts, a more manageable means of calculation for these bond measures emerges for the student. Further, an Excel spreadsheet or an algorithm within a programming language can also be implemented using these smaller component calculations. The Excel template provided can be made into an assignment or used as a resource for the student.

Investigating The Impact Of Company Announcements On Stock Prices: An Application Of Machine Learning On Australian Lithium Market, Ahmad Kianrad, Mohadeseh N. Arani, Karim Hasani, Masoumeh Zargar, Eila Erfani, Amir Razmjou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper investigates the effects of various types of announcements made by lithium producers on stock prices. We collected data from 40 lithium-producing companies listed on the world's largest stock exchanges, spanning from May 2020 to September 2022. To analyze the impact of announcements such as quoted and unquoted securities, market announcements, company reports, public meetings and presentations, financial announcements, and technical announcements on stock prices, we employed an extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model. Our results indicate that stock exchange market announcements and announcements about public meetings and presentations significantly influenced the stock prices of all eight large-cap companies studied. …

“Safe” Annuity Retirement Products And A Possible Us Retirement Crisis, Thomas E. Lambert, Christopher B. Tobe

Faculty Scholarship

This paper examines a looming possible crisis in many Americans’ retirement plans due to the proliferation of annuity products in their retirement investment portfolios. As defined benefit pension plans have almost completely disappeared as a means of retirement savings and have been replaced by defined contribution retirement plans over the last 40 to 50 years, a great number of private and public sector defined contribution retirement plans have become laden with insurance contracts called annuities. Of the remaining solid defined benefit plans many, through a process called Pension Risk Transfer are being converted to high-risk single entity annuities. Such products …

On The Effects Of Information Asymmetry In Digital Currency Trading, Kwansoo Kim, Robert John Kauffman

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We report on two studies that examine how social sentiment influences information asymmetry in digital currency markets. We also assess whether cryptocurrency can be an investment vehicle, as opposed to only an instrument for asset speculation. Using a dataset on transactions from an exchange in South Korea and sentiment from Korean social media in 2018, we conducted a study of different trading behavior under two cryptocurrency trading market microstructures: a bid-ask spread dealer's market and a continuous trading buy-sell, immediate trade execution market. Our results highlight the impacts of positive and negative trader social sentiment valences on the effects of …