The following dissertation contains two related essays. The first essay explores how institutional investor presence impacts investments during the global financial crisis. Using OLS, industry fixed effects, and Heckman 2SLS regression approaches, I explore two ways through which institutional investors could impact investments: liquidity and monitoring. My findings best support monitoring theory. I find that institutional investors monitor capital and R&D levels to maximize crisis period firm value. The second essay is a direct fallout from my first essay. In it, I investigate how institutional investor types influence investments. I ask, do certain types of investors improve liquidity or monitor firm investment behavior during the global financial crisis? My results suggest that long-term, dedicated institutional investors monitor firm investments more than short-term, transient investors. As a result, firms with greater dedicated investor presence perform better during the crisis periods than their peers.

In chapter 1, we examine the nature and scale of the relationship between returns on sector Equity Traded Funds (ETFs) and their volatility. We discuss the source and direction of the effect between returns and risk and whether behavioral biases are prominent among sector ETFs. The study has implications for financial sector practitioners and investors, as it provides more information about the risk in sector ETF and whether that risk differs from that of other investment instruments. To this end, we test three hypotheses based on the relevant literature on volatility and returns: the leverage effect hypothesis, feedback hypothesis, and behavioral biases in assets pricing. We employ two measures of volatility in this chapter; specifically, we use the GARCH (1, 1) model and the Range-based autoregressive model. Chapter 2 presents an examination of the factors that affect payout policy in a frontier market. MSCI classifies the Saudi stock exchange as a large frontier market and proposes to be reclassified as an emerging market by next year. The Saudi market is characterized by the high governmental influence and dominance of individual traders on daily transactions. By studying the 12-year panel data, we assess the effect government, board characteristics, social norms and major shareholder on Saudi firms’ decision to distribute dividends. The government presence and investor taste, especially for Islamic-compliant firms, are discussed. This chapter provides valuable information for investors and practitioners by identifying the factors that should be considered when making finance and investment decisions in frontier markets.

The czech capital market is currently rarely used by the domestic enterprises for obtaining financial resources, although in the world this way of obtaining finance is common. There were regulatory changes in the czech capital market, but despite this partial liberalization, it has not increased interest of czech companies on issuing of shares or bonds. The focus of this dissertation is therefore a comparison of the conditions for corporate financing in countries with developed capital market and identifing any differences. The work also examines the evolution of corporate finance on the capital markets in different continents, influence the IPO on the financial health of the company and analyzes the impact of the amendment of the Act on Bonds.

This diploma thesis deals with economic health of the company JAKOS, a.s. in years 2005–2008. There was used selected methods of the financial analysis. Based on recognized facts I propose measures which should result in the improvement of financial situation of the company.

This dissertation is looking into evaluation of the economical situation and development of the assigned companies which are financed by the high-risk capital. The economical development of the companies is subjected to selected indicators of the financial analysis. The theoretical solution of this dissertation is describing the particular aspects of the financial analysis and the high-risk capital. The analytical section is focusing on the development of the economical situation in the companies using the selected indicators and is proposing a possible improvement of the economical progress of the companies. Conclusion of this thesis is comparing development of the companies’ indicator and is providing its feasible solution.

After the recent financial crisis real estate companies in Sweden experienced difficulties obtaining funding for both new projects as well as refinancing of current investments. The situation in the credit market has since then improved but the refinancing problems that real estate companies experienced during this time has made firms aware of this risk and many companies now seek to diversify their funding sources. This thesis discusses the usage of corporate bonds as an alternative funding source to bank loans, ways of structuring issuances of both unsecured and secured bonds and the effects this have on both the issuing company as well as investors. Several Swedish real estate companies have issued unsecured corporate bonds in the past few years and just recently, in 2011, the first secured corporate bond issuance was made. Issuing corporate bonds in a cost effective way with competitive rates have however proven difficult for many companies in the past and 90 % of the debt funding of real estate companies still come from banks. The research concludes that corporate bonds are a viable alternative to bank loans today, since interest rates have become more competitive for these instruments. Presumably, these rates will decrease even more as the issuing processes and bond structures become more standardized - thereby creating a downward pressure on corporate bank loan rates and margins. It is concluded that larger real estate companies could benefit from being more active in the bond market. Possible benefits are e.g. reduction of the refinancing risk, being able to borrow capital for longer periods of time, increased bargaining power when negotiating new bank loan terms, access to a new pool of capital and opportunities to increase leverage. This study has shown that many support functions for the corporate bond market are underdeveloped, such as rating and stock exchange listing. Several actors in the market are currently working on improving these support functions, which hopefully will lead to effective industry standards that will allow for an expansion of the market. Based on the conducted research it is likely that the market for corporate bonds will continue to expand and develop. / Efter den senaste finanskrisen upplevde fastighetsbolagen i Sverige svårigheter att erhålla finansiering för nya projekt samt refinansiering av befintliga investeringar. Läget på kreditmarknaden har sedan dess förbättrats men de refinansieringsproblem som bolagen upplevde under denna tid har gjort företagen mer riskmedvetna, vilket ökat efterfrågan på att diversifiera finansieringskällorna. Denna uppsats behandlar användningen av företagsobligationer som en alternativ finansieringskälla till banklån och även olika sätt att strukturera emissioner för både icke säkerställda- och säkerställda obligationer samt effekterna av detta för både utfärdande bolag och investerare. Flertalet svenska fastighetsbolag har ställt ut icke-säkerställda företagsobligationer de senaste åren och nyligen, under 2011 emitterades den första säkerställda företagsobligationen. Att emittera företagsobligationer på ett kostnadseffektivt sätt med konkurrenskraftiga räntenivåer i förhållande till banklån har dock visat sig svårt för många fastighetsföretag och 90 % av lånefinansiering av dessa bolag kommer fortfarande från banker. Utifrån studien går det att dra slutsatsen att fastighetsobligationer är ett konkurrenskraftigt alternativ till banklån eftersom att räntorna på dessa instrument har sjunkit. Det är troligt att dessa räntor kommer sjunka ytterligare allt eftersom emitteringsstrukturer och processer blir mer standardiserade – vilket skapar press på bankerna att minska sina marginaler. De flesta stora fastighetsbolag skulle gynnas av att bli mer aktiva i obligationsmarknaden. Möjliga fördelar är t.ex. reducerad refinansieringsrisk, möjligheter att låna upp kapital under längre tidsperioder, ökad förhandlingsstyrka vid förhandlingar om nya lånevillkor för banklån, tillgång till en ny kapitalpool samt möjlighet till att höja belåningsgrader. I rapporten har det visat sig att många stödfunktioner till företagsobligationsmarknaden är underutvecklade, såsom rating och börsnotering. Flera aktörer på marknaden arbetar för närvarande med att förbättra dessa stödfunktioner vilket förhoppningsvis kommer leda till effektiva branschstandarder vilket möjliggör för expansion av marknaden. Baserat på vad som har framkommit i studien antas marknaden för företagsobligationer för fastighetsbolag att vidare utvecklas och expandera.

Recent increases in stock repurchases among U.S. corporations coupled with a historically low cost of debt since the Global Financial Crisis has created media speculation that firms in recent years are paying for their expanding share buyback programs with debt. Repurchasing stock by increasing leverage, instead of using internal funds, implies that managers may speculate on current low interest rate environments at the expense of shareholders. Recent studies find that stock repurchases are associated with reductions in future firm employment and investments such as capital expenditures and research and development expenses. This study expands on prior studies by evaluating how debt-financed stock repurchases affect firm investment, investigating the likelihood of these repurchases in low interest rate environments and assessing the effects on firm value. Results confirm that, in recent years, debt-financed repurchases have increased substantially and the probability of debt-financed repurchases increases in the presence of low interest rates. This relationship is especially pronounced in the years following the Global Financial Crisis. Debt-financed repurchases are associated with small reductions in firm investment; however, these reductions are significantly less after adjusting for industry conditions. Finally, there is little evidence that the method of financing repurchases affects firm value nor does it increase a firm's operating performance.

The relevance of the study lies in the need to form a qualitatively effective composition of the Board of Directors to demonstrate high standards of corporate governance to potential investors and reduce the cost of capital raised. The foreign director in the Board serves as a positive marker for financial markets and is able to influence the cost of external sources of financing. Scientific novelty consists of 2 points: 1) for the first time, the relationship between foreign directors and the cost of capital raised is investigated (previously, the effect was only studied on the value of the company as a whole); 2) the author's index of the quality of work of the Board of Directors was created taking into account its composition and citizenship of members. The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of foreign members of the Board of Directors on the cost of raising capital by Russian companies. The sample consisted of 54 large traded companies, for three years from 2016 to 2018. Descriptive statistics showed that the share of foreign directors in the Boards of Directors of Russian companies increased over this period, as did the number of independent directors. The number of committees does not change (3-4 in the Board), nor does the percentage of women in the Board remain unchanged. To test research hypotheses, an econometric model with fixed effects was formed. Assessment showed that an increase in the value of the quality index of the board of directors by 0.1 points reduces the weighted average cost of capital by 1.47%. An increase in return on assets by 0.01% reduces the weighted average cost of capital by 0.02%. An increase in the MICEX Index growth rate of 0.01% reduces the weighted average cost of capital by 0.1%. Testing confirmed the positive influence of foreign members of the Board of Directors on the cost of external sources of financing for large traded Russian companies. / Актуальность исследования состоит в необходимости формирования качественно эффективного состава Совета Директоров для демонстрации высоких стандартов корпоративного управления потенциальным инвесторам и снижении стоимости привлеченного капитала. Иностранный директор в составе Совета служит позитивным маркером для финансовых рынков и способен влиять на стоимость внешних источников финансирования. Научная новизна заключается в 2-х пунктах: 1) впервые исследуется взаимосвязь иностранных директоров и стоимости привлеченного капитала (ранее исследовалось влияние только на стоимость компании в целом); 2) создан авторский индекс качества работы Совета Директоров с учетом его состава и гражданства членов. Цель исследования – оценка влияния иностранных членов Совета Директоров на стоимость привлечения капитала российскими компаниями. Выборку составили 54 крупные торгуемые компании, за три года с 2016 года по 2018 год. Описательная статистика показала, что доля иностранных директоров в Советах Директоров российских компаний за этот период увеличилась, как и число независимых директоров. Не изменяется число комитетов (3-4 в Совете), равно как и неизменной низкой остается доля женщин в совете. Для тестирования исследовательских гипотез была сформирована эконометрическая модель с фиксированными эффектами. Оценивание показало, что увеличение значения индекса качества совета директоров на 0,1 балла уменьшает средневзвешенную стоимость капитала на 1,47%. Увеличение рентабельности активов на 0,01% уменьшает средневзвешенную стоимость капитала на 0,02%. Увеличение темпа роста Индекса ММВБ на 0,01% уменьшает средневзвешенную стоимость капитала на 0,1%. Тестирование подтвердило наличие положительного влияния иностранных членов Совета Директоров на стоимость внешних источников финансирования для крупных торгуемых российских компаний.

Final qualifying work (master's dissertation) is devoted to the study of the impact of corporate social responsibility on the financial performance of the company. The subject of the research is corporate social responsibility as а tool to influence the economic processes and business reputation of а company. The aim of the work is to examine the relationship between activities that determine the level of corporate social responsibility and financial and economic processes in the activities of enterprises and the Russian market in modem business development models. The conclusion coпtains the main conclusions and recommendations for increasing the efficiency of the company's corporate social policy. / Выпускная квалификационная работа (магистерская диссертация) посвящена исследованию влияния корпоративной социальной ответственности на финансовые показатели компании. Предметом исследования выступает корпоративная социальная ответственность как инструмент влияния на экономические процессы и деловую репутацию компании. Целью работы является рассмотрение взаимосвязи между мероприятиями, определяю уровень корпоративной социальной ответственности и финансово¬-экономическими процессами в деятельности предприятий и российского рынка в современных моделях развития бизнеса. Заключение содержит основные выводы и рекомендации по увеличению эффективности корпоративной социальной политике компании.

<p><br></p> <p>In my dissertation research I document information price discovery through investments in the alternate asset class of Venture Capital. The two chapters of this dissertation studies the effect of these investments in two different contexts. The first chapter analyses improvements in valuations of venture capital funds through syndication by VC funds. The second chapter documents improvements in stock prices, and valuations, of publicly traded firms through investments by institutional investors in VC funds and in public equity.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In the first chapter I examine the effect of syndication among venture capital (VC) funds on the funds' incentives to manipulate their performance measures. I show that the presence of new syndicate partners reduces misreporting by VC funds. About half of the reduction in manipulation is during the follow-on fundraising period. To identify that syndicate partners reduce performance misreporting I use: (i) a triple-difference approach around fundraising and (ii) availability-of-syndicate-partners as an instrument for the number of new syndicate partners. The implications of my findings are that LPs should better monitor VC funds with fewer new syndicate partners and regulators should consider the presence of peer-monitoring among VC funds before imposing disclosure requirements.</p> <p>  </p> <p>  Chapter two includes John J. McConnell, Timothy E. Trombley, and M. Deniz Yavuz as coauthors. In this chapter we report evidence consistent with institutional investors using industry-level information that they obtain from their investments in venture capital (VC) funds to earn excess returns in publicly-traded equities.  We use court rulings regarding the Freedom of Information Act as an exogenous shock affecting the information flow between VC firms and institutional investors to show that the excess returns are explained by information received via this channel.  Thus, institutional investors serve as conduits of information, making publicly-traded stock prices more efficient.  In the process, institutional investors earn higher returns from their VC investments than implied by the cash flows thereby received. </p>