Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Douglas Dynamics, Inc. A Financial Analysis And Valuation Report, Jessicca Lhotak

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Douglas Dynamics, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is one of the many construction machinery companies in the industry. Their headquarters is located in Milwaukee, WI, but they sell products in the United States, Canada, Northern Europe, and Asia. The company consist of two segments, a Work Truck Attachment, and a Work Truck Solutions. Having these two segments allow the company to reach into different markets, but the main market is snow and ice management. They have been able to stay ahead of the competition by acquiring other construction machinery businesses and innovating their current products. In the beginning of …

Bibliometric Analysis Of Literatures On Digital Banking And Financial Inclusion Between 2014-2020, Muhammad Ridhwan Ab. Aziz, Mohd Zalisham Jali, Mohd Nazri Mohd Noor, Syahnaz Sulaiman, Mohd Shukor Harun, Muhammad Zakirol Izat Mustafar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The fastest growing in technology in the recent many of years has changed the way of people live and the conduct of business. The existing of the internet and mobile has led to profound transformation to a various industry from manual-based to automatic-based activity and from offline to online transaction include in banking and financial industry. The objective of this study is to analyze the related literatures on Digital Banking and Financial Inclusion between 2014 until 2020. The methodology that has been applied in this study is descriptive research based on document analysis on previous studies and literatures on digital …

The Initial Public Offering Quandary: Is There A State And Time Dependency?, Michael D. Herley

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

Initial public offerings (IPOs) continue to play a critical role in the capital markets and the overall economy. With the total number of IPOs remaining considerably below historic levels, developing a more thorough understanding of their drivers and how they vary under different conditions could benefit market participants and regulators. In this dissertation, I consider the relevant academic literature and extend the paradigm that stock market growth positively influences IPO activity, and market volatility tempers IPO volume—while also accounting for the present instability in the data through a regime-switching3 approach.

I will show that the interplay of the Chicago Board …

The New Space Policy Regime And Its Financial Foundation, Tamara Campbell

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

Post the global financial crisis of 2008, the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) sought to expand the space economy through a public policy of commercialization. This has brought major changes to the composition of space mission funding strategies, now repositioned as public private partnerships (P3s). Formed to fund space missions with private finance in lieu of public funding, P3s are investment and risk-sharing vehicles evaluated by financial intermediary institutions, insurers, and at times, the courts in the case where there is foreign direct investment (FDI) agreement. For this reason, it is arguable P3s have exceptional influence on the scope …

A University Student’S Perspective On Financial Literacy, Matthew Braley

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Financial literacy is one of the most important, if not the most important topic students need to prepare them for their future. This should be obvious, yet it still does not have a permanent place in the curriculum. Many financial literacy organizations, such as the Council for Economic Education, National Jump$tart Coalition, and Next Gen Personal Finance, are making great progress to get financial education in schools throughout the United States. However, there are many young adults that have missed the window of opportunity to obtain financial education in school. The beginning of this paper will address the current state …

Digital Disruption In The Financial Services Industry: The Emergence Of Fintech, Alex Guenther

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Financial services, traditionally consisting of banking, asset management, lending, insurance, and payment systems, are facing a perfect storm brought on by technological innovation and shifting customer expectations. Such changes have exposed a gap in the financial services space between those who have access and those who do not. Traditional financial institutions have been hindered in pursuing strategies of financial inclusion to large underserved and underbanked populations. There is a major opportunity for financial technology companies to alter the competitive dynamics in an industry that has long been dominated by major banks and other large financial institutions. ‘Fintech’, as it is …

How Technology Impacts The Financial Planning Profession, Allison Conway

Senior Honors Theses

Technology impacts the financial planning field in a distinct way and will continue to change the nature of the industry in the future. Financial planners commonly use various types of technology to improve their service and product quality. This paper will discuss several of these current technologies used by most financial planners, as well as technology that is available today that could be applied to the profession, threats to the field that technology presents such as data security, and future technologies that might have significant implications for planners. It is in the best interest of both client and planner to …

Bitcoin: The Pioneer Of Cryptocurrency With A Limited Dream, Anna M. Gellerman, Benjamin Zheng

Publications and Research

BitCoin is the most well known and adaptable cryptocurrency today. Due to the evolvement of the cryptocurrency market, many are thinking what this could mean for society; is the world ready for a new mainstream medium of exchange? This poster argues that although BitCoin is functional for small scale payments, it is inadaptable to become a payment tool comparable to cash and card.

Is It Risky To Make The World A Better Place: A Study On The Association Between Environmental, Social, And Governance (Esg) Operational Risk Management And Market Derived Volatilities, Kelly L. Johnson

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Investors and firms are increasingly concerned with their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risk exposures. Awareness of firms’ ESG policies by investors has grown substantially over the past five years. This growth led to the creation of company ratings for ESG operational risk exposure from third parties. We will analyze six years of ESG rankings, accounting and return data for S&P 500 firms and test whether ESG risk management ratings are associated with market derived measures of risk.

Alumnus Leads Data Tech Firm That Helps Hospitals Curb Costs

Business Exchange

A profile of Dan Michelson (MBA ’94), who celebrates his ninth year as CEO of Chicago-based Strata Decision Technology, about his work, his career path, and his passion projects.

Remembering Richard H. Driehaus

Business Exchange

An obituary to pioneering investment manager Richard H. Driehaus, a DePaul alumnus and benefactor, who died on March 4 at the age of 78.

Application Of Randomness In Finance, Jose Sanchez, Daanial Ahmad, Satyanand Singh

Publications and Research

Brownian Motion which is also considered to be a Wiener process and can be thought of as a random walk. In our project we had briefly discussed the fluctuations of financial indices and related it to Brownian Motion and the modeling of Stock prices.

Pharmaceutical Stock Prices Around Medicare Part D Expansion, Spencer Powell

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

On January 1, 2006 Medicare part D expanded, giving prescription coverage to many Americans. This event offers an interesting question regarding market efficiency, specifically because Medicare expansion was introduced into congress as far back as 1999. Because Medicare part D affected pharmaceutical drug coverage, this study focuses specifically on securities in the pharmaceutical industry. Following an efficient market hypothesis, we would expect to see significant abnormal returns in the post event window, anticipating the legislations effect on demand within the industry. Results showed significant abnormal returns in post-event window, but not in the pre-event window. The returns in the post-event …

What Were The Factors That Led To The Gamestop Short Squeeze?, Riley Burnette

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

The world of finance is rapidly evolving - for better or for worse. The introduction of social media in sentimental stock market trading, and new brokerage apps, combined with the new resurgence of retail investors, has led to some interesting results. These new factors in the stock market have challenged the status quo of the stock market. A group of retail investors has led this change on a Reddit forum known as /r/WallStreetBets

In early January 2021, a group of retail investors collaborated a short squeeze on GameStop stock, creating an attack against the hedge funds on a popular Reddit …

A Financial And Environmental Impact Analysis On The Implementation Of Electric Vehicles For The Washington County, Arkansas Sheriff's Department, Lauren Chadwick

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since the Biden administration has provided implication that the hope is for state and local governments to adopt net zero emission federal vehicles, it is important to see how this might work for a county in a rural area of Arkansas. Applying this real possibility to the local Sheriff’s department will aim to create a case either for the implementation of electric vehicles or prove to show that it is not a feasible solution.

This research will compare the financial advantages and disadvantages of this order along with the possible environmental impact that this solution can attribute to. Focusing on …

Corporate Venture Capital And Its Effects On Company Valuation - An Analysis Of The Additions Of Cvc Arms, Joshua Lyman

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper examines the stock price reaction to the addition of corporate venture capital arms to publicly traded companies. Referencing venture capital resources, corporate press release announcements of the addition of CVC arms were hand collected. I calculate the cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) surrounding press release announcement dates and find immediate stock market reactions, positively increasing stock prices compared to the overall market. I further perform placebo event studies at random dates and with direct competitors using the same announcement dates and find no significant results. These findings suggest that corporate venture capital increases company valuation and that financial markets …

Predicting The Financial Vulnerability Of U.S. Public Charities: A Test Of The Tuckman-Chang Model, Alesha L. Graves

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Charitable organizations are significant contributors to the U.S. economy, and Americans invest billions of dollars into these organizations through their donations. Without these organizations, additional pressure would be placed on governmental agencies to provide certain services or those services would not be provided at all, indicating that these organizations’ long-term survival is necessary. In 1991, Tuckman and Chang published the seminal work on the financial vulnerability of nonprofit organizations and presented a model that describes a financially vulnerable organization. Subsequent studies of this model indicate that the model is predictive; however, those studies did not utilize an actual financial shock. …

Forecasts And Implications Using Vix Options, Spencer Stanley, William Trainor

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines the Chicago Board Option Exchange (CBOE) Volatility Index (VIX) which is the implied volatility calculated from short-term option prices on the Standards & Poor’s 500 stock index (S&P 500). Findings suggest VIX overestimates average volatility by approximately 3% but explains 55% of S&P 500’s proceeding month’s volatility. The implied volatility (IV) from options on the VIX add additional explanatory power for the S&P’s 500 proceeding kurtosis values (a measure of tail risk). The VIX option’s volatility smirks did not add additional explanatory power for explaining the S&P 500 volatility or kurtosis. A simple trading rule based on …

The Impact Of Fresh Eyes: How A Change In The Engagement Team Impacts The Reporting Of Internal Control Material Weaknesses, Hannah Elizabeth Richards

Finance and Real Estate Dissertations - Archive

Regulators have repeatedly debated mandatory auditor rotation. Proponents emphasize the benefits that a new auditor brings, specifically, improved independence and a fresh perspective, leading to higher quality audits. However, opponents argue that changing auditors is costly and impedes audit quality. The United States currently requires audit partner rotation, but it is not clear that partner change alone significantly impacts audit outcomes. In this dissertation, I provide evidence that the fresh perspective brought about by changes in the engagement team improves the detection and reporting of internal control material weaknesses (ICMW) after controlling for the likelihood of the existence of ICMW. …

Retail Trading And Stock Volatility: The Case Of Robinhood, Cooper Jones

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

We examine the relation between Robinhood usership and stock market volatility. We show that daily fluctuations in Robinhood usership, which is used to proxy retail trading, significantly influence various measures of volatility. These results might suggest that Robinhood users contribute to noise trading as they are generally individuals trading on name recognition, media coverage, popularity, and familiarity of products, rather than on fundamental values. In our empirical approach, we find that the percentage increase in Robinhood usership Granger causes increases in daily stock volatility.

The Effects Of Bank Lobbying And Elections Surprises, Gregory Logan Tarbet

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper examines the stock market reaction to banks that lobby relative to banks that did not lobby in the period around the November 9, 2016, U.S. presidential election. Using three different methods of event studies to calculate the cumulative average return, we find that lobbying in banks has a meaningful relationship to an abnormal increase in those firm’s stock prices. Then we attempt to control for both the systemic importance and size of these institutions by performing cross-sectional regressions that include matched size, and the systemic nature of the banks. The results suggest that a heavily regulated industry such …

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 …

A Sweet Future For Sugar Makery: A Deeper Dive Into Small Business Consulting, Samuel Lauritsen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This case study investigates a local candy store in Glenwood and Council Bluffs Iowa. Processes, consistency and concise planning promoted the rapid growth of Sugar Makery into two locations in three short years. Results from the analyses indicate that the main problem facing Sugar Makery is sustaining its differentiated strategy from new industry entrants, key recommendations to sustain its success are presented. Every company has its own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The key is identifying each to be able to capitalize on competitive advantages, mitigate the damage done by weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities and create plans to avoid …

Arbor Day Foundation Programs: Analysis And Recommendations, Justin Myers, Emily Alston, Cameron Claborn, Charles Erker, Braelyn Isernhagen, Jonathan Jameson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

We are proposing the enhancement of the current Tree City USA program to include a special recognition program for high-achieving communities. These “Golden Oak” tree cities will be recognized each year based on a variety of metrics detailed in a new and more comprehensive program application. Recommendations:

● Updated application to include more information about both quantitative and qualitative insights

● Special recognition program awarding “Golden Oak” status to communities in village, town, city, and metropolis categories based on either percentile or benchmarking system

● A cumulative “Golden Oak” award given to the State that achieves the highest percentage of …

The Advantages Of Active Management Overtime Through Turbulent Markets, Alexandria Rook

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Unlike many other financial institutions and investment companies, GT seeks out and hires the best investment managers they can find instead of picking all the individual investments themselves. This fund-of-fund management approach is “an investment vehicle where a fund invests in a portfolio composed of shares of other funds rather than investing directly in stocks, bonds, and other securities” (Corporate Finance Institute). This approach allows GT’s clients to have access to the best in the business managers that they would not be able to source or buy into on their own. Many of the best managers have a higher buy-in …

How Has Covid-19 Affected Financial Gains Of Big-Tech Companies?, Erin Flanigen

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial returns received by Big-Tech companies in order to predict future financial returns and related business activities. The main objectives of this paper are to delineate business models and financial statements of Big-Tech companies prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, present ample, relevant economic information regarding COVID-19, and encompass the effects of COVID-19 on global economies. This study then predicts the future economic effects of COVID-19 on Big-Tech companies. The selected Big-Tech companies included in this study are Facebook, Alphabet (Google), Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon; each company saw …

Exploring The Impact Of Coronavirus Response Policies On The Long-Term Financial Health Of Sports Leagues Around The World, Alexander Seager

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper will outline and explore the responses of leagues in the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom, and Spain, with an emphasis on how these decisions affected the overall financial health of sports leagues within them.

While the brunt of the Coronavirus can be felt in nearly all facets of life, the goal of this paper is to research policies specifically tied to sports. There is much more to the COVID response than simple economics, but the scope of this paper is to dig into sports and the financial health of leagues moving forward. The intention is not …

International Evidence On The Effect Of Economic Policy Uncertainty On Stock Market Liquidity, Fnu Pratima

Finance and Real Estate Dissertations - Archive

In this dissertation, I investigate the impact of economic policy uncertainty on stock market liquidity across a broad cross-section of countries. My dissertation is composed of three distinct yet related essays. My first essay examines the impact of economic policy uncertainty on stock liquidity and various firm-level cross-sectional variables explaining the uncertainty-liquidity relationship. The focus of the second essay, using a sample for non-U.S. stocks cross-listed in the U.S., is to examine the role of cross-listing in moderating the above impact. In the third essay, I examine the market liquidity and country-level factors that explain the relationship between economic policy …

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 …

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

Finance Faculty Research and Publications

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 the relation between corporate governance and firm value. Specifically, we provide new evidence that the monitoring by independent directors enhances firm value.