Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Accounting Case Studies, Jack Mcinnis

Honors Theses

Accounting Case Studies is a compilation of independent case studies performed during the Honors Accounting 420 class. The case studies consisted of multiple performed individually, and a case competition with an assigned group. The case studies I performed individually consist of an assessment between the two cities I was interested in beginning my career in, a case study about the presidential debate in 2020, an evaluation of the optimal corporate tax, a mentorship interview, and an analysis of the 2008 housing crisis in the United States. My group for the case study included my fellow classmates; Francena Sekul, Caitlyn Henry, …

Business Financing: Bonds, Joshua Davis

Honors Theses

For my thesis, I researched information on financial bonds to contribute to a developing college textbook written by Dr. Bret Wagner called “Fundamentals of Business”. After having gathered the research, I then began writing to match the style in which Dr. Wagner had written the other chapters. Overall, this was a completely different experience for me as I have done research plenty of times before but opening my brain to a creative writing aspect and deliberating the research I had gathered into a form that would be consumed by future young adults was both exciting and difficult. I had to …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Corporate Financial Fragility In The Vietnamese Manufacturing Industry, Trang Nguyen

Honors Theses

In the past decades, under the government’s export-led growth strategy, the Vietnamese manufacturing sector – the backbone of the whole Vietnamese economy – has established a deep tie with the international market and the reliance on foreign buyers has fueled the growth of this sector before COVID-19. However, during the pandemic, when the global market contracted at -3.5 percent and demand slumped globally, this existing growth model and the manufacturing sector’s reliance on foreign buyers induced significant risks to this sector from both the demand and supply side. Using the firm-level data on 41 manufacturing exporting companies from the Vietstock …

Case Study In Enterprise Risk Management: Happy Tails, Inc., Clay Chance

Honors Theses

Enterprise risk management is a necessity for businesses in today’s marketplace. Firms that are unaware of risks they are facing often find themselves in unexpected trouble. The field of enterprise risk management has been growing since the 1990s as an effort to minimize the costs that risk imposes on firms. In this case study, I identified risks for Happy Tails, Inc. and recommended various techniques to manage the risks. I found that not only does Happy Tails face many of the same major risks faced by most firms in the marketplace today, but it also faces some unique risks due …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Of Accounting: A Series Of Case Studies, Emma Acheson

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a compilation of the evaluation and solutions derived from a variety of case studies provided regarding a variation of accounting topics related to financial accounting. Each case presented in this thesis is accompanied by an analysis describing the valuable knowledge that was extracted from each unique study. Through these case studies, real-world accounting concepts can be observed in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. In addition to the analyses of these case studies, the completion of this thesis involved participation in two accounting case competitions. These presentations …

Central Appalachia Severance Taxation And Policies For Future Economic Growth, Nathan Frisbie

Honors Theses

Central Appalachia is a region in the United States that has been referred to as a paradox by researchers who have studied it. The area is rich with natural resources, yet the region lacks economic development. The mineral extraction industry has been the center of the economy for over a hundred years. The reliance on the industry has caused Central Appalachia to fall behind in several categories. The region has unusually high concentrations of poverty and low high school graduation rates. The revenue from the taxation of coal is the primary source of income for many of the rural counties. …

Hedge Fund Performance With The Treynor-Black Model, Gurkamal S. Pannu

Honors Theses

This paper seeks to analyze the information ratio differences between long/short hedge funds over the past two decades using the Treynor-Black model. The Treynor-Black model is a method to derive an optimal portfolio allocation across safe and risky assets, based off of expected alphas of active investments and the unsystematic volatility that can be attributed to each given security. We first developed and implemented a model to forecast information ratios on a database of long/short hedge funds. With the predicted information ratios, we calculated out-of-sample allocation weights from a Treynor-Black active portfolio model. These weights were then tested in a …

Analyzing The Lifecycle Of A Modular Cutting Board From Design To Production, Caitlin O'Connor, Achintya Prasad

Honors Theses

This Capstone project is intended to demonstrate the process of product development for a modular cutting board from design to production by applying manufacturing principles, utilizing the stage-gate format, and developing a marketing plan. The guiding principles for the project would be the implementation of lean manufacturing and analyzing the quality, performance, lifecycle cost, and time needed for market introduction. Team voting and assignment occurred in Manufacturing 451 in Fall 2020, and the project was completed during Spring 2021. Teams were required to meet outside of class time in order to discuss ideas and build designs. Lab times were scheduled …

A Survey Of Accounting Case Studies, Maddie Dyess

Honors Theses

The following document contains work done over the span of a year under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson at the University of Mississippi in the Honors Accy 420 class. For the thesis requrement in accordance with the standards set by the Patterson School of Accountancy and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, I was able to complete a set of case studies pertaining to accounting. The purpose of this research program is to help equip students pursuing a career in the accounting field through a variety of accounting topics. Some cases focus on accounting principles in accordance with GAAP, …

Analyzing The Correlation Of The University Of Mississippi Football Program's Success And Financials With That Of The University And Local Businesses In Oxford, Mississippi, Courtney C. Schaeffer

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to look at Ole Miss athletic events, specifically football games, and the success and profit of local businesses in Oxford, Mississippi and the University of Mississippi. There are several existing studies analyzed in this paper that indicate a correlation between college football programs and the University and city revenues at several other colleges and universities across the country. A historical analysis of the University of Mississippi Athletic Department’s revenues and expenses, football attendance numbers, and University enrollment trends throughout the years 2015 to 2019 indicates how important football is to the University and its …

‘The Robinhood Effect’ - Digital Technology In Global Financial Markets And Its Effects On Investor Decision Making, Ben Steib

Honors Theses

We are currently experiencing a revolution that is larger, arguably, than the industrial revolution, it’s the Internet, also known as the World Wide Web. The Internet has transformed how we live — how we talk, how we work, how we go about our daily business, and how we manage our finances on a global and individual level. In the late 1990s, an investor would search the World Wide Web and, within seconds, find 3,372 websites with the term "investment,” today, the same search for “investment” yields 1,860,000,000 results. Today, as proven with GameStop and other popular ‘meme stocks,’ social media, …

Board Gender Diversity, Esg, And Corporate Performance, Novena Sutiono

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

Financial Reporting Principles And Accounting Concepts: A Collection Of Case Studies, Caroline Mcleod

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a collection of solutions to case studies related to various financial accounting and reporting standards in agreement with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. In alignment with the topics learned in Intermediate Financial Accounting, each case focuses on a unique area of financial reporting along with application relevant to real world companies. The thesis demonstrates an understanding of accounting principles, financial statement preparation and analysis, and current accountancy topics. The case studies were completed under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson in fulfillment of the requirements for the University …

A Tale Of Two Cities, Maybe Three A Look At Financial Literacy And Economic Development In Three Mississippi Cities: Fulton, Clarksdale, And Oxford, Kellie Reed Cleveland

Honors Theses

This paper explores the backbones of economic growth and how the backbones influence economic development in three cities in Mississippi. It further seeks to promote education in financial literacy throughout the state to create a base for individuals to further their financial education, create small businesses, or to simply be a knowledgeable citizen. The research sifts through backbones such as population health and small & big business influence, to explore how financial literacy influences daily life and the catalyst for businesses to start and grow. The Mississippi cities Fulton, Clarksdale, and Oxford are studied more in-depth through photos of the …

Using Buy And Rent Discrepancies To Predict Real Estate Bubbles, Jonathan K. Niehaus

Honors Theses

The cost of housing is one of the biggest recurring expenses Americans face. Real estate is also one of the largest asset classes of investments today. The decision of whether or not it is the right time to purchase a piece of residential real estate can be difficult for the everyday person as well as professionals. With the recent downturn of 2008, many people are reminded that the price of houses can spiral upward, and if one bought at the wrong time, their house could lose a tremendous portion of its value. This study focuses on looking at different economic …

Analysis Of True Risk Lab’S Price Prediction Algorithm In Relation To Market Results, Chris F. Hua

Honors Theses

The concept of beating the stock market is one of the main goals of financial investors and analysts. However, seasoned analysts and investors cannot perfectly predict the movements within the stock market. Machine learning (ML) is one prediction method that has intrigued the financial industry as a means of accurately predicting the market. Though the current prediction algorithms do not grasp every change in the stock markets, the models do provide a means of looking towards stock trends as a means to hedge an investor's or fund's portfolio against market declines by looking at the artificial intelligence (AI) results. This …

How Streaming Services Changed The Way We Listen To And Pay For Music, Claire Carter

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to explain how streaming services have changed the way we listen to and pay for music. Furthermore, this analysis examines the perspective of consumers and artists on streaming services. Most data is obtained from various academic journals and organizations involved in the music industry. The result of this research indicates that after the financial peak of the music industry in 1999, a decline in revenues was due to emerging technology, the illegal file sharing website Napster and piracy, the industry’s response to piracy, and digital downloads. As streaming services started to emerge the shift in revenues from …

How Will I Afford It? Financial Aid And Its Impact On Higher Education: Evidence From The State Of Mississippi, Daria Herasymova

Honors Theses

The cost of higher education, in real terms, doubled in the last twenty years, increasing faster than medical costs, the consumer price index and housing. In 1987, U.S. Secretary of Education, William J. Bennett, in the New York Times article, raised the concern that financial aid has unintended consequences of enabling higher education institution to increase tuition. In this paper, through collection of data and literature review, I examine the drivers behind the rising cost of higher education and test whether the postsecondary institutions in the state of Mississippi exhibit behavior, consistent with the Bennett Hypothesis. Using fixed-effects regression model, …

Economic And Social Benefits Of Gender Parity In Employment And Education, Elizabeth Weathersby

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to examine the ways in which women are disadvantaged in their participation in formal employment and participation and attainment in education relative to men across the world. Furthermore, this analysis examines the economic impacts of inequalities in education and employment at a macroeconomic level and on an individual level. Most data is compiled from various Non-Governmental Organizations that fund and orchestrate global research on gender equality. The results of this research consistently indicate that women continue to face systematic disadvantages in employment, wages, occupation, upward mobility in occupations, hours worked, entrepreneurship, burden of unpaid work, educational attainment, …

Portfolio Optimization Methods: The Mean-Variance Approach And The Bayesian Approach, Hoang Nguyen

Honors Theses

This thesis is a discussion on the mean-variance approach to portfolio optimization and an introduction of the Bayesian approach, which is designed to solve certain limitations of the classical mean-variance analysis. The primary goal of portfolio optimization is to achieve the maximum return from investment given a certain level of risk. The mean-variance approach, introduced by Harry Markowitz, sought to solve this optimization problem by analyzing the means and variances of a certain collection of stocks. However, due to its simplicity, the mean-variance approach is subject to various limitations. In this paper, we seek to solve some of these limitations …

Is Bitcoin Reminiscent Of Past Bubbles?, Jessica L. Leath

Honors Theses

Bitcoin, an open-source decentralized peer-to-peer payment system, has made an unprecedented rise to notoriety in the last decade. In 2018, Bitcoin reported its worst year in history with depreciation of more than 70% from its year opening price. Consequently, the narrative of a bubble that surrounded Bitcoin was amplified by this news. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the presence of a bubble within Bitcoin by comparing its price volatility and the psychological factors that influence its price formation to that of two historic bubbles, the Dotcom Bubble and the Tulip Mania.

Financial Literacy: The Argument For Required Coursework Regarding Personal Finance In Schools, Maclain Canfield

Honors Theses

Financial literacy is one of the most important skills for adults to possess, and therefore personal finance should be required education. Being financially literate provides individuals with the knowledge needed to make financially prudent decisions that substantially impact their lives (Kenton, 2019; Lusardi, 2008; Zucchi, 2018). However, only fifty-seven percent of adults in the United States are financially literate (Klapper, Lusardi, & Oudheusden, 2015).

Although financial literacy provides lifelong benefits, basic personal finance is seldom taught in schools (Council for Economic Education, 2018; NPR, 2019). Research shows that students are more financially literate where financial education in high school is …

What Happened To Venezuela?, Harris Jones

Honors Theses

By studying academic research, I investigate the root causes of the crisis in Venezuela today. The research studied lays out the historical factors that have contributed to the crisis. Venezuelan politics and global politics play a role in the crisis in addition to economic factors. The situation in Venezuela has been developing for years but has gained more attention recently as the economic crisis has caused a humanitarian and political crisis as well. I chose this topic because I am interested in how colossal crises occur and I am interested in Spanish speaking countries because it is my minor. Specifically, …

The Economic Effects Of National Marijuana Legalization, Alexander Lee Robison

Honors Theses

In today’s political and social climate, the legalization of marijuana has been a major topic of discussion across the nation. As more states pass legislation to legalize marijuana, whether it be for medicinal or recreational purposes, a market is being created that has economically beneficial possibilities that can be harnessed on a national level. This thesis seeks to highlight the economic effect marijuana legalization could possibly have on the national economy by examining the states that have legalized marijuana. States who have already passed such legislation provide a framework for state-level economic impact of marijuana legalization that can be projected …

There She Evolves: The Financial, Marketing And Journalistic Sustainability Of The Miss America Organization, Blair Wortsmith

Honors Theses

Adrian Phillips, a Pageant President and volunteer in the Miss America Organization for more than seven decades, stated that, “Things evolve. The press likes to refer to ‘changes,’ but most everything that has happened has been a precedent of something evolving. It comes by evolving and it disappears by evolving. And that has been the history of the Miss America Pageant” (Bivans). With the centennial anniversary quickly approaching and drastic changes made recently within the Miss America Organization, my Thesis examines the program’s evolution and evaluates its sustainability through finance, marketing and journalism perspectives. To do this, I drew information …

Fore Your Information: A Financial Analysis Of The Golf Industry, Emily Trolia

Honors Theses

This paper is an analysis of the leisure industry and more specifically, the golf industry. The paper examines the state of today’s economy through GDP, wages, and unemployment. During these discussions, the paper touches on how these factors affect the leisure and golf industries. The paper examines the performance of the golf industry over the past several years and discusses how the golf industry is working to grow the game despite the recent departure of some businesses and brands from the market. Further, alternative golf trends are discussed, as these trends are rapidly gaining popularity and exposing more people to …

The Impact Of Mass And Active Shooting Incidents On Residential Real Estate Values, Claire Sherman

Honors Theses

Gun control as a response to gun violence is currently at the forefront of political debate in the United States. The foundation of this paper revolves around crime and real estate supported by background literature detailing external effects on real estate prices to set up the framework for the research on mass shootings and residential real estate values. The findings in this paper are based on 73 events involving mass shootings in the United States from 1996 to 2015. I find that the effect of mass shooting events plays a significant role in the decline in real estate values following …

Behavioral Finance: A Survey Of Financial Literature, Quincy Hendricks

Honors Theses

Using academic studies and financial literature from over 40 researchers, I investigate if behavioral finance causes investors to not always act in a rational manner. In this thesis, I review the literature on investor behavior and outline the situational factors that contribute to investment decisions that are not consistent with the theory of rational expectations. In particular, I synthesize the departure from the theoretical standard due to gender bias, risk-taking, over confidence based on gender as well as institutional compared to individual investors, investor biases, external environmental influences, and lastly, herd behavior.

The Factors That Affect The Capitalization Of Digital Currencies In Developing Countries: An Assessment Of Security Risks And Their Effects, Joshua Tinotenda Pazvakawambwa

Honors Theses

Digital currency platforms such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple are slowly but surely revolutionizing trade and commerce alongside their potential to impact people's economic lifestyles immensely. Digital currencies present a unique medium for humanitarian, mission, and more notoriosly arms and terrorism transactions around the globe. Various factors like security, legislature, and infrastructure affect the viability of adopting digital currencies in developing countries such as Zimbabwe. The research study assesses whether this technology's shortcomings outweigh the conventional means of exchange: hard cash, gold, and checks. Therefore, aiding stakeholders in making informed decisions concerning interfacing technology with economics in the developing world.

Sustainable Portfolios To Maximize Alpha, Douglas Stephen Carey

Honors Theses

There has been a new movement for investment funds to align with investor morals. They are known as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) funds, and have become a strong focus for asset management firms. Currently these funds have a negative stigma because most investors believe that due to added constraints on these portfolios, they will not be able to outperform non-sustainable portfolios. This is why the sustainable investment portfolios will be created. The portfolios undergo two focuses. The first portfolio employs a negative screening, which means that the portfolio will exclude specific industries that are deemed unsustainable. The other portfolio …