Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Portfolio Optimization Tools In Excel, Tom Arnold, Joseph Farizo, Terry D. Nixon

Finance Faculty Publications

The calculus and matrix algebra associated with finding the optimal portfolio weights for a set of securities is tedious. However, Excel tools make the computations simple, with minimal programming needed to arrive at optimal portfolio weights for securities in a portfolio. We provide this Excel template and techniques for acquiring optimal weights, which is useful for personal and institutional investors alike.

Takeaways:

• The calculus and matrix algebra associated with optimizing portfolio weights is tedious, but not necessary for finding optimal portfolio weights
• Based on the results of the associated mathematics for optimizing portfolio weights, a very accessible Excel template can …

Local Environmental Organizations And Long-Term Investor Value Appropriation, Chune Young Chung, Gia Han Doan, Kainan Wang

Finance Faculty Publications

Highlights

• We explore how external and internal firm factors influence the impact of local activism.
• Our results indicate a positive effect of local activism on LIVA.
• Firms tend to increase their environmental disclosures in response to local activism.
• Local activism effects are greater when long-term value is prioritized.
• The findings support the social movement theory.

Abstract

This study uses datasets representing local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to examine how local environmental organizations enhance long-term investor value appropriation (LIVA). We explore how external and internal firm factors influence the impact of local activism. Our results indicate a positive effect of local activism …

How To Make Everything About Sanctions? Review Of “How Sanctions Work, Iran And The Impact Of Economic Warfare” By Bajoghli, Nasr, Salehi-Isfahani, And Vaez (2024), Siamak Javadi, Alborz Pakravan, Ojan Bahadori, Alireza Akhondi

Finance Faculty Publications

A 2024 book titled “How Sanctions Work, Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare” by Narges Bajoghli, Vali Nasr, Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, and Ali Vaez argues that sanctions have had no impact on the behavior of the Islamic Republic in Iran (IR hereafter) and have instead inflicted pain on the ordinary Iranians. While the book does offer a useful description of the evolution of the sanctions against the IR, it fails in its analysis and conclusions.

[Abstract For] Using Excel’S “Lambda” Function To Compute Modified Duration, Dollar Duration, And Bond Convexity, Tom Arnold, Joseph Farizo, Andrew C. Szakmary, Nancy Tran

Finance Faculty Publications

We create a modified duration function that is more accessible than Excel’s current Macaulay duration function (=DURATION) which requires several details about the bond.

The dollar duration and convexity functions are not currently available in Excel’s default functions. When these functions are copied to a second Excel file, the functions automatically become available as functions within the second file without the need for recreating the functions.

We provide instructions on how to implement the =LAMBDA function to more than just the creation of the bond application functions.

Crypto Currency Exchange And Mining Excel Simulations, Tom Arnold, Joseph Farizo, Jonathan M. Godbey

Finance Faculty Publications

The mathematics underlying blockchain-based cryptocurrencies is beyond the scope of most undergraduate finance programs. However, students should understand the intuition behind blockchain so that they might better understand how to apply this technology to future cases. In this paper, we develop a mathematically simple digital signature example and a mathematically simple proof-of-work simulation for classroom use.

Converting Npv And Irr Cash Flows Into A Financial Calculator Using An Excel Template, Tom Arnold, Summer Liu, Cassandra D. Marshall

Finance Faculty Publications

An Excel template is developed that converts a series of cash flows on a timeline into the associated keystrokes for the TI BAII-Plus financial calculator in order to calculate NPV and IRR. Unlike videos and other presentations, the student is able to see, all at once, the keystrokes required for the financial calculator within the template after the student enters the correct inputs for how the cash flows occur through time. Many times, this crucial link of translating the cash flows through time into the financial calculator is lost. Further exercises are provided to reinforce proficiency.

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.

The 2016 Us Presidential Election, Opinion Polls And The Stock Market, Kamal Upadhyaya, Raja Nag, Demissew D. Ejara

Finance Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of the 2016 presidential election polls on the stock market.

Design/methodology/approach – The empirical model includes daily stock returns as the dependent variable and past asset prices, 10-year treasury rates, opinion polls and VIX (market uncertainty) as explanatory variables with a one-year lag. The model was estimated using two sets of daily polling data: from July 1, 2015, to November 8, 2016, and from June 1, 2016, to November 8, 2016. Additional descriptive statistics, such as means and standard deviations, were also calculated.

Findings – The estimated results …

The Impact Of Board Reforms On Audit Fees: International Evidence, Incheol Kim, Joon Ho Kong, Rong Yang

Finance Faculty Publications

In this study, we investigate whether and to what extent country-level board reforms affect audit pricing decisions. We find audit fees are positively associated with board reforms. An increase in audit fees is more pronounced for firms that switched up to Big N auditors following board reforms. After board reforms, firms are less likely to issue restatements, and both analyst forecast accuracy and management forecast frequency increase, indicating improved audit quality and information transparency in the postreform period. Moreover, the positive relation between board reforms and audit fees is more evident for firms in countries that lack institutional governance mechanisms, …

Ceo Marital Status And Corporate Cash Holdings, Ahmed M. Elnahas, Md Noman Hossain, Siamak Javadi

Finance Faculty Publications

We examine the effect of CEO marital status on corporate cash holdings. Consistent with the classical agency framework, we find that firms with single CEOs hold more cash compared to otherwise similar firms with married CEOs and that the excess cash held by single CEOs is significantly discounted by shareholders. Our findings survive a battery of tests to ease endogeneity and selection bias, confirming that results are not simply reflecting innate heterogeneity in preferences. Overall, our findings indicate that a variable outside the common firm- and macro-level determinants, CEO marital status, can significantly influence corporate policies.

Credit Risk Correlation And The Cost Of Bank Loans, Siamak Javadi, Theophilus T. Osah

Finance Faculty Publications

Using several approaches to compute firms’ credit risk correlation, we provide robust empirical evidence that lenders charge higher loan spreads to borrowers with higher credit risk correlation. Consistent with the theoretical literature, we find that the credit risk correlation effect is concentrated in investment-grade firms, driven by tightening lending conditions, and more pronounced for firms with higher rollover risk. We also show that banks whose borrowers have higher average credit risk correlation, have greater default risk themselves. Overall, our results indicate that banks view credit risk correlation as an important risk factor.

Endogenous Market Choice, Listing Regulations, And Ipo Spread: Evidence From The London Stock Exchange, Hafiz Hoque, John Doukas

Finance Faculty Publications

This study examines the endogenous market choice and its impact on underwriter spread if Alternative Investment Market (AIM) IPOs that meet Main Market (MM) listing requirements had issued equity in the MM during the 1995–2021 period. We find that the spread is 1.33% higher in the AIM than the MM for IPO listings that meet the MM listing requirements. This finding suggests that AIM companies, meeting the MM listing requirements, could have saved more than £100 million by going public through the MM than the AIM market. We also find that this spread differential is attributed to the issuing firms' …

Volatility Transmission: Evidence From U.K. Reit & Stock Market Implied Volatility, Mutale Katyoka, Simon Stevenson

Finance Faculty Publications

This paper investigates volatility transmission in the U.K. REIT market. It considers how REIT volatility is related to implied volatility in both the overall stock market as well as that derived from traded options on REIT stocks. The multivariate analysis utilizes both Constant Conditional Correlation (CCC) and Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) GARCH specifications to analyze the interdependence of the data. The findings confirm the presence of volatility transmission across the implied volatility of U.K. REITs, the U.K. implied volatility index, and the U.K. REIT index. The study also applies the variance decomposition approach proposed by Diebold and Yilmaz to examine …

Black-Scholes Option Pricing And Greeks Using Excel’S “Lambda” Function, Tom Arnold, Joseph Farizo, Jonathan M. Godbey

Finance Faculty Publications

The =LAMBDA function within Excel provides a powerful new tool for investors and analysts. In this treatment, we show how to create a function that calculates an option’s intrinsic value, price, and delta based on the Black-Scholes model. Other option Greek functions and calculations are available in a downloadable file. The LAMBDA function is not limited to the Black-Scholes model and has important advantages over Excel’s previous solution of creating user-defined functions in VBA.

An Empirical Study Of The Impact Of The Euro On Cross-Country Diversification, Demissew D. Ejara, Kamal Upadhyaya

Finance Faculty Publications

Abstract The euro was launched, on 1 January 1999, as a common currency for members of the European Union that complied with the Maastricht Treaty. The Maastricht Treaty calls for the coordination of major macroeconomic policies, such as inflation, budget balance, public debt, and long-term interest rates. Theoretically, the coordination of these policy issues and the launch of a common currency will increase the degree of market integration among member countries. This paper empirically tests the impact of the euro on the degree of market integration by looking at the comovement of the European equity markets and a sample of …

Required Minimum Distribution (Rmd) Spreadsheet Calculators Based On The Secure Act Of 2022, Tom Arnold, John H. Earl, Jr., Cassandra D. Marshall

Finance Faculty Publications

Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Spreadsheet Calculators

Based on the SECURE Act of 2022

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) of 2022 made a second round of changes (relative to the SECURE Act of 2019) to the required minimum distribution (RMD) schedule for individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and defined contribution retirement plans. Excel spreadsheet calculators are developed to calculate the new annual RMD cash flows throughout retirement for those who are retired and for those who are planning to retire. The spreadsheet calculators also allow savings to accrue with interest if the RMD is in excess …

Ceo Political Ideology And Voluntary Forward-Looking Disclosure, Ahmed Elnahas, Lei Gao, Md Noman Hossain, Jeong-Bon Kim

Finance Faculty Publications

This study investigates whether the management earnings forecasts of Republican and Democratic CEOs differ due to systematic differences in their information disclosure preferences. We find that Republican CEOs prefer a less asymmetric information environment than Democrat CEOs, and thus make more frequent, timelier, and more accurate disclosures than Democrat CEOs. Results using the propensity score matched sample and difference-in-differences analysis show that our results are unlikely to be driven by potential endogeneity. Our results are robust to controlling for various CEO characteristics and are stronger for firms with higher levels of institutional ownership and litigation risk.

Competition Law Reform And Firm Performance: Evidence From Developing Countries, Incheol Kim, Suin Lee, Bina Sharma

Finance Faculty Publications

We examine the effects of competition laws on firm performance in East Asian countries that have enacted antitrust legislation in the last three decades. Exploiting the staggered changes of these laws as quasi-exogenous shocks, we find that strengthened competition laws improve firm performance. Treated firms increase R&D investments and efficiency in inventory and asset management, while free cash flow decreases after reforms. Also, the effect of competition laws on firm performance is stronger with weaker corporate governance. Our findings indicate that government intervention promoting competitive market environments could benefit corporate owners in emerging markets where corporate governance is often substandard.

Ceo Tournament Incentives And Corporate Debt Contracting, Chinmoy Ghosh, Di Huang, Nam H. Nguyen, Hieu V. Phan

Finance Faculty Publications

This study examines the relation between CEO tournament incentives, proxied by the difference between CEO pay and the median pay of the senior executives of a given firm, and corporate debt contracting. We find negative relations between CEO pay gap and the cost of debt and default risk, and a positive relation between CEO pay gap and debt maturity. Further analysis indicates that the results are stronger for firms with near-retirement CEOs, which are more likely to run CEO tournaments. Our evidence suggests that creditors view tournament incentives favorably and are willing to provide better debt terms.

The Competitive Environment Of U.S. Community Banking: A Nationwide Survey Of Rural And Metropolitan Community Bankers, Robert D. Morrison, Dave Jackson, Joo Y. Jung

Finance Faculty Publications

Prior empirical research found that in the United States, rural community banks earn higher profits than their metropolitan counterparts and have lower risk loan portfolios as well. Investigating community bank failures since 2000 we find support for the competition-fragility view that increased competition in banking correlates with an increase in bank failures based on the finding that preponderance of US bank failures are community banks in metropolitan areas where they face direct competition from multiple large banks. This study tests seven hypotheses using a nationwide survey of community bankers. The results indicate metropolitan bankers perceive an intense competitive environment where …

When Does Csr Payoff?, John A. Doukas, Rongyao Zhang

Finance Faculty Publications

We investigate whether firms engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) can preserve firm value during normal and unprecedented exogenous adverse events. Our evidence shows, in regular times, a negative relation between CSR engagement and firm value, but under adverse economic conditions, CSR protects firm value by decreasing firm risks. We also find that firms with high managerial attributes engage in greater CSR activities that benefit shareholders in both normal and aberrant financial times. Despite the controversy surrounding CSR, our evidence points out that CSR can be viewed as a set of intangible assets that can improve firm value across good …

Simplified Portfolio Optimization Using Cramer’S Rule In Excel, Tom Arnold, Joseph Farizo, Terry D. Nixon

Finance Faculty Publications

The matrix algebra associated with finding minimum variance portfolio weights, mapping the efficient frontier, and determining the tangency portfolio weights is greatly simplified in Excel by applying Cramer’s Rule. Only a scant knowledge of linear algebra is necessary for producing a very intuitive presentation for a multi-asset portfolio. The technique is very easily replicated for an assignment or for providing a classroom resource.

Related Party Transactions And Corporate Environmental Responsibility, Wonseok Choi, Chune Young Chung, Monika K. Rabarison, Kainan Wang

Finance Faculty Publications

We examine the effect of related party transactions on corporate environmental responsibility and find that firms with more related party transactions tend to have more controversial environmental reports, less emissions reduction, and less environmental expenditures. This relationship is more significant for firms with a high investment-cash flow sensitivity and those with a low ESG score. Overall, the results corroborate the hypothesis that the marginal costs of corporate environmental responsibility outweigh the benefits for financially constrained firms, thus deterring these firms from engaging in corporate environmental responsibility activities.

Monte Carlo And Bootstrapping Carry Trade Simulations In Excel, Tom Arnold, C. Mitchell Conover, Joseph Farizo

Finance Faculty Publications

In a currency carry trade, an investor borrows money in a low interest rate currency and invests in a high interest rate currency. The trade is profitable if the future exchange rate does not adjust to the interest rate differential. After downloading exchange rate data, a Monte Carlo simulation of a carry trade is performed in Excel based on a normal distribution and the data’s mean and standard deviation. A bootstrapping carry trade simulation exercise is also generated by randomly selecting observations from the historical data. In contrast to the Monte Carlo simulation, the bootstrapping exercise preserves the skewness within …

The Relationship Between Enterprise Risk Management And Cost Of Capital, Muhammad Kashif Shad, Fong-Woon Lai, Amjad Shamim, Michael Mcshane, Sheikh Muhammad Zahid

Finance Faculty Publications

This paper investigates the effect of enterprise risk management (ERM) implementation on the cost of capital (cost of debt, cost of equity, and weighted average cost of capital) for the oil and gas industry. The research is conducted using panel data analysis from 2008-2017 for 41 oil and gas companies publicly listed on the Bursa Malaysia. ERM implementation data is collected from company annual reports, while the cost of capital data is obtained from Thomson Reuters DataStream. The results indicate that an increase in the level of ERM implementation reduces the cost of capital, which we argue is one mechanism …

The Way Digitalization Is Impacting International Financial Markets: Stock Price Synchronicity, Chen Chen, M. Mahdi Moeini Gharagozloo, Layla Darougar, Lei Shi

Finance Faculty Publications

This paper investigates whether and how the development level of a country's digital economy affects stock price synchronicity. The results indicate that countries with high levels of digital economy development exhibit low stock price synchronicity. Additionally, by decomposing stock price synchronicity into systematic and firm‐specific stock return variations, we find that systematic (firm‐specific) variations of stock returns decrease (increase) with the level of a country's digitalization. These findings shed light on the future trend of stock price synchronicity in financial markets around the world and support the information‐based interpretation of stock price synchronicity.

The Portfolio Advantages Of Sukuk: Dynamic Correlations Between Bonds And Sukuk, Abdullah Alfalah, Simon Stevenson, Eamonn D'Arcy

Finance Faculty Publications

The growth of the Islamic finance sector has been well-documented. One of the most booming sectors has been Sukuk. According to several past studies, non-Islamic investors' interest in Sukuk is due, at least in part, to the diversification benefits that Sukuk provides in the context of a fixed-income portfolio. This paper compares a pair between Sukuk and Bonds in the Malaysian market issued by the same issuer to have an unbiased comparison. Using unconditional correlation methodology provides an initial examination of the relationship between the matched pairs. In addition, this paper adopts the standard GARCH-DCC approach of Engle (2002). This …

Are Ceos To Blame For Corporate Failure? Evidence From Chapter 11 Filings, Rajib Chowdhury, John A. Doukas

Finance Faculty Publications

This study examines whether chief executive officers (CEOs) are to blame for corporate failures. Using alternative CEO managerial ability measures, we document that high-ability (low-ability) CEOs are less (more) likely to be associated with bankruptcy. We also find that reorganized firms run by high-ability incumbent CEOs experience improved financial performance after filing for Chapter 11. Firms that hire high-ability CEOs with bankruptcy experience also realize improved financial performance. Our evidence indicates that the likelihood of corporate bankruptcy is unrelated to the presence of high-ability managers and that bankruptcy does not adversely affect the post-bankruptcy careers of high-ability CEOs.

Independent Directors’ Dissensions And Firm Value, Wonseok Choi, Monika K. Rabarison, Bin Wang

Finance Faculty Publications

Highlights

• Independent directors’ dissension in board meetings plays an effective role in enhancing firm value.
• The effect varies across different levels of dissension.

Abstract

Using a novel dataset of independent directors’ voting activities on items proposed by managers of Korean firms, we investigate whether independent directors’ dissension in board meetings plays an effective role in enhancing firm value through improved corporate governance. Our results indicate that dissension improves firm value. This finding is robust to different measures of firm value and alternative model specifications including subsample, propensity score matching, and instrumental variable analyses. Overall, we contribute to the understanding of …

Using Excel To Simulate A Financial Calculator And Excel Tvm Formulas, Maura Alexander, Tom Arnold, Joseph Farizo

Finance Faculty Publications

Excel is used to build a simulation of the TI BAII-Plus financial calculator to illustrate the N, I/Y, PV, PMT, and FV inputs. Unlike other financial calculator simulators, this template also displays the corresponding Excel functions to aid in transitioning the student to using Excel for financial analysis.