Research in Finance – serie

This volume covers such topics as financial distress and capital structure choice; optimal capital structure and valuation of the firm in multiperiod context; regression tests of the present value model of stock prices; and, intra-industry information transfers and stock repurchases.

This is the 15th volume in a series examining research in finance. It examines issues such as indirect financial distress and sales performance, stock market volatility and the business cycle, the behaviour of futures prices, and curved option pay-offs.

This is the 16th volume in a series examining research in finance.

This is the 17th volume in a series examining research in finance.

This volume consists of original research articles examining timely issues in financial services, asset pricing, and hedging. The articles in the first part of the volume deal with methods for assessing the safety and soundness of banks, rationales for and economic consequences of bank mergers, valuation effects of lender environmental liability, option-theoretic explanations of the closed-end mutual fund discount, and contingent-claims analysis of price-matching refunds. Articles in the second part of the volume study consumption smoothing and the equity premium puzzle, the yield spread of tax-deductible preferred stock, fitting a jump-diffusion model of currency futures options, duration effects on hedge ratios of currency futures, and dynamics between foreign exchange and stock markets in Southeast Asian economies.

Since its first appearance in 1979, "Research in Finance" has been publishing papers that cover important and interesting issues in finance and economics. The topics found in the series span a wide range; previous volumes have included papers on corporate financial management policy, asset pricing and investment management, corporate control and governance, bank regulations and management, and the analysis of financial derivatives and their applications in risk management and in venture capital investment. These papers, among others, have made significant contributions to the literature. In this volume, Bajaj, Vijh and Westerfield present evidence showing that ownership structure affects a firm's agency costs of cash flow, which, in turn, influences the market's reaction to changes in the firm's dividend policy. McNabb and Martin examine the relationship between managerial entrenchment and the effectiveness of internal governance mechanisms and the firm performances. In their paper, Kang, Karim and Rutledge apply a relative excess value ratio approach to empirically examine the association between the CEO compensations and the firms' performances. And Almisher, Buell and Kish, using accounting beta as a proxy for ex ante systematic risk of a firm, find a strong positive relationship between the firm's systematic risk and the subsequent degree of underpricing of its IPO. Also in this volume, Kwan and Wilcox show the disparity between accounting and actual cost reductions in bank mergers, and point out the importance of avoiding the accounting bias in reporting the cost reduction in bank mergers. Gunther and Siems empirically find that a desire to hedge balance sheet positions and having a strong capital position are the key motivations for banks' involvement in derivatives activities. Shyu and Reichert examine the key financial and regulatory factors that determine the derivatives activities of both U.S. and foreign banks. In their paper, Yin, Wu and Chen explore the joint effects of the changes in capital regulation and deposit insurance system on banks' returns and risks in Taiwan. Based upon the one-factor equilibrium term structure model of Cox-Ingersoll-Ross, Chen and Chaudhury examine the market values and dynamic interest rate risks of existing swap positions. Chang and Ho derive formula of duration for different bonds under the Heath-Jarrow-Morton model of term structure and compare the relative performances of dynamic and static immunization strategies. In their paper, Boyle, Byoun and Park use intraday transactions data to show that the S&P 500 index option market leads the cash index, and that the lead-lag relation has resulted in a significant bias of the implied volatility that confirms their theoretical conjecture. Finally, Bubna uses a moral hazard model to address issues in the formation of syndicates in venture capital industry and to present some useful policy implications. May the contributions within this volume be of significant interest and usefulness to its readers. And may "Research in Finance" continue to publish papers of the highest caliber, to the benefit of academics and practitioners alike.

Eleven papers in this volume present some current interesting and important research in finance. Based upon the CAPM, Chen and Kane show that double taxation and differential tax rates on a personal and capital-gains income, affect corporate stock values and financial policies in nonneutral ways. Sengupta shows tax evasion decisions of a monopolist in a price-ceiling regulatory environment. In their paper, Osterberg and Thomson empirically examine the impact of state-level deposit preference laws on resolution type and costs for all operating FDIC-BIF insured commercial banks that were closed, or required FDIC financial assistance, from January 1986 through December 1992. Peek and Wilcox show that during periods of international financial crises, or of domestic economic stress, the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) are well suited to stabilize mortgage markets. In their paper, Chen, Robinson and Siems empirically show the association between banks' subordinated debt and their loan sales activities and its implications in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. Also in this volume, Lin et al. use the Granger causality test to examine the linkage between the euro exchange rate and the money supply and GDP in the euro community, as well as its impact on the UK exchange rate and the London stock exchange market index. In their paper, Kane and Muzere extend the Diamond-Dybvig model of bank runs to an open market economy and show that adding the central banks and the IMF, guarantees will reduce, but not eliminate the banking as well as currency crises. The paper by Chung et al. empirically shows the presence of a long memory, property in currency, future markets, and discusses its hedging implications. In their paper, Lee, Lee and Yu develop a valuation model for the pension benefit guarantees that incorporates the plan termination conditions as well as a stochastic interest rate. In a case study, Hung et al. empirically show that the specially designed dividends (SDD) have positive signals in the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Finally, in their paper, Guerard and Mark show that the use of an R&D quadratic term enhances the mean-variance efficient portfolios and stockholder returns.

A total of eleven papers in this volume represent recent research on important topics in finance. The contributions include analyses of issues relating to asset prices, the behaviour of stock returns, and capital-raising activities. Hodges, et al employ stochastic dominance arguments to show that the efficiency of time diversification depends on the degree of autocorrelation in security returns. In their study of the announcement effects of ninety-three minority equity investments, Chan, et. al find a neutral stock price response on average for acquiring firms but a significantly positive response for selling firms. Nguyen, et al provide evidence on the returns structure of U.S. information technology stocks surrounding the bursting of the internet bubble in early 2000. In a study of the informational effects of auditor reputation, Godby and Mahar, Jr. find that implied volatilities for firms audited by Andersen have increased relative to those for firms audited by other Big Five firms. Charaput and Chang find that the usage of installment receipts enhances liquidity in Canadian secondary equity offerings. The contributions to this volume also examine important issues in international finance and financial institutions. Brailsford, et al use a VECM technique to examine Purchasing Power Parity and causality between the yen and the dollar. Sarmas studies the impact of Hong Kong's fixed exchange rate system and Singapore's floating exchange rate system on the correlation between the US and the two respective countries' stock markets. Povel develops a theoretical model to explain multiple banking as a commitment device. Baer, et al develop a model and empirically examine how the creation of a futures clearinghouse can reduce the need for margin in bilateral and multilateral settings. Roberts and Siddiqi provide an empirical analysis of the link between collateralization and the number of lenders in private debt contracts. Finally, Tripp et al empirically examine the relative efficiency of single versus multiple common bond credit unions.

This volume contains contributions on important topics in current finance research. Topics include the impact of recent reform in corporate governance, the stock price reactions to the joint venture announcements, the temperature, and the financial signals, the pricing of SPARQs, the incentive effects in project finance with government financial guarantees, the option pricing models with price limits and market liquidity, the benefits of financial competition and regulation, the banking theories on the required reserves and the impact of mid-loan bank lending, and the new tests PPP and the cointegration test of foreign exchange rates with regime shifts.

This volume contains contributions on a range of important issues in current financial research. Topics included are - the performance of fixed income mutual funds in different economic states, the determinants of long-term excess performance of the ADRs on the NYSE, the models for forecasting the Euro/US Dollar exchange rates and the U.S. mutual funds movements, the fragmentation in day and night markets, the market reactions of the U.S.-listed foreign banks to the passage of the GLB Act of 1999, the upper bounds for American options, the spread-based models for the valuation of credit derivatives, the empirical evidence on the evolution of corporate borrowers, the determinants of private debt source, and the underlying causes and resolution policies for the systematic banking crises. This is a valuable addition to the research of finance. It contains contributions from key figures the world of finance; and offers broad coverage.

This volume contains contributions on a range of important issues in current research in finance and economics. Topics include the IPO underwriting spreads, the moral hazard problems in bank regulation as well as in the cost of deposit insurance, the loan yield spreads, and the aggregate bank performance at the state-level. The topics in global investments such as diversification benefits, overreaction and seasonality among international stock markets are also included in this volume. The contributions to this volume also address the appropriate asset allocation of hedge funds, the effects of partial hedging in incentive stocks and options, the relation between board size and firm performance, the impact of higher oil prices on stock market returns, and the futures hedging effectiveness with alternative settlement specifications in the contracts. This volume contains articles contributed by leading experts in finance and economics. It includes articles on the hot topics of oil-prices and hedge-funds.

The theme of this volume is 'Recovering from Financial Crisis'. The lead chapter sets the theme by giving insight into the recent surge in going-private transactions (and the corresponding reduction of Initial Public Offerings). The author develops evidence (reaching back 25 years) that going-private transactions tend to be inversely related with the return on diversified equity portfolios, suggesting that the recent upswing in going-private transactions in the United States is not simply the result of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act of 2002. The second chapter offers insights into the recent round of hedge fund failures. Then, the third chapter offers new insights into some of the more controversial aspects of private equity arrangements - when private equity arrangements are expressed as real options, the actions of the managing partners are more readily understandable. The fourth chapter offers insights into why commodity producers (such as oil companies) choose not to hedge, so that their stock can offer shareholders the opportunity to gain valuable diversification benefits using the stock as a pure play in the commodity. Remaining chapters offer further insights into recent trends in IPO activity, lease versus purchase decisions, agency costs, project risk, and emerging markets.

This is the 13th volume in a series on research in finance. This volume covers such topics as liquidity and market microstructure, predictability and time-varying risk in world equity markets and the structure of price discounts on private equity placements.

The theme of this volume is "Dealing with Volatility and Enhancing Performance". The lead chapter sets the theme by giving insight into using the Chicago Board Option Exchange Volatility Index (CBOE VIX) futures in hedging strategies for equity market investors (and hedge funds). During a time when there is much concern about the perceived volatility of global equity markets, the insights offered here could be reassuring as well as useful. The second chapter offers insights into the efficiency (or lack thereof) of attempts for forecast global earnings. Then, the third chapter offers new insights into an issue that has been important for many decades, but which promises to become more topical in the years to come. That is the question of when and why the people who make the business work should also be the owners. Remaining chapters offer further insights into recent trends in "in-house" mergers/acquisitions activity, purchases and sales of real options, project risk, electricity derivatives, corporate governance in Europe, and emerging markets.

The theme of Research in Finance vol. 29 is "Dealing with Crisis and Regulation." The first chapter looks for solutions to the European financial crisis, and the second provides a study of audit qualifications for accounting firms in Spain using advanced empirical methods. The next chapters are more international in focus, with topics including: business strategies for competition in Mexico; anomalies in the real return on corporate equity compared to real assets; the stabilizing influence of commodity futures trading in oil and gold. The following chapters explore the unintended consequences and burdens of regulations, for example the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and other more deeply underlying factors in the financial markets. The regulatory examination then shifts to the electric power grid, and some unintended consequences of the new regulations requiring retail utilities to buy all the power produced by wind and solar generators linked to their grid.

The volume includes two contributions on hedge funds. One evaluates the performance of hedge funds in market environments that are conducive to active management versus environments that are not. The other provides an empirical study of the market timing skills of hedge fund managers. Additionally, we have two contributions in the area of options. One extends the real options approach to options in which the underlying assets are information items such as seismic databases (rather than tangible real assets), opening the way for a complete analysis of investments along the so-called "Virtual Value Chain." Another offers a significant improvement in the estimation of implied volatility by developing a least-squared-error approach to the problem of "smiles and frowns." We also have an analysis of whether a firm's founders can create an artificial dividend without adversely affecting the value of the firm to other investors. From Canada, we have an empirical analysis of the current uneasy case for adding real estate investments to a portfolio. From Spain is an empirical analysis of whether earnings management activities by companies lead to an increase in qualified audit reports.

The volume starts with the trends in bank deposits (and hence available financial resources) in the region around North Dakota's Bakken Formation oil reserves. Then comes a contribution analyzing how various regulatory uncertainties are undermining real estate investment. We have a study of corporate governance and firm performance for companies listed on the Indian Exchange, plus an ex-dividend analysis of emerging country stocks listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), where the tax rate is higher on dividends than on capital gains. Further analysis of dividend policy includes a study of how executives manage dividend growth in companies included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ Index (with data from 1989 into 2011). Also on the global stage we have analysis of systemic risk and financial contagion in Morocco. Then we also have an analysis of hedge fund performance. We also have analysis of share price response to operating cash flow in corporate bankruptcies. In the quantitative arena we have an application of the IZO Model (using a principal component approach), and improved empirical estimation of option volatility.

The broad theme of Volume 32 of Research in Finance is “The Spread of Financial Sophistication Through Emerging Markets Worldwide.” Contributions assess the spread of Initial Public Offerings, the use of derivatives to provide stability, corporate governance in emerging markets, and the privatization of the Russian economy. We also gain new insights into applying financial modeling in emerging markets.

Research in Finance seeks to provide a collection of quality research articles that reflect the current and primary issues in financial markets. Contributions include finance theory and financial practice, plus accounting issues such as reporting derivatives positions, reflecting intangible holdings, or predicting financial distress.The broad theme of this volume of Research in Finance is “Comparing the Influence upon Equity Valuation of Strategy Compared with Cash Flow Expectations.” Contributions assess the strong role of strategy in equity valuation, compared with valuation of expected dividends. We also see new evidence about the triggers for financial distress in emerging countries.

Research in Finance seeks to provide a collection of quality research articles that reflect the current and primary issues in financial markets. Contributions include finance theory and financial practice, plus accounting issues such as reporting derivatives positions, reflecting intangible holdings, or predicting financial distress.Thevolume starts with empirical investigations of the impact from macroeconomicvariables upon equity values in emerging economies compared with developedeconomies. Next is an empirical affirmation of the efficiency of theMidcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) electricity exchange.  Next we find several investigations into theefficacy of efforts to stimulate the arousal of emerging nations around theworld.

This volume, dedicated to John W. Kensinger, explores a variety of topics in financial economics, including firm growth, investment risks, and the profitability of the banking industry. With its global perspective, Essays in Financial Economics is a valuable addition to the bookshelf of any researcher in finance.  Starting with a study examining the NYMEX Crude oil market, the first paper uses a no-arbitrage futures equilibrium cost-of-carry model that incorporates both the quality delivery option as well as the timing delivery option in the NYMEX contract. This is followed by two papers focusing on the growth of firms, one looking at a sample of S&P 500 firms in the US and one utilising a sample of firms from India’s manufacturing sector.  The fourth paper compares the Fama-French (FF) five-factor model for firms on the Paris Bourse with the four-factor model, exploring how the fifth factor, investment risk premium, benefits the French stock market in comparison with the profitability factor (the fourth factor). The fifth paper examines the volatility of the Indian stock market, while the sixth looks at the Italian banking industry. Closing the volume is a paper that looks at the relationship between the US Dollar Index and several emerging stock market indices using Granger Causality tests.

Volume 37 of Research in Finance, Contemporary Issues in Financial Economics, presents an extensive collection of chapters that combine real world studies and theories of finance to investigate a variety of topics. From corporate board gender diversity in India and the impact of labor rights on equity market returns globally, to environmental banking issues such as how green is green banking and whether country level and firm level governance quality influences bank sustainability performance, the authors address emerging and impactful concerns in the world of finance.Research in Finance provides a collection of quality research articles that reflect the current and primary issues in financial markets. Contributions include finance theory and financial practice, plus accounting issues such as reporting derivatives positions, reflecting intangible holdings, or predicting financial distress.

In this special issue of Research in Finance, editors Rita Biswas and Michael Michaelides compile eleven papers, five of which were selected from the II International Conference on Economics and Finance (ICEF-II) in Bengaluru, India. This volume focuses on a gamut of topics ranging from monetary policy to corporate governance in emerging economies. More specifically, it presents papers on the role of board characteristics and sub-committees on firm performance, the impact of US quantitative easing on countries like India and China, public-private partnerships in infrastructure projects in India, and multinational banking evolution in Nigeria and India. In order to advance the field of international economics and finance, it is necessary to question conventional practice and research approach. Incorporating analysis of classical theories of international finance and economics, the papers in this volume present new innovative theories that seek to do just that. They are essential reading for researchers interested in development economics and emerging finance.

This volume contains contributions on a range of important issues in current research in finance and economics. Topics include the design of a country's financial safety nets, the effective policies of acquiring failed banks in reducing moral hazard problems, the voluntary disclosure of real options by corporate managers, and the interrelationship between the housing and general economic activities. Some important topics such as the choice between stock and options as compensation vehicles in the presence of bankruptcy risk, the NUA tax benefits in asset allocation in the retirement accounts, the heuristic approach of using ri/stdi to select securities in forming efficient portfolio, and the arbitrage opportunity in index options at the initial stage are also included in this volume. Finally, the contributions to this volume also address some problems that include the explanations of risk premiums on futures contracts, the optimal hedging decision in futures markets, and the pricing of Asian options subject to credit risk.