Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Fifa 2014 World Cup: Brazil’S Unending Headache: An Economic Investment That Challenges The Country’S Future, Bruna Almeida Lopes Barreto

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Brazil is soccer. The game is so deeply ingrained in daily life - in Brazilian identity and self-esteem- that they define each other. Soccer is so profoundly intertwined with Brazilian culture that familiarity with the sport begins early, producing a bottomless pool of talent. Year after year, soccer stars seem to roll out of Brazil like cars off a factory assembly line; it’s a natural talent that grows in almost every Brazilian child. Soccer means passion to Brazilians; it is the symbol of their nationality, as they have proven to be very the best at it.

Now, Brazil finally has …

The Greek Financial Crisis: An Overview Of The Crisis In Entirety And Proposed Measures: Recommended Solutions And Results, Androniki Podaras

Honors College Theses

This paper examines the Greek financial crisis from 2009 in entirety and analyzes the best option for economic growth from this point forth. The history and culture of Greece is discussed, along with a background of the economy and several economic policies that led to the increased debt levels and the poor economic health of the country. The Gross Domestic Product of Greece and the inflation levels are analyzed to show the changes and signs of poor economic health, and one that was affected by the entry into the Eurozone in 2000.

Then, I discuss how this led to the …

The Fiscal Forensics Of The Las Vegas Strip Lessons From The Financial Crisis, Dean M. Macomber

Occasional Papers

Hitting with the force of a 100-year storm, the first two years of the financial crisis caused a $5.2 billion swing from profitability to loss for the top 22 performing Las Vegas Strip properties between peak fiscal year 2007 and 2009. By fiscal year 2011 visitor count had almost climbed back to peak levels but the aggregate loss is still stubbornly high at $ -1.6 billion. Other signs of recovery trickle in but are sporadic and volatile. This article is an attempt to disaggregate the variance and look at where Las Vegas has been, where it is now and how …

Too Big Not To Fail: United States Corporate Media And The 2008 Financial Crisis, Justin Lars Bergh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates United States newspaper coverage of the 2008 financial crisis, with a particular focus on the debate that took place in press coverage surrounding the proposed 700 billion dollar Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Specifically, this study aims to understand how, when faced with a crisis that threatened hegemony, the state and economic elites, working in and through media, were able to effectively convince the subordinate classes to consent to state intervention aimed at perpetuating a financial system that has historically profited from the relative financial insecurity of the subordinate classes. In order to understand media's role in …

The Household's Savings And The Industrial Production : A Time Series Analysis For Poland, Michal Wojewodzki

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

In this paper the author will examine the short and long-run causality between the growth rate of households‟ savings in the consolidated banking system in Poland, and the Polish economic growth rate (using the industrial production index as its proxy). This research paper will cover Poland‟s economic development over the periods 1997 to 2010 (in a quarterly approach). The main purpose of this paper is to shed light on the direction of the causality between saving and growth, so that the Polish policymakers can either focus on policies promoting growth or focus on saving policies in order to effectively and …

A Quantitative Study Of Influential Factors On Hibor Under Hong Kong's Linked Exchange Rate System, Jianbin Situ

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

Hong Kong Inter-Bank Offered Rate (HIBOR) is one of the most important interest rates in the Hong Kong money market. This paper studied some of the significant factors in determining HIBOR under Hong Kong‟s Linked Exchange Rate System using a VAR model to describe how various factors affect the movement of HIBOR. The result indicates that HIBOR, foreign exchange rate and M1 are correlated.

Herding Evidence In Chinese Stock Market : A Study Of The Relationship Between Stock Price Index And Trading Volume Based On Behavioral Finance Theory, Xiaofeng Zhao

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

Over the last couple decades, more evidence has been found supporting the notion that investors are not always rational. Herding behaviors have been observed in both the stock market crash1 and financial bubbles2, which were beyond the understanding of modern finance theory. In this paper, the herding phenomenon was explored in the Chinese stock market by the study of the relationship between stock prices and trading volume over the past 7 years. It was found that the change of price is statistically significant to have caused the change of trading volume, but the reverse is not true. Theoretically, this identifies …

Analysis On Accrual-Based Models In Detecting Earnings Management, Tianran Chen

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

This paper analyzes the problems with the alternative accrual-based models in detecting earnings management. The researcher will focus on comparing the Jones Model and the Modified Jones Model, which are the two most frequently used model in empirical analysis nowadays. Earnings management is a kind of management which uses accounting techniques to meet the executives‟ needs for earnings; it is a widely debated topic, hence it is worth looking at. Experts and professionals in this area found many approaches to detect the earnings management; within these approaches are the accrual-based models which include the modified Jones model, which currently is …

The Uncovered Interest Rate Parity Failure From 2002 To 2005 : An Implicit Consensus Of Carry Trade, Yui Law

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

There are many literatures devoted to the study of the uncovered interest parity (UIP); however, majority of them focus on whether UIP exists and only a few concentrate on the pattern of the UIP failure. By using a panel VAR approach, this paper compares the intensive carry trade period, between 2002 and 2005, and the pre-intensive carry trade period, between 1998 and 2001. The results show that during the intensive carry trade period UIP failure was caused by the self-fulfilling behaviour of investors. High interest rate currencies made investors believed that the currencies would appreciate and bided their price even …

How Can Saving Deposit Rate And Hang Seng Index Affect Housing Prices : An Empirical Study In Hong Kong Market, Tao Tang

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

The main objective of this paper is to examine the impact of savings deposit rate and Hang Seng index on real estate prices in Hong Kong Market. Two different periods are chosen to conduct this research: one period is the deflationary time, from 1998 to 2003, and the other is the reviving economical time from 2004 to 2007. The aim of this research is to examine the influences of these variables in different economic conditions, and find out whether there are any causal effects amongst them.

The Benefits Of Introducing A Housing Price Index Future In Hong Kong, Yingsi Feng

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

It is widely recognized and accepted that, financial innovation such as options and futures can help to manage risk, speculate, arbitrage and discover price in financial markets. As such, the researcher believes that the introduction of a Housing Price Index Futures in Hong Kong can greatly improve the investment environment in Hong Kong‟s property market. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to perform a feasibility study of the proposed Housing Price Index Futures in Hong Kong financial Market, to reveal the crucial need of this innovation for the betterment of the real estate market in Hong Kong, and the …

Evidences Of High Sensitivity Of Investors To Financial News After Crises : Cases Study Of Asian Financial Crisis And Sub-Prime, Yui Law

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

In the academic field of international stock market, some critics argue that, after having a global financial crisis, stock markets around the world will become more integrated. In fact, many researchers have put forward empirical works showing that the co-relation, or Granger-Causality, among different stock markets, strengthens comparatively at the post crisis period. This finding is rational; however, the explanation given for the increased co-movement after the crisis is not sufficient. The critics suggest that this increase is caused by the increase in international arbitrage activities and the higher degree of integration among markets. The Purpose of this paper is …

Implications Of A Managed Floating Exchange Rate System On The Interest-Rate Behavior Of Singapore, Jingjing Wei

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

Singapore and Hong Kong are two similar economies, but they have rather different monetary systems and exchange-rate regimes. Singapore’s managed floating exchange rate regime contrasts with Hong Kong’s currency board system (CBS) featured by the Hong Kong–United States dollar peg. In this paper, we appraise the implications of the managed floating exchange rate regimes on the interest-rate behavior of Singapore. We examine the Singapore-US interest differential under the Singapore’s exchange-rate regimes during the Asian Financial Crisis (AFC), current Global Financial Crisis and none-crisis periods by using generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) model. We hope that the good performance of Singapore’s …

Analysis Of Hong Kong To Be An Offshore Financial Center Of Rmb, Qichao Song

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

In this article we aim to discuss the possibility and feasibility as well as the disadvantages and barriers for Hong Kong to be an offshore financial center of RMB. As the most biggest financial center in China, Hong Kong need to develop the RMB business for strengthening its position in the international competition. And we think that to become an RMB offshore financial center is not only an opportunity but also a responsibility for Hong Kong. We also give some suggestions on this issue.

Citizens’ Satisfaction With The Sar Government's Overall Performance In Post-Colonial Hong Kong : Result Of Ols Analysis, Luo Yang

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

Through studying of the impact of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region government’s performance in various policy areas upon the level of citizen’s satisfaction with the government’s overall performance, this paper confirms the general wisdom that economic development is an important source of citizens’ satisfaction with the government’s performance. It further proves that, government’s performance on democratic development and freedom of speech and assembly are also very powerful variables in the model and its partial coefficients are impressive.

An Experimental Study About Effective Factors Of First-Day Offer Pricing : Taking Stock Markets As An Example, Yi Liu

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

The author examines the literature with respect to the pricing of initial public offerings and focus upon the effective factors of pricing. Using a data base of all share offerings undertaken in Hong Kong over a one year period (in 2007), the author finds that there is considerable evidence for the proposition that large and well-capitalized companies tend to price their share offerings at a higher absolute level in order to get a higher level of first-day closing price. Using classical statistical methods, the author finds that the pricing strategy of offering companies is connected to shareholders’ desire of the …

The Fall Of Long-Term Capital Management, Xiaowei Guo

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

The author examines the literature with respect to the pricing of initial public offerings and focus upon the effective factors of pricing. Using a data base of all share offerings undertaken in Hong Kong over a one year period (in 2007), the author finds that there is considerable evidence for the proposition that large and well-capitalized companies tend to price their share offerings at a higher absolute level in order to get a higher level of first-day closing price. Using classical statistical methods, the author finds that the pricing strategy of offering companies is connected to shareholders’ desire of the …

What Determines Public Pension Investment Risk-Taking Policy, Nancy Mohan, Ting Zhang

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

State public pension plans, mostly defined benefit plans, cover pension benefits for 12.8 million active public employees and 5.9 million retirees and other annuitants. However, by the end of 2009, public pension plans had accumulated a total funding deficit of $697 billion (measured by the difference between actuarial pension assets and liabilities). On average, public pension funds cover 75 percent of their liabilities, but individual state results vary greatly.

The 2008 stock market crash strongly affected pension asset value in that equity allocation on average accounted for 56 percent of invested assets. The average 2009 pension asset beta of 0.63 …

How One Trade Could Change The World: High Frequency Trading And The Flash Crash Of 2010, Sarah Perlman

Honors Projects in Finance

Financial markets are controlled directly by a small population of people, but have direct effects on almost every aspect of the global community. Financial markets are now flooded with computerized algorithms that have drastically changed the face of trading. As with any advances in technology, there are always unforeseen events that create new challenges, and adjustments that need to be made. In our increasingly global and technological world, one wrong click of the mouse in New York could affect the stock markets in London, Tokyo, and Brazil. On May 6th, 2010, such a situation occurred and caused the Dow Jones …

The Social And Economic Impact Of Mpesa On The Lives Of Women In The Fishing Industry On Lake Victoria, Danielle White

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study will examine the social and economic impact of the mobile banking system, MPESA, in the lives of women in the fishing industry on Lake Victoria in Kenya. The study aims to discover what MPESA is being used for and how its use is affecting the lives of its female users. It will not only study the immediate impact on women, but also the impact on the interactions with their families and communities, as well as the fishing industry. The study aims to determine whether or not MPESA is beneficial to these women and if it is, how the …

Upjohn Institute Policy Paper: Public Pension Crisis And Investment Risk Taking: Underfunding, Fiscal Constraints, Public Accounting, And Policy Implications, Nancy Mohan, Ting Zhang

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Public pension funds that cover retirement benefits for almost 20 million active or retired employees have been significantly underfunded. An important, though largely overlooked, issue related to pension underfunding is the excessive investment risk levels assumed by public plans. Our analysis suggests government accounting standards strongly affect public fund investment risk, as higher return assumptions (used to discount pension liabilities) are associated with higher investment risk.

Public funds undertake more risk if they are underfunded and have lower investment returns in previous years, consistent with the risk transfer hypothesis. Furthermore, pension funds in states facing fiscal constraints allocate more assets …

Indiana State University Financial Report 2012, Indiana State University

Financial Reports

No abstract provided.

Economic Deregulation And Corporate Dividend Policy, Xinghua Gao

Wayne State University Dissertations

I investigate the evolution of corporate dividend policy in response to the changing operating environment induced by economic deregulation from the 1970s-1990s. Specifically, I examine the impact of deregulation on the firm's propensity to pay dividends, dividend payout ratio, the sensitivity of corporate dividend policy to current and past earnings, changes in the information content of dividends, and changes in corporate financing behavior along the deregulation process. Empirical results reveal that economic deregulation per se does not have significant impacts on firms' propensity to pay dividends. However, it seems that firms reduce dividend payout along the deregulation process and adjust …

The Impact Of Institutional Arrangements On Educational Efficiency, Trevor Collier

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Per-pupil expenditures on education in the United States have grown immensely in recent decades, yet student achievement has been stagnant. An abundance of research has sought to solve this enigma, much of it centered on the incentive structure facing administrators. Some recent papers use TIMSS data to analyze the relationship between institutional arrangements—that typically do not vary within a single country—and student achievement. Similarly, we utilize TIMSS 1999 to determine if there is an indirect relationship between institutional arrangements and student achievement, via a relationship with school efficiency. Our results show that the specified link between institutional arrangements and student …

Effective Popular Financial Reports: The Citizen Perspective, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Meagan M. Jordan

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

The article presents a study that investigates the views of citizens on the efficiency of financial reports in the U.S. Researchers did a survey to discern the perspectives of respondents about the effectiveness of the said reports in informing other individuals about government finances. Moreover, results reveal that 80% of respondents believed that the reports are effective. [Associates Programs Source, EbscoHost database]

An Institutional Perspective And The Role Of The State For Chinese Ofdi, Bing Ren, Hao Liang, Ying Zheng

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Napoleon called China a ‘sleeping dragon’, but recent economic developments as China enters the twenty-first century show that the dragon is awakening. China has maintained strong economic growth since 1979 and sustained a GDP increase of more than 9 percent over the years. The total volume of economic output increased from 2.8 percent in 1970 to 7.23 percent in 2008, ranking China as the third largest economy in the world (United Nation Statistics Division Statistical Databases). China launched its ‘Go Global’ policy in 1999 to encourage highperforming Chinese firms to invest abroad and upgrade their global competence. Since then, outward …

The Potential Application Of Weather Derivatives To Hedge Harvest Value Risk In The Champagne Region Of France, Andrew W. Yandell

CMC Senior Theses

In Champagne, France grape growers and and winemakers work together to make the world's most iconic sparkling wine. Part of what makes Champagne so celebrated is its reputation for constant quality: only the best grapes are used to make wine. In poor vintage years, grape growers sell less grapes to winemakers; poor vintages are the result of bad weather. This presents the opportunity for grape growers to hedge the risk of poor weather and resulting lower harvest values with weather derivatives. This study explores the potential for grape growers to trade them to effectively hedge against low harvest values by …

Finding Profitability Of Technical Trading Rules In Emerging Market Exchange Traded Funds, Austin P. Hallett

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis further investigates the effectiveness of 15 variable moving average strategies that mimic the trading rules used in the study by Brock, Lakonishok, and LeBaron (1992). Instead of applying these strategies to developed markets, unique characteristics of emerging markets offer opportunity to investors that warrant further research. Before transaction costs, all 15 variable moving average strategies outperform the naïve benchmark strategy of buying and holding different emerging market ETF's over the volatile period of 858 trading days. However, the variable moving averages perform poorly in the "bubble" market cycle. In fact, sell signals become more unprofitable than buy signals …

What Are Analysts Really Good At?, Ohad Kadan, Leonardo Madureira, Rong Wang, Tzachi. Zach

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Sell-side analysts employ different benchmarks when defining their stock recommendations. Forexample, a ‘buy’ for some brokers means the stock is expected to outperform its peers in the same sector(“industry benchmarkers”), while for other brokers it means the stock is expected to outperform themarket (“market benchmarkers”), or just some absolute return (“total benchmarkers”). We use thesebenchmarks to analyze the role of stock picking, industry picking and market timing in contributing to theperformance of stock recommendations. We are able to do so given that different benchmarks suggest theuse of different sets of abilities. Analysis of the relation between analysts’ recommendations and theirlong-term …

Dispersed Ownership: The Theories, The Evidence, And The Enduring Tension Between "Lumpers" And "Splitters", John C. Coffee Jr.

Faculty Scholarship

This article argues that dispersed ownership resulted less from inexorable forces and more from private ordering. Neither legal nor political conditions mandated or prevented the appearance of dispersed ownership. Rather, entrepreneurs, investment bankers, and investors — all seeking to maximize value — sometimes saw reasons why selling control into the public market would maximize value for them. But when and why? That is the article's focus. It argues that law played less of a role than specialized intermediaries — investment banks, securities exchanges, and other agents — who found it to be in their self-interest to foster dispersed ownership and …