This thesis provides evidence of size and value premiums in returns in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, through its analysis of financial markets in 12 countries. Following the portfolio construction methodology of Fama and French (1996) we use a sample of 1245 stocks and record that small stocks outperform big stocks (size premium) and value stocks outperform growth stocks (value premium). In addition, we create nine portfolios to test the Fama and French three-factor model and show that the factor-mimicking portfolios that have been documented in the developed markets, SMB (small minus big) and HML (high minus low), also capture most of the cross-section variation in average stock returns in the CEE region. We demonstrate a similar pattern in terms of size return as documented in the U.S. market, but with small differences in the value returns found. Although the Gibbons-Ross-Shanken (GRS) test does not reject the null with 95%, we do not agree that the model completely explains the variation in average returns across the portfolios. The GRS rejects the null at 90% and implies that other factors are omitted from the model. Nevertheless, this thesis contributes to the literature applying asset pricing models to the CEE region, and should provide insights to investors active in the CEE...

Det är sedan länge känt att det finns en positiv korrelation mellan risk och avkastning. Investerare och bolag kan välja mellan flera olika prissättningsmodeller för att förutspå priset på en aktie. Forskare har, med den kända enfaktormodellen CAPM som utgångspunkt, utvecklat en modell som tar hänsyn till mer än bara marknadsfaktorn. Detta resulterade i framtagandet av Fama & French-trefaktormodellen (FF3) som även inkluderar storleksfaktorn SMB samt värdefaktorn HML. Syftet med studien är att utvärdera två prissättningsmodeller, CAPM och FF3, för att kunna bedöma deras prestanda vid värdering av förväntad avkastning. Tidigare forskning, inom området för nämnda modeller, berör ofta internationella marknader samt modellernas prestanda för portföljer. Vår studie utförs på utvalda enskilda svenska aktier inkluderade på Stockholmsbörsens Large Cap för januari år 2011 till december år 2015, genom att replikera tidigare forskning gjord av Bartholdy & Peare (2005). Utvalda bolag analyseras efter regressioner för modellerna för att kunna utvärdera dessa var för sig, samt för att se om FF3 har en högre justerad förklaringsgrad än CAPM för enskilda svenska aktier. Resultatet av studien visar att både CAPM och FF3 är applicerbara för utvalda enskilda svenska aktier. Ställs FF3 i förhållande till CAPM föreligger skillnad i justerad förklaringsgrad, dock är den ytterst marginell. Sammanfattningsvis bidrar studien med kunskapen om att CAPM och FF3 går att applicera på enskilda svenska aktier, men att det inte föreligger någon större skillnad i val av dessa två modeller. / Investors and companies can choose between multiple pricing models to predict the price of shares. With the known one factor model CAPM, researchers have developed a model that consider more than just the market factor. This resulted in the creation of the Fama & French three factor model (FF3), which also includes the size factor SMB and the value factor HML. The purpose of the study is to evaluate two pricing models, CAPM and FF3, to assess their performance when evaluating expected returns. Previous research often deal with international markets and model performance of portfolios. We study selected individual Swedish shares for January 2011 to December 2015 by replicating previous research by Bartholdy & Peare (2005). Selected companies are analysed by regressions for the models to be able to evaluate these separately, and to see if FF3 has a higher degree of explanation than CAPM for individual Swedish shares. The result of the study shows that both CAPM and FF3 are applicable for selected individual Swedish shares. There is a difference in the adjusted degree of explanation between the models but it is marginal. In conclusion, the study contributes with the knowledge that CAPM and FF3 can be applied to individual Swedish shares, but there is no major difference in the choice of these two models.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att analysera och utvärdera Carharts fyrfaktormodells och Fama- Frenchs trefaktormodells prestanda vid portföljavkastning på den svenska aktiemarknaden, under perioden 2011–2020. Teori: Denna studie grundar sig i den effektiva marknadshypotesen, Fama och Frenchs trefaktormodell samt Carharts fyrfaktormodell. Metod: En kvantitativ studie med ett deduktivt förhållningssätt. Undersökningen utför tester på den svenska aktiemarknaden under perioden 2011–2020 genom en regressionsanalys. Upptäckter: Carharts fyrfaktormodell har en högre justerad förklaringsgrad än trefaktormodellen, vilket drivs av modellens förmåga att förklara avkastning på portföljer sorterade efter storlek och momentum. Originalitet: Studien särskiljer sig på grund av avsaknaden av forskning på den svenska aktiemarknaden. Vidare bidrar studien till ett forskningsområde för små öppna ekonomier, där den svenska aktiemarknaden ingår. / Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyze and evaluate Carhart's four-factor model’s and Fama-French's three-factor model's performance in portfolio returns on the Swedish stock market, during the period 2011–2020. Theory: This study is based on the effective market hypothesis, Fama and French's three- factor model and Carhart's four-factor model. Method: A quantitative study with a deductive approach. The survey performs tests on the Swedish stock market between the period 2011-2020 through a regression analysis. Findings: Carhart's four-factor model has a higher adjusted degree of explanation than the three-factor model, which is driven by the model's ability to explain returns on portfolios sorted by size and momentum. Originality: The study differs due to the lack of research on the Swedish stock market. Furthermore, the study contributes to a research area for small open economies, where the Swedish stock market is included.

[pt] Desde sua proposição, na decada de 60, o modelo de apreçamento de ativos de capital e suas expansões, em particular a modelagem proposta por Fama e French entre os anos de 1992 e 2015, causou um entusiasmado debate sobre a interpretação econômica de seus fatores. Foi demonstrado na literatura acadêmica que variaveis que descrevem o conjunto das futuras oportunidades de investimento devem comandar um prêmio de risco e deveriam ser correlacionadas com os fatores de Fama e French. Uma outra questão sempre discutida é a aplicação desse tipo de modelagem à mercados emergentes. Economias mais fracas e menos estruturadas seguiriam a mesma racionalidade de mercados desenvolvidos? As expansões de Fama-French acrescentam ao modelo do CAPM fatores que representam o tamanho, o valor, a lucratividade operacional e a politica de investimento das empresas, em duas versões básicas de modelo. A primeira, proposta em 1993, acrescenta ao excesso de retorno de mercado um fator de tamanho e um fator de valor. É normalmente chamada de modelo de três fatores. A segunda, proposta em 2015, acrescenta a versão de três fatores um fator de lucratividade operacional e um fator de politica de investimentos das empresas. É normalmente chamada de modelo de cinco fatores. Com o uso desses modelos e dos conceitos financeiros envolvidos, esta tese estuda a possibilidade de que as inovações na variância média do mercado, decomposta em dois fatores, um representando a variação média do mercado e outro representando a correlação média do mercado, pudesse aumentar a capacidade explicativa do modelo de três fatores no que se refere aos excessos de retornos de portfólios de ações. Ela também estuda a capacidade do modelo de cinco fatores de melhor explicar o retornos dos portfolios de ações, em blocos econômicos de mercados emergentes, em relação ao CAPM original e ao modelo de três fatores. Finalmente, o estudo mostra que as inovações no indice de inflação e as inovações da inclinação da curva de juros são proxies para os fatores de tamanho, valor, lucratividade e investimento, e, em conjunto com o excesso de retorno do mercado, conseguem explicar o cross-section dos excessos de retornos dos portfólios de ações melhor do que o modelo de cinco fatores. / [en] Since its proposition in the 1960s, the capital asset pricing model and its expansions, in particular the modeling proposed by Fama and French between the years 1992 and 2015, caused an enthusiastic debate about the economic interpretation of its factors. It has been demonstrated in the academic literature that variables describing the set of future investment opportunities should command a risk premium and should be correlated with the Fama and French factors. Another issue that has always been discussed is the application of this type of modeling to emerging markets. Weaker and less structured economies would follow the same rationality of developed markets? Fama-French s expansions add to the CAPM model factors that represent size, value, operating profitability, and corporate investment policy in two basic model versions. The first, proposed in 1993, adds to the excess market return a factor of size and a factor of value. It is usually called the three-factor model. The second, proposed in 2015, adds to the three-factor version a factor of operational profitability and a factor of companies investment policy. It is usually called the five-factor model. With the use of these models and the financial concepts involved, this thesis studies the possibility that the innovations in the average market variance, decomposed into two factors, one representing the average market variation and another representing the average market correlation, could increase the explanatory capacity of the three-factor model with respect to the excess returns of stock portfolios. It also studies the ability of the five-factor model to best explain stock portfolio returns in emerging market economic blocks relative to the original CAPM and the three-factor model. Finally, the study shows that innovations in the inflation index and innovations in the slope of the interest curve are proxies for size, value, profitability, and investment factors, and, together with excess market returns, explains cross-section of excess returns on stock portfolios better than the five-factor model.

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Sustainability has become a major societal trend and interest in sustainable investments has increased among investors. The purpose of this study is to investigate how sustainability affects Swedish funds' returns and risk. Since research on the impact of sustainability on funds focuses mostly on investments outside Sweden, this study has limited itself to Swedish funds to fill the gap in research. The study analyzes 67 Swedish funds during 2015-2019 using various models such as CAPM, Fama-French three-factor model and Sharpe ratio. Furthermore, the funds' sustainability is measured using Morningstar's sustainability rating. Results show no signs of linear regression between sustainability and results from different models and the results of the study are not statistically significant. Thus, the study concludes that it is not sustainability that affects risk and return among the Swedish funds, but there may be other factors that have not been taken into account in this study. However, previous research shows that sustainable funds perform better and are more stable during times of crisis. This study has not examined the Swedish funds during times of crisis, but this may be an interesting topic for future research. / Hållbarhet har blivit en stor samhällstrend och intresset för hållbara investeringar har ökat bland investerare. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur hållbarhet påverkar Sverigefonders avkastning och risk. Eftersom forskning kring hållbarhetens påverkan på fonder fokuserar mestadels på investeringar utanför Sverige har denna studie avgränsat sig till Sverigefonder för att fylla luckan i forskningen. Studien analyserar 67 Sverigefonder under 2015-2019 med hjälp av olika modeller såsom CAPM, Fama-French trefaktormodell och Sharpekvot. Vidare mäts fondernas hållbarhet med hjälp av Morningstar hållbarhetsbetyg. Resultat visar inga tecken på linjär regression mellan hållbarhet och resultat från olika modeller samt studiens resultat är inte statistiskt signifikanta. Därmed är studiens slutsats att det inte är hållbarhet som påverkar på risk och avkastning bland Sverigefonderna utan det kan vara andra faktorer som inte tagits hänsyn till i denna studie. Däremot visar tidigare forskning att hållbara fonder presterar bättre och är mer stabila under kristider. Denna studie har inte undersökt Sverigefonderna under kristider men detta kan vara ett intressant ämne för framtida forskning.

[pt] Este trabalho busca analisar a divergência observada, quanto à aplicabilidade do prêmio de risco por tamanho, entre a proposta apresentada pela TBG – Transportadora Gasoduto Bolívia-Brasil e a resposta da ANP - Agência Nacional de Petróleo para estimação do custo de capital próprio que balizará a tarifa máxima de transporte de gás natural para a empresa regulada. Tanto a TBG quanto a ANP adotaram o Capital Asset Price Model – CAPM como modelo para estimação do custo de capital próprio, no entanto, a proposta da TBG considerou o prêmio de risco por tamanho, ao passo que a resposta da Agência Reguladora não acatou a inclusão desse prêmio, conforme consta na nota técnica nº 007/2018-SIM de 16 de julho de 2018. Para analisar a divergência em relação ao prêmio de risco por tamanho, foi o utilizado modelo de três fatores de Fama e French (1993), que considera, além do risco sistemático adotado no CAPM, os fatores tamanho e índice B/M (book-to-market) para mensuração do custo de capital próprio. Os resultados encontrados, com base no modelo de três fatores de Fama e French (1993), não indicam aplicabilidade do prêmio de risco por tamanho para estimação do custo de capital próprio no mercado regulado de transporte de gás natural, pois os coeficientes dos fatores small minus big (SMB) e high minus low (HML) não apresentaram resultados com significância estatística para diversas das carteiras analisadas. Adicionalmente, as empresas de menor porte (small) e de alto índice B/M (high) apresentaram, entre julho de 2009 e junho de 2018, retornos médios inferiores às empresas maiores (big) e de baixo índice B/M (low), não evidenciando a existência de prêmios de risco por tamanho e por valor. / [en] The purpose of this study is to analyze the divergence observed regarding the applicability of the size risk premium, between the proposal presented by TBG - Brazilian Transporter Gasoduto Bolívia-Brasil and the response of ANP - National Petroleum Agency, in the estimation of the cost of equity that will define the maximum rate for the transport of natural gas to the regulated company. Both TBG and ANP adopted the Capital Asset Price Model (CAPM) model, however, TBG proposal considered the size risk premium while ANP response did not accept the inclusion of this premium as stated in technical note no. 007/2018-SIM of July 16, 2018. To analyze this divergence was used the Fama and French three factor model (1993) that considers, besides the systematic risk adopted in the CAPM, the factors size and B/M (book-to-market) index for measuring the cost of equity. The results obtained, based on Fama and French three factors model (1993), do not indicate the applicability of the size risk premium for estimative of the cost of equity in the regulated natural gas transportation market, since the small minus big (SMB) and high minus low (HML) factor s coefficients did not present statistical significant results for some of the analyzed portfolios. In addition, smaller and high B/M companies presented, between July 2009 and June 2018, lower average returns than bigger and low B/M companies, not evidencing the existence of size and value risk premiums.

Det ökade fokuset på hållbarhet har gjort miljö-, social- och styrningsfaktorer (ESG) till kritiska faktorer när man fattar investeringsbeslut. Denna studie beskriver och analyserar sambandet mellan ESG-screening och finansiella prestandan hos portföljer inom STOXX Europe 600-indexet mellan 2019 och 2023. Studien tillämpar en kvantitativ ram för att analysera tre portföljer, var och en med olika tröskelvärden för ESG-screening, och undersöker om högre ESG-rating korrelerar med högre avkastning. Genom att tillämpa CAPM tillsammans med Fama Frenchs trefaktormodell samt prestationsmått som Sharpekvoten, Beta och Jensens Alfa, syftar studien till att ge en fördjupad jämförelse av portföljer med olika ESG-kriterier mot det europeiska aktieindexet. Resultaten visar att ESG-screenade portföljer inom STOXX Europe 600 inte överträffade indexet i hänsyn till deras riskjusterade avkastning. Denna studie bidrar till diskussionen om de ekonomiska fördelarna med hållbara investeringar, genom att visa att även om ESG-screenade portföljerna har högre hållbarhetsgrad, leder de inte nödvändigtvis till förbättrade finansiella resultat på de europeiska marknaderna. / The increasing focus on sustainability has made Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors critical elements when making investment decisions. This study evaluates the relationship of ESG screening and the financial performance of portfolios within the STOXX Europe 600 index between 2019 and 2023. Using a quantitative framework, this study analyzed three portfolios – each with different ESG-screening thresholds – to investigate whether higher ESG-rating correlates with higher financial returns. By applying CAPM and the Fama-French three-factor model along with performance metrics such as the Sharpe ratio, Beta and Jensen’s Alpha, the study aims to provide an in-depth comparison of portfolios with ESG-criteria against the European stock index. The results indicate that ESG-screened portfolios within STOXX Europe 600 did not outperform the unscreened index, in terms of risk-adjusted returns.  This study adds to the ongoing discussion about the financial benefits of sustainable investing by showing that whilst ESG-screened portfolios have higher sustainability measures, they do not necessarily lead to improved financial results in the European markets.

Financial markets, particularly capital and stock markets, play an important role in mobilizing and canalising the idle savings of individuals and institutions to the investment options where they are really required for productive purposes. The prediction of stock prices and returns is carried out in order to enhance the quality of investment decisions in stock markets, but it is considered to be tricky and complicates tasks as these prices behave in a random fashion and vary with time. Owing to the potential of returns and inherent risk factors in stock market returns. Various stock market prediction models and decision support systems such as Capital asset pricing model, the arbitrage pricing theory of Ross, the inter-temporal capital asset pricing model of Merton ,Fama and French five-factor model, and zero beta model to provide investors with an optimal forecast of stock prices and returns. In this research thesis, a stock market prediction model consisting of two parts is presented and discussed. The first is the three factors of the Fama and French model (FF) at the micro level to forecast the return of the portfolios on the Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange (SASE) and the second is a Value Based Management (VBM) model of decision-making. The latter is based on the expectations of shareholders and portfolio investors about taking investment decisions, and on the behaviour of stock prices using an accurate modern nonlinear technique in forecasting, known as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). This study examined monthly data relating to common stocks from the listed companies of the Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange from January 2007 to December 2011. The stock returns were predicted using the linear form of asset pricing models (capital asset pricing model as well as Fama and French three factor model). In addition, non-linear models were also estimated by using various artificial neural network techniques, and adaptive neural fuzzy inference systems. Six portfolios of stock predictors are combined using: average, weighted average, and genetic algorithm optimized weighted average. Moreover, value-based management models were applied to the investment decision-making process in combination with stock prediction model results for both the shareholders’ perspective and the share prices’ perspective. The results from this study indicate that the ANN technique can be used to predict stock portfolio returns; the investment decisions and the behaviour of stock prices, optimized by the genetic algorithm weighted average, provided better results in terms of error and prediction accuracy compared to the simple linear form of stock price prediction models. The Fama and French model of stock prediction is better suited to Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange investment activities in comparison to the conventional capital assets pricing model. Moreover, the multi-stage type1 model, which is a combination of Fama and French predicted stock returns and a value-based management model, gives more accurate results for the stock market decision-making process for investment or divestment decisions, as well as for observing variation in and the behaviour of stock prices on the Saudi stock market. Furthermore, the study also designed a graphic user interface in order to simplify the decision-making process based upon Fama and French and value-based management, which might help Saudi investors to make investment decisions quickly and with greater precision. Finally, the study also gives some practical implications for investors and regulators, along with proposing future research in this area.

Over the past years, the total assets under management among hedge funds and equity mutual fundshave increased significantly. The question from an investor point of view iswhich investment vehicle can provide the greatest return adjusted for risk. The purpose of this study involves an analysis on the historical net asset values todetermine and evaluate what one can except from actively managed hedge andequity mutual funds. It supports the determination of the most profitable asset, adjusted for risk, as part of a diversified portfolio. The performance is measured net of fees and costs with the inclusion of potential performance fees individual hedge funds may apply. Hedge funds practice different investment approaches depending on what strategy is applied and hence, return levels can vary dramatically. The study is designed to answer questions by comparing net returns and risk-adjusted returns for respective investments and the different hedge fund strategies. With a deductive research approach, the analysis is conducted by applying existing models and theories as the Fama-French three-factor model through time-series regressions measuring excess returns (alpha), risk-adjusted performance measures as Sharpe ratio, M-squared and the Sortino ratio. The results show that hedge funds outperform equity mutual funds in all examined aspects and produce positive monthly net alphas,on average. Equity mutual funds are unable to provide investors with positive excess returns and subsequently fail the purpose of an actively managed fund by providing returns lower than the return of the market. The results are increasingly strengthened with both time-series regressions and performance measures showing homogenous results and reaching the equal conclusions. From the conclusions that hedge funds provide the most profitable investment compared to equity mutual funds, the hedge fund strategy CTA/managed futures strategies perform best in both net and risk-adjusted terms.