Finance Commons^™

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

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

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

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

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

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

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

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

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

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

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

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

The Fall Of Long-Term Capital Management, Xiaowei Guo

Lingnan Journal of Banking, Finance and Economics

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

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

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

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

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

Fund My Trip: Is Outmigration Changing The Functioning Of Microfinance In Rural Areas?, Vadim A. Berg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Remittances have been integral to Nepal’s economy since the 19^th century, and they have never been as crucial to the nation’s income as today, accounting for about a quarter of GDP. Microfinance first appeared in Nepal in the 1950s under the form of agricultural cooperatives, and today both saving and credit cooperatives and formal microfinance banks play an important role in giving rural populations access to financial institutions. Increasingly, both these two flows have begun to interact, and this research aims to shed light on these microfinance foreign employment loans. Is microcredit making migration a more affordable and viable …

Developing International Self-Reliance In Undergraduate Students Through Study Trips, Elizabeth Yobaccio, Ramesh Mohan, Jack Trifts

Finance Department Faculty Journal Articles

This paper reports on the development of a large scale international study trip program developed by an AACSB accredited institution to enhance the global perspective of its students. Developed collaboratively between the College of Business, the College of Arts and Sciences and the university's Student Affairs division, the program has resulted in more than 750 students participating in international experiences in one of 18 trips throughout the world. This paper documents the development of this program and provides important insights for anyone planning to offer a similar experience to their students.

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

Honors Projects in Finance

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

Massachusetts And The Financial Crisis, College Of Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Financial Services Forum Publications

Although Massachusetts suffered the consequences of the crisis along with the rest of the US economy, the state weathered the storm relatively well. Now, with the impact of the policies still playing out, there are encouraging signs of recovery which may provide much needed relief for all.

Foreclosing Foreclosure: Escaping The Yawning Abyss Of The Deep Mortgage And Housing Crisis, Aleatra P. Williams

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

In 2007, Rick Sharga, vice president of marketing at RealtyTrac, stated that with more stringent lending and underwriting standards, “we will likely see a significant foreclosure decrease” within the next three years. However, a sustained and considerable decrease in foreclosures has yet to occur. In fact, the real estate market downfall and resulting mortgage and housing crisis have proven to be wider, deeper, and more serious than first anticipated. Since 2007, millions of homeowners faced, and continue to face, foreclosure proceedings. To provide protections for homeowners, federal and state actors have attempted regulatory and legislative solutions to stem the foreclosure …

Mexico Consensus Economic Forecast, Volume 15, Number 2, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Adam G. Walke

Departmental Papers (E & F)

No abstract provided.

Government Influence And The Failure Of Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac, Aravind Mohan

Honors Theses

In 2008 two government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, were placed into conservatorship due to insolvency. The financial bailout of the two publically traded corporations came at the expense of the American tax payer. This study investigates the relationship between direct and indirect government influence and the increasing risk taking of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from the late 1990’s through their conservatorship in 2008. As government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have many special advantages that other publically traded companies did not possess. These advantages allowed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to increase their profitability. Theoretical literature …

Fair Value Accounting: How Bad Decisions Bring Blame To Beneficial Accounting Procedures, Thomas John Ciulla

Senior Honors Theses

The Great Recession has sparked a debate amongst accounting professionals and economic analysts. There has been a concerted effort to blame fair value accounting and FAS 157 as the recession’s root cause and an attempt to challenge FASB to return to the historic cost principle. This paper examines the guidelines and procedures for mark to market as established by FASB, observes the events leading up to the recession, conditions that materialized at the start of the recession, evaluates the role fair value played in the financial crisis, and considers how fair value should be used in the future.

Hard, Soft, And Embedded: Implementing Principles On Promoting Responsible Sovereign Lending And Borrowing, Anna Gelpern

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper, prepared for UNCTAD’s initiative on responsible sovereign lending and borrowing, considers concrete strategies for implementing the Principles. It draws on studies in soft law and new governance, and on the recent experience in promoting best practices in international finance, including project finance, extraction revenue management, foreign aid, sovereign investment, and sovereign borrowing in the capital markets. It recommends maintaining the current non-binding character of the Principles, while embedding implementation in multi-stakeholder arrangements for ongoing disclosure, assessment, interpretation, and adaptation. This strategy has the best chance of changing behavior in sovereign lending and borrowing by creating constituencies for implementation …

El Microcrédito Como Herramienta Para Promover La Autonomía Económica Y El Empoderamiento Social En Mujeres De Bajos Recursos En El Conurbano Norte: El Caso De “Mujeres 2000” / Microcredits As A Tool To Promote Economic Autonomy And Social Empowerment In Women With Few Resources In The Northern Metropolitan Area: The Case Of “Mujeres 2000”, Stephanie Allen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years, Argentina has been faced with many economic downfalls, specifically the economic crisis of 2001. These economic hardships led to higher rates of poverty and unemployment throughout the country. The populations most affected but such harsh economic downturns were the already vulnerable; one of which being women. Many women in Argentina and throughout Latin America occupy a lower position in society and often bear most of the burden of poverty and unemployment.

As a response to the isolation of some groups from the formal economic system, the idea of microfinance took shape. Presently in Argentina there exist over …

اثر معايير التدقيق على أداء مراقب الحسابات في ظل التشغيل الالكتروني للبيانات المحاسبية(بحث مستل), علاء فريد عبد الأحد

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

في ظل التشغيل الالكتروني للبيانات المحاسبية يتطلب توافر مهارات لدى مراقبي الحسابات كي يؤدي مهامه التدقيقية على وفق معايير التدقيق الدولية والمحلية تتناسب مع بيئة الحاسب , لذلك يهدف البحث الى التعرف على المهارات الواجب توافرها لديهم في ظل تلك المعايير من خلال تصميم استمارة استبانة تم توزيعها على عينة من مراقبي الحسابات في ديوان الرقابة المالية ومكاتب التدقيق الخاصة في العراق , وتم تحليل نتائج تلك الاستبانة وفق الأساليب العلمية الإحصائية بقصد تحقيق صحة فرضية البحث, إذ توصلت نتائج البحث إلى أن هناك مهارات لدى مراقبي الحسابات عينة البحث يمكن توظيفها في أداء مهامهم التدقيقية بالعناية المهنية المطلوبة ووفقاً …

Markowitz 2.0: Innovations For Asset Allocation, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The economic wreckage from the 2008 global financial crisis dealt a blow to the theoretical foundations of finance and economic. Many of these theories, such as Markowitz’s Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), were considered received wisdom and taught in practically all business schools. But now they appeared inadequate to the task of handling the “fat-tails” and “black swans” of extreme market events. These crashes were also occurring far more often than predicted by these theories.

Imf: Predatory Lender Or Latin America’S Best Chance?, Paul Thomas Smith

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Recently, there has been heated debate as to whether or not assistance from the International Monetary Fund has proven to be a great humanitarian effort or a scheme by Western governments to keep emerging Latin American countries in debt. The IMF partners with numerous governments in order to create a collective monetary community from which all may benefit in times of need. These partnered countries are also able to apply for assistance if they find themselves in monetary hardships. Some studies have shown that the IMF has been too heavy handed, while other studies have shown that recipient governments may …

Estimation Of Interest Elasticity Model For Aggregate Commercial Bank Deposits In Nigeria (1986-2008), Matthew .I. Eborieme, Edwin. M. Egboro

Economic and Financial Review

The Nigerian government deregulated the financial market in 1987 in line with the McKinnon-Shaw financial liberalization paradigm. However, the subsequent policy reversal after the introduction of the structural adjustment programme has made the effect of interest rate on aggregate commercial bank deposits (CBD) mobilized unclear. This study is based on the pioneering work of Egboro (2004) who initially examined the appropriateness of these policy summersaults with data ending in 1999. However, in this present study we re-estimated an interest elasticity model of commercial bank deposits in Nigeria by employing more recent data that captured subsequent changes in the nation’s financial …

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

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

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

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

Economic Impact Of Legalizing Retail Alcohol Sales In Benton County, Katherine A. Deck, Viktoria Riiman

Publications and Presentations

Converting from a dry county to a wet county would have a number of tangible and intangible economic benefits for Benton County. Legal retail alcohol sales are a signal of a contemporary economic development environment. Quantifying the value of that perception is quite difficult, but it is entirely possible to estimate sales effects and tax implications of becoming a wet county for the residents of Benton County. A study was conducted by the Center for Business and Economic Research to assess the magnitude of those economic effects. Data from 2010 were used because of completeness, but the sizes of the …

Bayesian Hypothesis Testing In Latent Variable Models, Yong Li, Jun Yu

Research Collection School Of Economics

Hypothesis testing using Bayes factors (BFs) is known not to be well defined under the improper prior. In the context of latent variable models, an additional problem with BFs is that they are difficult to compute. In this paper, a new Bayesian method, based on the decision theory and the EM algorithm, is introduced to test a point hypothesis in latent variable models. The new statistic is a by-product of the Bayesian MCMC output and, hence, easy to compute. It is shown that the new statistic is appropriately defined under improper priors because the method employs a continuous loss function. …

Beyond Catch-Up To New Growth Sources, Hian Teck Hoon

Research Collection School Of Economics

SMU Professor of Economics Hoon Hian Teck gave his take on the impact of the Budget announced last Friday and wrote that the 2012 Budget, in essence, recognises that Singapore is now making a transition from a phase of catch-up growth to being a mature economy. In this mature phase, Singapore needs new sources of growth, and policy interventions are necessary to boost the employability and wage earnings of low-wage and older workers. Professor Hoon is also Associate Dean at the SMU School of Economics.

Micro-Finance Competition With Motivated Mfis, Brishti Guha, Prabal Roy Chowdhury

Research Collection School Of Economics

In this paper we examine the effect of increased MFI competition, focusing on its implications for borrower targeting, both in the presence and the absence of double-dipping. In the absence of competition we find that the loans are more likely to go to relatively richer borrowers whenever inequality is not too large, and the technology is sufficiently convex. In the presence of competition, the results depend on whether double-dipping is feasible or not. In case double-dipping is not feasible, we find that the MFIs necessarily target the richer borrowers. Interestingly, it turns out that double-dipping may encourage the MFIs to …

Risk Management In A Volatile Market, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

As stock markets around the world whipsaw in a manner that bewilders even the seasoned trader, an academic has suggested for financial institutions to look more closely at linking dynamic loss tail distributions to contagion modeling for effective risk management.

The Gettysburg Economic Review, Volume 6, Spring 2012

Gettysburg Economic Review

No abstract provided.

The Rise Of American Industrial And Financial Corporations, Elizabeth A. Laughlin

Gettysburg Economic Review

This paper identifies and analyzes the steps the United States took in its progression to an industrial nation. Launched by the merger movement in the late nineteenth century, vertical and horizontal integration lead to trusts and monopolies in a number of industries. Simultaneously, the labor market was undergoing a number of reforms with the deskilling of workers. The rise of big business was made possible through the growth of the financial sectors and companies such as J.P Morgan. The case study of The Standard Oil Co. highlights the wealth and power that robber barons such as J.D. Rockefeller held during …

Indiana State University Financial Report 2012, Indiana State University

Financial Reports

No abstract provided.

Caught In A Poverty Trap? Testing For Single Vs. Multiple Equilibrium Models Of Growth, Cameron Shelton, Francisco R. Rodriguez

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

We look for permanent effects to per capita GDP from exogenous, temporary shocks. Our shocks are temporary changes to the export revenues of small, open economies. We find no evidence that even the largest of these temporary shocks, in excess of 9.7% of GDP, produce permanent effects to the growth path of per capita GDP. The inability to reject a single-equilibrium world with shocks of this magnitude suggests that multiple-equilibria, if they exist, are too widely separated to be policy-relevant. Current aid initiatives, which are of a similar magnitude, are not likely to deliver transition to a higher growth path.