[pt] Primeiramente, o trabalho examina em que medida os países pobres possuem retornos de capital mais elevados que os países ricos. Em segundo lugar, investiga se as diferenças nos retornos de capital entre países estão correlacionadas com fatores institucionais, variância e/ou assimetria nos retornos. Os resultados indicam uma relação negativa entre os retornos e o PIB per capita mas com pouca significância econômica. Ademais, os resultados indicam correlações significantes entre retornos de capital e alguns fatores institucionais, embora esses também não sejam economicamente significativos. O desvio padrão ou a assimetria nos retornos não parecem estar correlacionados com os retornos. Em suma, os achados indicam que uma pior qualidade institucional é, até certo ponto, uma explicação plausível para altos retornos de capital nos países pobres. Ainda assim, a falta de significância econômica encontrada destaca a natureza idiossincrática dos retornos nesta indústria devido a independência entre retornos e fatores específicos ao país. Os resultados indicam a necessidade de adaptar a teoria economia à differenças setoriais e também é importante na prática para empresas privadas no setor de petróleo e gás, pois os resultados indicam que estas não devem se preocupar particularmente com o PIB per capita ou as instituições dos países em que considera investir. Ao invés disso, os resultados indicam que as empresas devem olhar principalmente para características dos poços mesmo. Diversas explicações plausíveis para os resultados são delineadas. / [en] This thesis makes use of a unique and vast dataset of investment and production in the oil and gas industry from 1950 to 2016, to explore the Lucas Paradox and the drivers of returns to capital in the industry. Firstly, the thesis examines to what extent poor countries possess higher average returns to capital than rich countries. Secondly, it investigates whether the differences in returns between countries are correlated with institutional factors, variance and/or asymmetry in the returns. The results demonstrate that poorer countries have enjoyed significantly higher returns to capital than richer countries. Moreover, the findings show that institutional factors such as property rights protection, level of corruption and level of schooling possess a positive and statistically significant correlation with returns to capital. However, both these findings are not particularly economically significant. Variance and asymmetry of the returns appear to be an irrelevant explanation for the Lucas Paradox. On the other hand, asset-specific factors, that were, ex-ante, expected to be merely insignificant control variables, such as the size of the reservoir, or whether the asset is located onshore or offshore, have large R-squared impact on returns to capital. The findings in this thesis are important because the largely insignificant magnitude of country-specific variables highlight the importance of adapting economic development theory to account for sector-specific differences, as emphasized by Feyrer and Caselli (2008). Moreover, the results indicate that profit maximizing oil and gas companies considering new investments in a country should not be overly concerned with the GDP per capita nor the institutional quality of the country in question. Several potential explanations and paths for future studies are delineated.

The demographic structure seems to change dramatically over the next 50 years in the Czech Republic. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of expected demographic changes on the future development of a real interest rate and international capital flows. In order to simulate the impact of the expected demographic changes upon the mentioned variables we apply a computable overlapping generations model. The real interest rate development is simulated under a closed economy assumption. As a result of the future expected demographic changes labour-capital ratio tends to fall, i.e. the real interest rate diminishes. The range of a change is significantly affected by a public budget closure rule. In case of an endogenous income tax rate, the real interest rate falls down by 0.5 percentage point. On the contrary, the real interest rate decreases by almost 1 percentage point in case when public transfers adjusted. Assuming an open economy, we simulate the impact of the expected demographic changes on the international capital flows between the domestic economy and the rest of the world. In case of increasing ratio of older agents, the aggregate domestic wealth surpasses the demand for capital by domestic firms. As a result a part of domestic capital is exported abroad. Increasing level of net foreign assets contributes to positive change in ratio of the balance of payment to the domestic production in a range from 2 to 5 percentage points over next 40 years if income taxes or public transfers change respectively.

This thesis consists of four chapters that investigate the performance and capital flows of hedge funds. The first two chapters of the thesis focus on hedge funds that have a pure emerging market strategy. Hedge funds should be well equipped to take advantage of opportunities in emerging markets due to their flexibility in investment strategy and lockup periods. However, the results show that, at the strategy level, emerging market hedge funds have only generated risk-adjusted returns in the most recent years of the sample period. Although emerging market hedge funds have performed poorly in the past, an important finding is the upward trend over time in performance. Given that other hedge fund strategies have a declining trend in alpha during the same period, the emerging market strategy may be where future alpha can be found. The third chapter investigates if there are capacity constraints in hedge fund strategies. The idea is that the alpha opportunities in the markets are limited. Thus, the more capital coming in to hedge funds, the higher competition for the investment opportunities. The findings reveal that mainly strategies that rely on liquidity in their underlying market show evidence of capacity constraints. That is, high past capital flows have a negative effect on current risk-adjusted returns. The last chapter investigates the out-of-sample performance of five allocation models relative to an equally weighted portfolio, when optimizing over hedge fund strategies. The findings show that for hedge fund investors the naive allocation model (1/N) with equal weights in each asset is not an efficient allocation. The risk-adjusted performance can be improved by using an optimal sample-based allocation model. Moreover, significant improvement in out-of-sample alpha can be made if the investor optimizes over non-systematic returns instead of total returns, which is an important results for investors seeking alpha. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2008</p>

This thesis sheds light on several macroeconomic aspects of international and domestic goods trade during the last three decades. The first chapter investigates the causes of the growth of world trade during this period and shows that it is best understood from a factor-proportions perspective. The second chapter analyses the decline in trade experienced by countries in the wake of sovereign debt crises. Empirical evidence suggests that it is due to a reduction in exporters’ access to foreign credit. The third and final chapter provides an explanation for the procyclicality of input trade among domestic firms. I argue that periods of economic expansion affect vertically integrated producers asymmetrically, providing incentives for intermediate-goods trade between fast-growing and slow-growing firms. / Aquesta tesis posa en relleu varis aspectes macroeconòmics del comerç internacional i domèstic en les últimes tres dècades. El primer capítol investiga les causes del creixement del comerç mundial en aquest període i demostra que s’entén millor des de la perspectiva dels proporcions dels factors. El segon capítol analitza la caiguda del comerç experimentada per països arran de crisis del deute sobirà. L’evidencia empírica suggereix que aquest declivi es deu a la reducció en l’accés dels exportadors al crèdit extern. El tercer i últim capítol ofereix una explicació per la prociclicitat del comerç d’inputs entre empreses domèstiques. En períodes d’expansió econòmica els productors integrats verticalment es veuen afectats d’una forma asimètrica, proporcionant així incentius pel comerç de bens intermedis entre empreses que creixen a diferent ritme.

Moins d’un siècle après la crise de 1929, la crise des subprimes marque un tournant décisif dans l’histoire financière mondiale, se distinguant des crises précédentes par son intensité et sa dimension globale. Dans un contexte d’interactions accrues entre pays développés et émergents, la stabilité financière constitue un enjeu décisif face au risque de contagion sur les marchés financiers. Dans le premier chapitre de cette thèse, nous nous intéressons au changement de paradigme réglementaire observé sur les marchés de dérivés après la crise des subprimes et aux enjeux en termes de stabilité financière d’une refonte de la réglementation sur ces marchés. Dans un second chapitre, nous mettons en exergue les phénomènes de contagion observés sur le marché de la dette durant la crise de la dette souveraine, et revenons sur l'impact des programmes de soutien mis en place par la BCE dans un contexte de forte contagion sur ce marché en 2010. Finalement dans un troisième, nous examinons l’impact de la politique monétaire américaine sur les flux capitaux vers les fonds obligataires spécialisés sur les économies émergentes en 2013. / Less than a century after the 1929 crisis, the subprime crisis was a turning point in world financial history, differing from previous crises by its intensity and global dimension. In a context of increased interactions between developed and emerging countries, financial stability became a critical issue given rising contagion risks on financial markets. In the first chapter of this thesis, we focus on the regulatory paradigm shift observed in the derivatives markets after the subprime crisis and resulting challenges on the back of a reshaping of the global financial regulation. In the second chapter, we highlight the contagion phenomena observed on debt markets during the euro area sovereign debt crisis, and observe the impact of support programs implemented by the ECB in 2010. Finally, in a third chapter, we examine the impact of U.S. monetary policy on capital flows to bond funds specialized in emerging economies in 2013.

Malgré les progrès de la coopération internationale, les enjeux politiques nationaux l’emportent souvent sur leurs pendants internationaux dans l’opinion publique. En gardant à l’esprit cette complexité qui entoure les relations internationales nous allons explorer, tout au long de cette thèse, différentes pistes liées à l’interdépendance entre pays et à la propagation internationale des politiques économiques.Tout d’abord, afin de mieux comprendre les enjeux internationaux des indications prospectives en cas de ZLB, nous développons, un modèle d’équilibre général à deux pays avec rigidités nominales des prix. Nous montrons qu’en cas de récession due à des anticipations pessimistes, une règle de Taylor augmentée et l’engagement à suivre cette règle, permettent de lisser les réactions des économies aux chocs.Ensuite, nous étudions l’effet de l’incertitude politique dans les pays avancés sur les flux de capitaux vers les pays émergents. Nous trouvons que cet impact sur les flux actions dépend largement de la source de l’incertitude (États-Unis ou Union Européenne). De plus, nous trouvons que la propagation des chocs varie en fonction du degré de stress financier mesuré par le VIX. Enfin, l’effet de l’incertitude politique européenne dépend aussi du risque souverain du pays émergent recevant les flux.Enfin, étant donné la dépendance de certains pays producteurs de matières premières envers l’investissement chinois, il nous paraît pertinent d’étudier quel serait l’impact d’un ralentissement de la Chine en particulier sur l’économie de ces pays. Nous trouvons que les pays d’Amérique Latine sont les plus fortement touchés, suivie par l’Asie (hors Chine). / Although international cooperation has been improved, national political issues are often outweighing international ones. Keeping in mind all this complexity which comes with international relations, we will explore several avenues of research on international linkages and economic policy spillovers.First, in order to better understand the international issue of forward guidance in case of ZLB, we develop a two-country general equilibrium model with price rigidities. We show that the augmented Taylor rule when the economy is at the zero bound, and the commitment to follow this rule, may help the economy to react in a smoother way to adverse productivity news shocks.Second, we examine the extent to which uncertainty with regard to macroeconomic policies in advanced countries spills over to emerging markets via gross portfolio bond and equity flows. We find that the impact of fluctuations in policy uncertainty on portfolio equity flows differs markedly depending on whether changes in policy uncertainty originate from the US or the EU. The size and direction of these spillover effects depends on the level of global risk, with increased European policy uncertainty only having a negative impact on bond inflows into EMEs when global risk is high. For equity inflows, the level of country-specific sovereign default risk also matters for nonlinearities.Finally, given the dependence of some commodity exporters to Chinese investment-led growth policies, we assess the potential impact of a Chinese hard-landing. According to our estimates, Latin American countries would be hardest hit, followed by Asia (ex. China); advanced economies would be less affected.

The goal of this dissertation is to present an investigation of the theoretical and empirical relationship between financial integration, capital flows and the exchange rate, and between financial integration, capital flows and financial crises for developing countries. The theoretical literature analysis developed in Chapter 1 clarifies that there is no consensus regarding the hypothesis that financial integration and capital flows stimulate economic growth and consumption smoothing, also showing that there are channels through which they can lead to financial crises and appreciation of the exchange rate. Chapter 2 develops an econometric investigation regarding the relationship between financial integration, capital flows and the exchange rate, for a sample of 63 developing countries. The econometric results do not suggest that there is a statistically significant relationship between financial integration and exchange rate, and, therefore, they do not support the hypothesis that financial integration causes currency appreciation. Besides, the results suggest that capital flows cause appreciation of the exchange rate, and there are evidences that the effect of the capital flows over the exchange rate depends on the level of financial development, which means that the effect of appreciation is gradually attenuated by higher levels of financial development. Chapter 3 develops an econometric investigation regarding the relationship between financial integration, capital flows and financial crises, for a sample of 53 developing countries. The econometric results suggest that financial integration and capital flows do not raise the probability of financial crises. / O objetivo desta dissertação é realizar uma investigação teórica e empírica acerca da relação entre integração financeira, fluxos de capitais e taxa de câmbio, e entre integração financeira, fluxos de capitais e crises financeiras para países em desenvolvimento. A análise da literatura teórica, realizada no Capítulo 1, explicita que não existe consenso quanto à hipótese de que a integração financeira e os fluxos de capitais estimulam o crescimento econômico e a suavização do consumo, mostrando que existem canais por meio dos quais a integração financeira e os fluxos de capitais podem levar a crises financeiras e à apreciação cambial. No Capítulo 2, é feita uma investigação econométrica acerca das relações entre integração financeira, fluxos de capitais e taxa de câmbio, para uma amostra de 63 países em desenvolvimento. Os resultados econométricos não sugerem que há uma relação estatisticamente significativa entre integração financeira e taxa de câmbio e, portanto, não corroboram a hipótese de que a integração financeira cause apreciação cambial. Além disso, os resultados sugerem que os fluxos de capitais causam apreciação cambial, e há evidências de que o efeito dos fluxos de capitais sobre a taxa de câmbio real efetiva dependem do nível de desenvolvimento financeiro, sugerindo que o efeito de apreciação da taxa de câmbio real efetiva é gradativamente atenuado ou revertido à medida que os países apresentam níveis mais elevados de desenvolvimento financeiro. No Capítulo 3 é feita uma investigação econométrica acerca das relações entre integração financeira, fluxos de capitais e crises financeiras, para uma amostra de 53 países em desenvolvimento. Os resultados encontrados sugerem que a integração financeira e os fluxos de capitais não aumentam a probabilidade de crises financeiras. / Mestre em Economia

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The aim of this work is to perform a theoretical and empirical research on the relationships between: i) financial openness, capital flows and accumulation of capital, and; ii) financial openness, capital flows and total factor productivity. The Chapter 1 does a presentation and discussion of the theoretical literature and shows that there is no consensus within the conventional approach that financial openness and capital flows stimulate the accumulation of capital and the growth of total factor productivity of developing economies. The Chapter 2, in turn, presents and discusses the empirical literature on: i) financial openness, capital flows and economic growth, and; ii) financial openness, capital flows, capital accumulation and total factor productivity. Furthermore, the chapter analyzes, using descriptive statistics, some stylized facts associated with the behavior of financial openness, capital flows, capital accumulation and total factor productivity for a set of up to 81 countries, 22 developed and 59 in development. The Chapter 3, finally, conducts an econometric research on the relationships between: i) financial openness, capital accumulation and total factor productivity, and; ii) capital flows, capital accumulation and total factor productivity. The sample includes 59 developing countries. The results suggest, in general, that: i) there is no evidence that financial openness stimulates capital accumulation or productivity growth; ii) there is no systematic evidence that the effect of financial openness on capital accumulation and productivity depends on the institutional and financial levels of development of economies; iii) there is no systematic evidence that capital flows stimulates the accumulation of capital and the productivity growth, and; iv) there are quite flimsy evidence that the effect of capital flows on capital accumulation and productivity depends on the institutional and financial development level of the countries, so that a higher level of institutional and financial development reduces the positive effect of capital flows. / O objetivo desta dissertação é realizar uma investigação teórica e empírica acerca das relações entre: i) abertura financeira, fluxos de capitais e acumulação de capital, e; ii) abertura financeira, fluxos de capitais e produtividade total dos fatores. O Capítulo 1 faz uma apresentação e discussão da literatura teórica e mostra que não há consenso, dentro da abordagem convencional, de que a abertura financeira e os fluxos de capitais estimulam a acumulação de capital e o crescimento da produtividade total dos fatores das economias em desenvolvimento. O Capítulo 2, por sua vez, apresenta e discute a literatura empírica sobre: i) abertura financeira, fluxos de capital e crescimento econômico, e; ii) abertura financeira, fluxos de capitais, acumulação de capital e produtividade total dos fatores. Ademais, o capítulo analisa, por meio de estatística descritiva, alguns fatos estilizados associados ao comportamento da abertura financeira, dos fluxos de capitais, da acumulação de capital e da produtividade total dos fatores para um conjunto de até 81 países, 22 desenvolvidos e 59 em desenvolvimento. O Capítulo 3, por fim, realiza uma investigação econométrica acerca das relações entre: i) abertura financeira, acumulação de capital e produtividade total dos fatores, e; ii) fluxos de capitais, acumulação de capital e produtividade total dos fatores. A amostra contempla 59 países em desenvolvimento. Os resultados encontrados sugerem, em geral, que: i) não há evidências de que a abertura financeira estimula a acumulação de capital nem o crescimento da produtividade; ii) não há evidências sistemáticas de que o efeito da abertura financeira sobre a acumulação de capital e produtividade depende dos níveis de desenvolvimento institucional e financeiro das economias; iii) não há evidências sistemáticas de que os fluxos de capitais estimulam a acumulação de capital e a produtividade, e; iv) há evidências bastante frágeis de que o efeito dos fluxos de capitais sobre a acumulação de capital e produtividade depende do nível de desenvolvimento institucional e financeiro dos países, de maneira que um maior nível de desenvolvimento institucional e financeiro atenua o efeito positivo dos fluxos de capitais. / Mestre em Economia

Background: This paper examines contemporary changes and challenges within the Swedish private equity industry and reasons of their existence. Our research stems from the past years’ industry reports pointing out substantial inflows of capital on financial markets as one of the drivers behind high valuations and extended holding periods. Aim: The aim of this paper was to examine and analyse changes on the Swedish private equity market and how Swedish private equity participants experience how demand from investors have transformed and affected the industry. Completion: For this paper, we conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve actors at twelve different private equity firms operating on the Swedish private equity market. The participants were asked about their experiences regarding changes within the Swedish private equity market. Results: Through in-depth interviews we found that there are different views on whether there is too much capital on the private equity market. Frequent opinions were that demand for private equity investments from limited partners have increased, successful general partners see greater access to funding, the funds have increased in size, holding periods have extended and competition for portfolio companies has increased. We also found that some general partners think that the industry is at the top of a private equity cycle and faces a correction in the near future. / Bakgrund: Denna uppsats undersöker samtida förändringar och utmaningar i den svenska private equity-branschen samt orsaken till att dessa finns. Vår undersökning utgår från de senaste årens branschrapporter som pekar ut kraftiga kapitalinflöden på finansiella marknader som en av drivkrafterna bakom höga bolagsvärderingar och allt längre innehavsperioder. Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka och analysera förändringar på den svenska private equity-marknaden och hur svenska private equity-aktörer upplever att efterfrågan från investerare har förändrats och påverkat sektorn. Genomförande: För studien har vi genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med tolv aktörer på tolv olika private equity-bolag verksamma på den svenska private equity- marknaden. De medverkande tillfrågades om hur de upplever förändringar på den svenska private equity-marknaden. Resultat: Genom djupgående intervjuer fann vi att det råder delade meningar om huruvida det finns för mycket kapital på private equity-marknaden. Återkommande åsikter var att efterfrågan på private equity-investeringar hos limited partners har ökat, att framgångsrika general partners har lättare att få finansiering till sina fonder, att fonderna har vuxit i storlek, innehavsperioderna har förlängts och konkurrensen om portföljbolag har ökat. Vi fann även att vissa general partners anser att branschen befinner i toppen av en private equity-cykel och står inför en korrigering inom en snar framtid.

The objective of the study is to establish how original financial integration could be attained in southern Africa in order to attract more foreign investment and develop a financially robust and stable region in the southern part of Africa; also to deal with the challenges, risks and remedies of prospective future financial crises. Financial markets are rapidly integrating into a single global market. Developing countries of various regions are drawn into the process with little choice, and without having sound financial infrastructure and policies in place. It is against this background that countries and regions of global integration choose policies that would benefit their regional economy and avert potential economic shock. The challenges posed to countries and regions by the progressive global integration of financial markets are becoming more urgent by the day. These challenges need to be addressed more effectively, either nationally or regionally, as demonstrated by the 1998 financial turmoil in Asia. Private capital flows are becoming intra regionally concentrated, particularly in the USA, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Be that as it may, failure in one market is likely to have immediate and large regional repercussions. Globalisation also marginalises Africa and other Least Developed Countries (LDC), leaving them more impoverished and with greater disparities in terms of income, GDP and FDI. Regional financial integration has to be efficient and sound in order to prevent or contain currency and capital market crises in the southern African region. This study identifies macro economic challenges and risks associated with financial integration. Recommendations are made about methodologies of addressing these issues in order to realise the benefits of regional financial integration in southern Africa, which could be a building block in realising the dream of an African Monetary Union. The study contributes greatly to the debate around the most appropriate criteria that are to be met by the SADC countries, before monetary integration can become a reality. A comparison of the benchmark macro economic convergence criteria of the EU and of the African Monetary Union is done and the performance of SADC countries is assessed in terms of both sets of benchmarks. Southern African states are found to not even be at a comparable level with regard to the EU targets of 1997. The thesis is also critical to the impact of the political instability in the SADC region on prospective monetary integration. Most importantly, SADC would be at a permanent disadvantage and face a long-run depreciation of its common currency, should it continue to integrate financially at macro economic benchmark levels inferior to those of its major trading partner, the EU. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Economics / unrestricted