Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Unions’ Impact On Firms’ Financial Decision Making: A Look At Right-To-Work Laws And Their Impact On Firms’ Leverage Decisions, Rachana Muvvala

CMC Senior Theses

I study the impact of unions on firms’ financial decision making by exploring their capital structure, specifically leverage. I test two opposing hypotheses to understand the relationship between unions and firms’ leverage: (1) the bargaining hypothesis which suggests that firms use higher leverage as a bargaining device with unions, and (2) the crowding-out hypothesis which suggests that firms have lower leverage because unions crowd out their debt capacity due to their perceived riskiness. Focusing on the 2007 to 2022 period, I examine right-to-work (RTW) laws, since they are exogenous shocks that decrease union power in five different states. Then, I …

Owning Green: Evaluating The Effects Of Actively Managed Sustainability Fund Ownership On Esg Scores, Caleb Young

CMC Senior Theses

The growing trend of acknowledging ESG performance as a material concern when conducting due diligence on investment opportunities has exacerbated the number of assets being managed by investors with sustainability-oriented goals. At the same time, as social and climate-related issues have become more intense, investors want to use their agency as shareholders to influence companies to act in ways that align with their values. Frequently, this can be most effectively achieved through proxy voting and corporate engagement, particularly if the fund is an active manager. This thesis explores the interaction between ESG-focused ETFs and mutual funds and their management style …

Ceo Characteristics That Lead To Extreme Outperformance: A Statistical Analysis Of William Thorndike’S “The Outsiders”, William Turner

CMC Senior Theses

What makes a high-performing CEO? What CEOs should you invest in? These are the questions that the Board of Directors, headhunters, academics, and investors all seek the answer to. This paper explores the answer to this question by examining CEO performance at the extremes. Inspired by the work of William N. Thorndike’s “The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success,” this study expands upon his methodology, employing a statistical approach to analyze a broader dataset of CEOs over the past thirty years. Using a logit model of hyper-outperforming versus hyper-underperforming CEOs, it assesses the …

The Impact Of Wars On Us Defense Stock Returns, Viksit Verma

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the financial performance and market impact of defense and aerospace companies during periods of war and conflict. The study examines a sample of 9 firms representing the defense sector, and utilizes an event study methodology to assess stock returns during specific geopolitical events, namely the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Hamas conflict. The study generally reveals positive abnormal returns during conflicts, indicating lower volatility and reduced market risk for the sample of defense firms compared to the broader market. All abnormal returns are statistically significant for the Russia-Ukraine War. For the Israel-Hamas conflict, abnormal returns for 4 out …

Towards Algorithmic Justice: Human Centered Approaches To Artificial Intelligence Design To Support Fairness And Mitigate Bias In The Financial Services Sector, Jihyun Kim

CMC Senior Theses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has positively transformed the Financial services sector but also introduced AI biases against protected groups, amplifying existing prejudices against marginalized communities. The financial decisions made by biased algorithms could cause life-changing ramifications in applications such as lending and credit scoring. Human Centered AI (HCAI) is an emerging concept where AI systems seek to augment, not replace human abilities while preserving human control to ensure transparency, equity and privacy. The evolving field of HCAI shares a common ground with and can be enhanced by the Human Centered Design principles in that they both put humans, the user, at …

A Time Series Geometric Term Structure Model: Indications For U.S. Treasury Yield Curve Interpretation And U.S. Federal Funds Target Rate Forecasting, Danny L. White

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This quantitative experiment executed an extensive study of the theoretical and exploratory development of a discrete step Federal Funds Target Rate (FFTR) forecast model expressed as the time series geometric average of an applied transform conversion of the U.S. Treasury Yield Curve (USTC). The novel approach, introduced as the Geometric Yield Curve (GYC) model, used USTC data taken directly from the U.S. Treasury Department website as its only input for term structure of interest rate modeling specific to the FFTR. A transform process, presented as term framing, introduced conversion of USTC embedded macroeconomic and macro-finance trend information into a daily …

Community Cultural Wealth And Its Impact On Pandemic Relief Funding For Small Businesses, Brett Smith

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This dissertation investigates the impact of social, navigational, familial, aspirational, and resistant capital on the ability of small business owners in Pennsylvania to access relief funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily the period from March 2020 to December 2020. Utilizing Dr. Tara Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework, the study explores systemic barriers within relief initiatives and how they affect marginalized communities.

To meet business owners where they were, and to utilize technologies born as a result of the pandemic, this study utilized Asynchronous Video Interviews (AVI) and online surveys, to capture the lived experiences of these small business owners. Not …

Heterogeneity Of Capital Structure Adjustment Speed Across Industry Sector: Evidence From Non-Financial Firms In Malaysia., Mei-Shan Chua, Noor Maimun Abdul Wahab, Siti Nurhidayah Mohd Roslen, Soo-Cheng Chuah, Nurhuda Nizar, Hon-Choong Chin

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

This study investigates the speed of adjustment (SOA) to target leverage for different industry sec- tors in Malaysia. Using the two-step system generalized method of moments for 415 non-financial firms from 2010 to 2021, we found that the SOA for the overall sample is 38.6% and 22.0% for total debt and long-term debt, respectively. Our paper reveals the heterogeneity of SOA based on industry sectors. The industrial sector has the slowest adjustment speed (14.1%), whereas the healthcare in- dustry has the quickest adjustment speed (80.4%) to target leverage. Our results are consistent with the dynamic capital structure theory regarding the …

Determinants Of Islamic Banks’ Stability In Malaysia And Indonesia, Siti Zaitun Saddam, Mohamad Nizam Jaafar, Amirul Afif Muhamat, Nurien Syahirah Mohd Nizam, Nurin Aqilah Halim

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

The economic prosperity of any nation relies on its banking sector, which serves as the linchpin of the economy. This paper investigates key bank-specific factors influencing the stability of Islamic banks in Malaysia and Indonesia from 2012 to 2021. Using panel data analysis, the study identifies the fixed effect model as the optimal approach. The subsequent fixed effect regression analysis highlights the significance of the cost-to-income ratio in determining financial stability for both Malaysian and In- donesian Islamic banks. Notably the study reveals that the non-performing loan ratio is the primary stability indicator in Malaysia, while Indonesian counterparts prioritize maintaining …

Impact Of The Relationship Among Financial Development, Ict And English Proficiency On Income Inequality: Evidence From Malaysia, Norhasimah Shaharuddin, Abdul Hafiz Mohd Azam, Mohd Hafiz Abdul Wahab, Norzitah Abdul Karim, Nurul Hilmiyah, Sharul Shahida Shakrein, Adibah Alawiah Osman

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

Income inequality is a persistent phenomenon and fundamental issue of concern, especially in this new digital era, because unequal access to finance has long been recognized as a critical mechanism for generating persistent income inequality. ICT tools and approaches are being used widely today due to their convenience, omnipresence and economy. This study examines the influence of financial development, ICT, and English proficiency on income inequality in Malaysia during the period of 1979-2019. The empirical results based on the ARDL bounds test indicated that financial develop- ment and English proficiency support the hypothesis that both factors can reduce the income …

Exoneration Finance, Kay L. Levine, Russell M. Gold

Faculty Articles

The path to financial compensation for the wrongfully convicted can be complex and time-consuming. Exonerees often struggle to make ends meet and function in free society, let alone navigate serpentine processes while waiting years for the recovery they deserve. Securing the assistance of an attorney is often a critical step, but too few lawyers are willing to risk accepting these complicated cases on a contingency-fee basis—the only way that exoneree-clients can likely pay their lawyers without outside help.

Litigation finance—an important tool for increasing access to justice in tort cases—could help close this access to justice gap for exonerees. In …

Narrative Economics As The Origins Of Momentum, Aung Khant Myat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study investigates the role of economic narratives in shaping momentum effects in U.S. equity markets from 1984 to 2017. Utilizing narrative attention measures developed by Bybee et al. (2024), we examine how narrative attention and narrative innovation influence both time-series and cross-sectional momentum returns, after adjusting for Fama-French factors. LARS is employed for variable selection, and rolling-window regressions are used to capture time-varying factor loadings. Through a combination of time-series and panel data analysis, we test hypotheses related to static, persistent, and asymmetric narrative effects, along with firm- and market-level moderators. While the results are mixed across subsamples and …

Does Esg Performance Influence Cash Holding Behavior? Evidence From Asia-Pacific Firms, Khin Sandy Kyaw

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study explores the relationship between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance and corporate cash holdings among publicly listed firms in the Asia-Pacific region from 2010 to 2023. Grounded in stakeholder theory and the precautionary motive for cash, the analysis examines whether firms with higher ESG performance hold less cash and whether this relationship is moderated by financial constraints and financial distress. Employing panel fixed-effects regression, two-stage least squares (2SLS), and system GMM methods, the results consistently indicate that ESG performance is negatively associated with cash holdings. The moderating analyses reveal that financially constrained or distressed firms with high ESG …

Growth Stock Performance: Analysts And Investors, Klah Kanittanon

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research study examines the earnings growth expectations for growth stocks from the perspectives of investors and analysts. Portfolios were categorized based on the earning growth expectations of investors and analysts, with returns measured using the Fama-French Three-Factor Model from 2011 to 2023 in the U.S. stock market. The portfolio returns based on analysts' expectations were significantly positive, indicating that analysts tend to underestimate earnings growth for growth stocks. In contrast, the portfolio returns based on investors' forecasts were close to zero and not statistically significant, implying that investors do not systematically overestimate or underestimate earnings growth expectations for growth …

A Customized Compartmental Epidemiological Model With Vaccination Groups For Covid-19 And Its Application To Pricing Pandemic Insurance Policies, Om Kanchanasakdichai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study presents an agent-based modeling framework designed to evaluate epidemic-responsive insurance mechanisms under behavioral and supply-side constraints. The model does not rely on empirical calibration or external datasets; instead, it explores how stylized agent behavior and systemic pressures jointly influence insurance uptake, coverage efficiency, and policy outcomes. The simulation integrates a stochastic SEIR+ disease progression structure with individual-level decision making shaped by perceived risk salience, scarcity sensitivity, and delayed response behavior. A two stage evaluation process is implemented: first, a global sensitivity analysis identifies the key drivers of agent and system behavior; second, a strategic policy simulation compares the …

Esg Materiality Issues On Stock Returns: Stock Exchange Of Thailand, Napassorn Tinnakorn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study investigates the impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) materiality issues on stock returns in the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). Leveraging data from 90 listed companies between 2018 and 2021, the research examines whether firms focusing on material ESG issues demonstrate superior performance. Using an innovative SASB, MSCI, and MSCI-SASB ESG materiality framework, the study differentiates between material and immaterial ESG issues. By constructing portfolios based on ESG materiality scores and evaluating their performance through a comprehensive five-factor model, the research provides nuanced insights into ESG investing in an emerging market context. The study addresses a critical …

The Influence Of Intellectual Property Mergers And Acquisitions On Long- Term Financial Performance: Insights From Chinese Companies, Mingyue Fang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines the long-term financial effects of intellectual property-related M&As (IP M&As) in China, using ROIC as the main performance metric. Based on a panel of listed firms from 2000–2020, it first applies a DID model to compare IP M&As with regular deals, then extends to a DDD framework to assess directional heterogeneity (North-to-South, South-to-North, intra-regional). Results show IP M&As improve ROIC, especially in North-to-South transactions. Mechanism analysis confirms enhanced innovation output, though its financial conversion may face institutional or integration frictions. The study highlights the strategic value of IP M&As and the importance of regional context in post-deal …

Abnormal Stock Return Predictability: Evidence From Excess Trading Volume In The Stock Exchange Of Thailand, Siriphum Bunnamma

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study investigates the predictive power of excess trading volume on abnormal stock returns in the Stock Exchange of Thailand, examining 11,575 stock-month observations from SET100 constituents over 2014-2023. Drawing on behavioral finance theories including attention effect, disposition effect, and investor overconfidence, the research develops a novel technical indicator called "Excess Trading Volume" (ExV), defined as the deviation between short-term (21-day) and long-term (200-day) moving averages of trading volume.Using cross-sectional regression analysis with CAPM-adjusted abnormal returns, the study tests two hypotheses: (1) high excess volume during positive return months predicts negative future abnormal returns, and (2) high excess volume during …

The Impact Of Environmental Performance On The Green Bond Premium In U.S.: Moderating Roles Of Social And Governance Performance, Teerapat Thuwanuti

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines the existence of the Green Bond Premium in the U.S. secondary corporate bond market and investigates the impact of a firm’s environmental performance on the green premium. It further analyzes the moderating effects of social and governance performance on the relationship between environmental performance and the green bond premium.The analysis uses a sample of 66 matched pairs of green and conventional corporate bonds, matched through Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to ensure comparability across key bond characteristics. Key variables are obtained from Bloomberg for the period 2019 to 2024.The results confirm the existence of a modest green bond …

The Impact Of Underwriters On Ipo Underpricing: The Moderating Role Of Auditor, Nontapat Poonsinwiwat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines the impact of underwriter reputation on IPO underpricing and the moderating role of Big-4 auditors in Thailand's capital markets. Using a comprehensive dataset of IPO firms listed on both the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and the Market for Alternative Investment (mai) from 2018 to 2024, this research investigates whether certification mechanisms operate differently across market segments with varying information asymmetry levels. The analysis employs multiple linear regression with robust standard errors and fixed effects models to test two main hypotheses examining underwriter reputation effects and Big-4 auditor moderation. The findings reveal dramatically different certification dynamics across …

Performance Of Lottery Stocks Held By Thai Mutual Funds, Suparerk Saardeiam

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This paper evaluates the performance of lottery stocks held by Thai mutual funds using stock price data of all stocks (both SET and MAI) and actively managed Thai open-ended domestic equity fund holdings from 2014 to 2023. The first objective is to examine whether any Thai mutual funds hold lottery stocks, and if such holdings generate positive raw returns or alphas based on the Fama-French 4-factor model. The second objective is to test the predictive power of lottery stocks held by Thai mutual funds using simplified version of cross-sectional Fama-Macbeth regression. The last objective is to examine whether long-short portfolios—long …

The Evolution Of Monetary Policy Transmission In Defi Market, Lynn Ko Maung

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study investigates how U.S. monetary policy affects decentralized finance (DeFi), focusing on capital flows and interest rate sensitivity across over 500 DeFi pools from 2022 to 2024. Using three models: (1) static TVL regression, (2) rolling DeFi deposit beta, and (3) rolling DeFi interest beta, the analysis captures both cross-sectional and time-varying monetary transmission effects. Model 1 shows that DeFi deposits decline in response to rising interest rates. Model 2 confirms that DeFi deposit betas are weakly negative overall, with stablecoin pools exhibiting stronger sensitivity. Model 3 finds limited responsiveness in DeFi lending rates, suggesting that APYs are primarily …

Can Thai Mutual Fund Investors Benefit From Volatility Managed? Evident From Thailand, Nattapong Shutimayotingul

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This paper examines whether Thai mutual fund investors can benefit from volatility-managed strategies using Thai open-ended domestic equity funds from January 2005 to December 2024. The study investigates whether volatility-managed strategies improve risk-adjusted returns across both active and passive funds, examines the performance drivers through volatility timing and return timing analysis, and analyzes whether investors implement these strategies in practice through fund flow behavior.The results show that volatility-managed strategies improve risk-adjusted performance and survive transaction costs but only work effectively during specific market conditions. Thai mutual fund investors demonstrate awareness of volatility timing benefits, as evidenced by reducing fund positions …

Performance Comparison Of Modern And Traditional Machine Learning Approaches For Unsecured Retail Credit Risk Prediction, Anupong Guersanor

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study investigates performance comparison between modern and traditional machine learning approaches for unsecured retail credit risk prediction. Performance is compared by assessing the ability of a model to rank probability of default of modern approaches which are random forest and gradient boosting, versus traditional approach which is logistic regression. The findings indicate that modern machine learning models significantly outperform the traditional logistic regression model in both the overall unsecured retail market and the subprime market. This superior performance is likely due to modern models' ability to capture various customer profile, non-linear relationships and interactions among variables, which are more …

The Impact Of Corporate Strategic Aggression On Esg Scores: The Moderating Role Of Institutional Investors, Kittiphat Petchpradub

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines the relationship between corporate strategic aggression and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores, with particular focus on the moderating role of institutional investors. Using a comprehensive dataset of NASDAQ-listed companies from 2018 to 2023, this research investigates whether firms pursuing more aggressive strategies demonstrate superior ESG outcomes and how institutional ownership influences this relationship.The analysis employs a panel regression model with firm and year fixed effects to test three main hypotheses. First, I examine whether corporate strategic aggression positively affects ESG scores. Second, I investigate potential non-linear relationships where excessive strategic aggression may lead to diminishing returns …

Impact Of The Gold-To-Platinum Price Ratio On Mutual Fund Flows In Thailand, Luxamee Choktarm

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study explores whether the gold-to-platinum price ratio can explain mutual fund flows in Thailand by focusing on two key indicators: the abnormal GP ratio (AGP) and the fund sensitivity to monthly changes in GP (β∆GP). These measures are used to assess whether investors perceive the GP ratio as a proxy for economic uncertainty. The analysis uses monthly data from January 2017 to December 2023, covering both active equity funds and corporate bond funds. The models include fund level characteristics such as size, expense ratio, age, past flows, and return volatility, along with macroeconomic variables including inflation, exchange rates, interest …

The Effect Of Financial Flexibility On The Leverage-Performance Relationship In The Set Market For The Pre-To-Post Covid-19 Situation, Akesuwat Sanjaingamworapat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study investigates the effect of financial flexibility on the relationship between leverage and firm performance across three distinct economic phases—pre-COVID-19, pandemic, and post-pandemic recovery—in the Thai stock market (SET). Using panel data from SET-listed firms between Q1’2018 and Q4’2023, The analysis employs the fixed-effects and random-effects regression models with interaction terms to capture the dynamic role of financial flexibility and economic context. The findings confirm that leverage exerts a significantly negative effect on firm performance, particularly during the pandemic period, as measured by return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA). However, this adverse impact is found to …

How Integrity Culture Affects Trade Credit Availability, Sarocha Limchaisiri

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines whether corporate integrity culture plays a role in shaping firms’ access to trade credit. Focusing on a panel of U.S. publicly listed firms from 2002 to 2021, it employs a text-based proxy for integrity constructed from annual reports and uses pooled OLS regression with industry and year fixed effects. The goal is to understand how ethical culture, as a non-financial factor, influences trade credit availability beyond traditional financial metrics. While the measure used—accounts payable to COGS ratio—is commonly applied in the literature, it reflects both the willingness of suppliers to extend credit and the firm’s decision to …

The Magnet Effect Of Circuit Breakers And Its Interaction With Price Limit On Thai Stock Market, Arthinsha Shinvoranont

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study investigates the magnet effect of circuit breakers and their interaction with daily price limits in the Thai stock market during the COVID-19 crisis. Using high-frequency intraday data from March 2020 and an AR(2)-GARCH(1,1) framework, the analysis examines whether returns and trading activity accelerate near circuit breaker thresholds and how firm characteristics influence this effect. Results reveal significant magnet effects at the individual stock level, especially among smaller firms, while evidence at the index level is weak. The study also finds that circuit breakers and price limits reinforce each other, amplifying price movements when both thresholds are approached. These …

The Impact Of Esg Performance On Equity Mispricing: Evidence From Asia-Pacific Markets, Visut Poochum

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines the relationship between ESG performance and equity mispricing in Asia-Pacific markets from 2010 to 2023, using the Rhodes-Kropf et al. (2005) decomposition method. The results show that stronger ESG performance is significantly associated with lower mispricing, particularly among undervalued firms, suggesting that ESG improves pricing efficiency by reducing information asymmetry. ESG performance has limited influence on overvalued firms, indicating its impact is more pronounced when valuations are suppressed. Further analysis reveals that the environmental, social, and governance pillars each independently contribute to mitigating mispricing, highlighting their distinct roles in enhancing pricing accuracy. ESG controversy does not significantly …