The thesis deals with the growing importance of sovereign wealth funds in the international investment activities. It includes the definition of a sovereign fund, the history of the creation, the largest funds as well as the origin of their capital. While sovereign wealth funds have existed for decades, their profile has risen considerably since the credit crisis. Analyzing the potential benefits and risks related with their investments, the thesis further discusses the changing profile of sovereign wealth funds in the world economy. Despite the significant benefits to global capital markets, some governments expressed concerns regarding the political motivation of their investment activity in strategic sectors of other countries. It is obvious that the measures concerning limited transparency of sovereign wealth funds should be adopted at the multilateral level to avoid protectionism.

Cette thèse est constituée de quatre chapitres distincts. Dans le premier chapitre, j'utilise une restriction exogène de la capacité des entreprises de transport routier à consentir des délais de paiement à leurs clients. Je montre que certaines entreprises prêtent à leurs clients au détriment de leurs investissements, de leur rentabilité et en s'exposant au risque de défaillance. Dans le second chapitre, je montre que les fonds d'investissement dont l'horizon est long choisissent des entreprises plus jeunes, à un stade moins avancé de leur développement. Les entreprises investies par des fonds dont l'horizon est plus long accroissent leur stock de brevets plus rapidement que celles qui sont investies par des fonds dont l'horizon est plus court. Le troisième chapitre est le résultat d'une collaboration avec Ron Kaniel et David Sraer. Nous utilisons des données détaillées de courtier et entreprenons une exploration quantitative du comportement des investisseurs individuels pendant la crise financière de 2008. Nous montrons que les investisseurs qui ont l'air les plus sophistiqués dans la période antérieure à la crise ont une propension moins grande à fuir vers les actifs sans risque, et une propension plus grande à être apporteurs de liquidité et à obtenir des rendements élevés pendant la crise. Dans le quatrième chapitre, j'explore l'idée selon laquelle les ménages ont une connaissance limitée de l'exposition de leur portefeuille aux facteurs de risque systématique, ce qui les conduit à faire des erreurs. Cette idée est appliquée à la décision des investisseurs individuels d'intervenir activement plutôt que d'investir passivement sur les marchés d'actions. / This dissertation is made of four distinct chapters. In the first chapter, I consider an exogenous restriction on the ability of French trucking firms to extend payment terms to their clients. I find that they provide trade credit at the cost of lower investment, lower return on assets, and higher default risk. In the second chapter, I show that private equity funds with a longer horizon select younger companies at an earlier stage of their development. Companies which receive funding from funds with a longer horizon increase their patent stock significantly more than companies which receive funding from investors with a shorter horizon. The third chapter presents a joint work with Ron Kaniel and David Sraer. We use detailed brokerage account data to provide a quantitative exploration of the behavior of retail investors during the financial crisis of 2008. We show that investors who appear more sophisticated on these dimensions in the pre-crisis period were, in the post-crisis period, less likely to flee to safety, more likely to engage in liquidity provisions and to earn higher returns. In the fourth chapter, I develop the idea that households have an imprecise knowledge of their portfolio's exposure to systematic risk and that this leads them to make investment mistakes. This idea is tested in the context of the decision to actively trade rather than passively invest in the stock market

This study examined the determinants of commercial bank liquidity in South Africa. The panel regression approach was used, applying panel data from twelve commercial banks over the period 2006 to 2016. A quantitative research method was used to investigate the relationship between bank liquidity and some microeconomic and bank-specific factors and between bank liquidity and selected macro-economic factors. The regression analysis for four liquidity ratios was conducted using the pooled ordinary least squares regression, fixed effects, random effects and the generalised methods of moments. However, the system generalised methods of moments approach was preferred over the other methods because it eliminated the problem of endogeneity. Results show that capital adequacy, size and gross domestic product have a positive and significant effect on liquidity. Loan growth and non-performing loans had a negative and significant effect on liquidity. Inflation had both a positive and a negative but an insignificant effect on liquidity. The study concluded that South African banks could enhance their liquidity positions by tightening their loan-underwriting criteria and credit policies. Banks should improve their credit risk management frameworks to be more prudent in their lending practices to improve the quality of the loan book to enhance liquidity. They also need to grow their capital levels by embarking on efficient revenue enhancements activities. Banks may also to look at their clients on an overall basis and not on transaction bases, and they need to improve non-interest revenue by introducing innovated products. The South African Reserve Bank could push for policies that might enhance capitalisation by ensuring that the sector is consolidated and thus merging smaller banks to create banks with stronger balance sheets and stronger capital base. This study contributes to the empirical research repository on the determinants of liquidity and more specifically, it identified the significant factors that affect South African commercial bank liquidity. Identifying the determinants of South African commercial bank liquidity will provide the South African Reserve Bank with insight into ways of enhancing liquidity management reforms, to improve the sector’s liquidity management practices and help to maintain a sound and liquid banking sector. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

【第一篇論文中文摘要】 本文使用路透社央行干預匯市的新聞報導，探討哪些因素可以提高亞洲央行成功干預匯市的機率，研究期間為2005年1月至2011年4月。此研究期間涵蓋全球金融風暴和美國採行量化寬鬆政策，因此，亞洲貨幣在逐步對美元升值後發生大幅度的貶值。研究結果顯示印尼、馬來西亞、菲律賓、新加坡、台灣及泰國的央行採取逆風而行的策略是有效的干預方式，而且多個國家在同日干預匯市及第一日的干預會有較高成功的機率。 【第二篇論文中文摘要】 本文透過不同的研究方法針對亞洲國家央行干預匯率市場的有效性再次驗證，研究期間為2005年1月至2011年4月，實證結果顯示亞洲國家在次貸風暴期間面臨美元升值的壓力，央行會採取賣美元的方式來干預匯市，但是這種干預匯市的方式卻僅能減緩美元升值的趨勢，其中以印尼盾、新加坡元、新台幣紛紛對美元貶值較為明顯，而在次貸風暴發生之後，美國實施量化寬鬆政策造成亞洲國家卻面臨美元貶值的壓力，各國央行改採買美元的方式來干預匯市，但是此種干預匯市的方式也只造成美元緩慢貶值的趨勢，其中印尼盾、馬來西亞令吉、新加坡元、韓圜、泰銖分別對美元升值的趨勢較為明顯，此現象反應亞洲央行干預匯市是採取逆風而行的策略，雖然能降低匯率的波動，但無法改變匯率的升貶值趨勢。 【第三篇論文中文摘要】 本研究是在探討印度、印尼、南韓、馬來西亞、新加坡、泰國及台灣央行透過干預匯率市場，對其國家的公司在美國發行存託憑證折溢價的影響，研究期間為2005年1月至2011年4月。研究結果顯示央行對匯市干預造成的變動，確實會影響到該國公司在美國發行的存託憑證產生折價的情形。另外，亞洲央行使用買美元干預匯市的作法會對該國公司在美國發行的存託憑證產生溢價，而央行透過賣美元干預匯市的作法會對該國公司在美國發行的存託憑證產生折價的影響，但是由於樣本資料的限制，其效果在統計上並不顯著。由公司層面的分析可以看出央行透過賣美元來干預匯市對其國家的公司在美國發行的存託憑證會有明顯產生折價的影響。 / 【第一篇論文英文摘要】 Using Reuters’ news reports on central bank interventions, we investigate the factors that increase the odds of intervention success by Asian central banks in the foreign exchange market from January 2005 to April 2011. This period coincides with the global credit crisis and quantitative easing policy, which have engendered a sharp depreciation followed by a gradual appreciation of Asian currencies. The results show that leaning-against-the-wind intervention strategies are effective in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. We also find that joint and first day interventions are associated with higher odds of effective intervention. 【第二篇論文英文摘要】 This paper examines the effectiveness of central bank interventions in the foreign exchange market from January 2005 to April 2011 in Asia. The results show that the central banks in Asia intervene in the foreign exchange markets by selling U.S. dollars to prevent severe depreciation of local currencies during the global credit crisis. However, central bankers can only slow down the trend of depreciation of local currencies against U.S. dollar. The currencies apparently depreciate against U.S. dollar in Indonesia, Singapore, and Taiwan. After the global credit crisis, Asian countries confront appreciations of local currencies due to the US quantitative easing policy. The central banks in Asia intervene by purchasing U.S. dollars in the foreign exchange market. Nevertheless, intervention strategies slowly reduce U.S. dollar depreciations. The foreign exchange rate apparently appreciate against U.S. dollar in India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. Results show that Asian central banks adopt leaning-against-the-wind intervention strategies during the sample period. Their interventions in the foreign exchange market can only reduce fluctuations in the foreign exchange rate, but fail to reverse the trend of Asian exchange rates. 【第三篇論文英文摘要】 This paper examines whether Asian central bank interventions in the foreign exchange market affect the discount or premium of American Depositary Receipt (ADR) of Asian companies from January 2005 to April 2011. The sample consists of companies from Indian, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore. Empirical results show that central bank interventions increase ADR discounts of companies in Asian countries. In addition, interventions by purchasing U.S. dollars result in higher ADR premiums, and the strategies of selling U.S. dollars affect ADR discounts. Though some of the empirical results are not statistically significant due to limited sample size, results based on individual firms show that selling USD interventions by Asian central banks have a significant impact on their ADR discounts.