本研究利用1992年至2006年間台灣證券交易所的逐筆成交資料，探討機構投資人的投資偏好。將法人分為外資、自營商、投信及其他法人四類，依Ng和Wu(2006)年提出的研究方法，利用投資者投入資金的比重做為偏好強度的衡量，以各種股票特性因子作為偏好的替代變數，分別進行迴歸分析。研究結果發現四類法人皆偏好市值占總市值較高、流動性較高、高價、低報酬波動性的股票，在報酬率方面，外資、自營商及投信皆偏好資產報酬率、股票報酬率以及現金股利率的股票。此外，觀察不同年度，四類法人對於高流動性、高報酬率及低報酬率波動度的股票有較穩定的偏好，但對於其他變數的偏好則會隨著時間及環境發生改變。

機構投資人的交易動向以及分析師的研究分析報告與買賣評等是台灣股市散戶投資者甚為重視的兩大資訊參考依據，也是本文主要的研究重心。本文主要研究目的在於探討機構投資人投資行為與分析師盈餘預測次數之間是否存有對彼此互相正向影響的關係，並以三大法人持股比例作為前者的代理變數，為處理兩變數之間的內生關係，本研究建立聯立方程式系統模型同時估計各解釋變數之係數；本文次要目的為兼論機構投資人（三大法人）與券商分析師分別偏好投資於或關注追蹤具有哪些特性之公司。 在主要研究主軸方面，本研究實證結果發現，三大法人全體持股比例與外資券商分析師盈餘預測次數兩者間具有正向影響彼此的關係，但在國內券商分析師方面，僅三大法人全體持股比例對國內券商分析師盈餘預測次數有顯著正向影響，國內券商分析師盈餘預測次數對三大法人全體持股比例則不具顯著影響。而將三大法人全體分為投信、外資、自營商各別探討時，僅外資法人與券商分析師之間符合本研究預期的結果（機構投資人的投資行為與券商分析師的盈餘預測次數兩者間具有正向影響彼此的關係），且無論是外資券商分析師抑或本國券商分析師，此正向關係均顯著存在；而投信與自營商的投資行為跟券商分析師盈餘預測次數之間的關係，則未能全然符合本研究之預期。

本論文包含台灣壽險業資產配置國際化及匯率避險兩個主題。首先，探討台灣壽險業積極向主管機關申請核准提高國外資產配置比率，與美國投資人偏好投資自己國家資產不一致的現象，是台灣壽險業資產配置不得不的策略，或是國際化的迷思? 以25家壽險公司2004 年至2008年財務資料實證結果發現，國外資產納入投資組合對壽險業投資績效有利。如果將樣本公司依據所有權區分為本資公司與外資公司，資料顯示，本資公司國際資產配置較為積極，惟其報酬績效與外資公司差異並不顯著。研究亦發現，2008年美國次貸風暴顯著負向影響台灣壽險公司國外投資報酬，即提高國外資產配置雖可提高報酬，惟匯率風險、信用風險及系統風險暴露亦相對提高，建議壽險公司於追球較高報酬同時，應同時加強風險管理。另實證亦發現，資產規模愈大公司之投資報酬率相對較遜，建議於追求保費市占率成長時，應重視投資報酬績效的實質提升。 第二部分探討2004年至 2008年台灣壽險業國外投資匯率風險管理策略對投資績效影響。以整體產業觀察，匯率避險對投資報酬率有正面效果；本資公司避險策略相較外資公司積極，報酬率亦相對較優；股票上市公司有財報揭露股價波動之壓力，經理人有較強誘因採取避險策略，投資報酬率相較優於股票未上市公司，惟差異並不顯著。實證結果支持Glen and Jorion (1993) and Campbell et al. (2010)避險可以降低匯率風險提升投資報酬績效之研究結論，2006年實施之34號會計公報，顯著影響本資公司與上市公司之避險行為。 / In this study, we study two essays on international asset allocation and the currency hedging problem for Taiwan life insurer industry. In the first essay, we investigate the high percentage of foreign investments placed by Taiwan life insurers and how this phenomenon is at odds with the bias for investing at home common among American investors. The holdings of 25 Taiwan life insurance companies, between the years 2004 and 2008, are scrutinized with a view towards evaluating home bias and its financial impact. We find that foreign investment has proven profitable for the life insurance industry. However, if the life insurance industry is divided into two categories according to its ownership structure, i.e., domestic-owned and foreign-owned companies, and that while the performance of investments made by domestic-owned life insurers differs from that of foreign-owned life insurers, the difference is insignificant. We also found that global financial turmoil in 2008 had a massively negative impact on the foreign investments of Taiwan life insurance companies and firm size and return on investment is negative correlated, suggesting that life insurers should focus on enhancing investment performance and risk management. In the second essay, we examine the currency hedging strategy and its impact on the performance of Taiwan life insurance industry investments from 2004 to 2008. We find that currency hedging strategies have yielded positive results, overall, for the industry. However, if the life insurance industry is divided into two categories according to its ownership structure, i.e., domestic-owned and foreign-owned companies, the results show that the currency hedging strategies employed by the domestic-owned companies enjoy advantages over those of foreign-owned firms. If the sample is further divided into those publicly listed on the TAIEX and others, our results show that a hedging strategy has positive effects on listed company. Our findings support the work in Glen and Jorion (1993) and Campbell et al. (2010), which reveal that hedging strategies improve foreign investment returns and can reduce currency risks in comparison to non-hedging strategies. Our empirical results indicate that SFAS No. 34 has a significant effect on currency hedging behavior among domestically owned and listed companies.