本篇論文研究股票市場流動性以及權證到期後在不同的投資人情緒程度時之間的關係。我們使用臺灣期貨交易所的VIX指數作為投資人情緒的指標，研究在深度價內的權證到期後對股票市場造成的交易集中效果。整體而言，當投資人情緒相對較低時，權證到期後對股票市場流動性的增強效果較為明顯。另一方面，當投資人情緒相對較高時，交易集中對股票市場流動性的改善效果較不明顯。在價格方面，股票流動性的增加對價格帶來的正面影響，其效果在投資人情緒較低時較為明顯。當投資人情緒愈來愈高時，其效果愈不顯著。此現象可歸因於投資人在套利與避險等操作上的行為有所改變所致。 / This paper examines the relation between the stock liquidity and warrants expiration in different extent of investor sentiment which is represented by VIX in Taiwan. We study the effect of trading consolidation by examining the response of liquidity and stock prices to the exercise of deep in-the-money call warrants. In general, the results indicate that the stock liquidity is improved apparently by market consolidation since warrants expired when investor sentiment is relatively low. On the other hand, the effect is insignificant when VIX is relatively high. Further, the price increase is positively related to post-exercise improvement in the stock liquidity when VIX is relatively low. While VIX rises, the relation gets feeble gradually. This phenomenon might be due to investors’ buying behavior such as arbitrage or hedge trading varying with different kinds of market situation.

Private equity investing (PE) has experienced rapid growth on a global scale over the last few decades to become a significant industry. While scholars have devoted considerable effort to studying the area of risk capital investing into businesses, research about private equity as an asset class is surprisingly scarce. This dissertation addresses this gap by enhancing understanding of PE fund investing in general, and specifically about how heterogeneity in investor-specific characteristics and entry order strategies may impact performance. Based on a comprehensive set of interviews with PE fund investors, in-dept insights about variances in motives for investing in the asset class, ways of working, and investment strategies across investors were acquired; findings that are elaborated upon in the dissertation. In addition, to facilitate a thorough investigation of the links between organizational characteristics, entry order and performance, hypotheses were tested through the statistical analysis of unique data covering PE funds raised in Sweden over a twenty-year period. Among several novel results, this study indicates that the level of environmental uncertainty has a clear impact on which organization-specific factors explain entry order, as well as which factors impact the ability of an organization to take advantage of a chosen entry order. Furthermore, the study points at organizational reputation as an especially valuable asset in situations of uncertainty. While a good reputation does not directly lead to superior performance, it may be used in exchange for favorable entry order positions. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan i Stockholm, 2011</p>

The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) is a voluntary investor-led initiative, backed by the United Nations. Together, the six principles are meant to provide a ‘best practice’ code of conduct for institutional investors seeking to adopt responsible investment practices with a secondary goal of contributing to improved corporate performance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Launched in 2006, the PRI has grown to be the single largest global investor initiative with over 700 signatory financial institutions representing assets under management in excess of $US20 trillion. Contributing to the broader literature on plausible explanations for why firms participate in voluntary initiatives, the thesis is primarily concerned with the question of what has motivated institutional investors to create and publicly commit to the PRI. A review of the broader trends behind the growth of responsible investment and the emergence of the PRI indicates the dominant utilitarian, cost-benefit logic is not wholly persuasive in understanding investor motivations. The research findings indicate that decisions to integrate ESG issues and publicly commit to adopting the PRI should be primarily viewed as a response to formal pressures by external stakeholders and actors in an investor’s institutional environment. Regulatory and stakeholder influences in the form of NGO advocacy campaigns have established normative standards directed towards the conduct of investors. As public opinion has shifted to put greater emphasis on sustainable development, the image and reputation of a pension scheme in relation to these trends have come under increasing scrutiny such that being perceived as a ‘responsible’ investor – sometimes even in the absence of a direct market rationale – has become a central driver behind the growth of responsible investment. The decision to adopt the PRI and establish beyond-compliance commitments to integrate ESG issues into investment decision-making should principally be seen as embedded in broader reputational risk management strategies. These findings support complex market rationalism explanations for firm participation in voluntary initiatives which suggest that firms commit to such principles or codes of conduct as a means of assuring stakeholders that their concerns are being internalized into corporate practices. A secondary focus of the thesis is to examine signatory implementation to-date, assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of the voluntary measure for the promotion of more socially-responsible and environmentally-sustainable investments. While substantial progress has been shown by a small group of PRI signatories, it remains unclear whether the PRI has generated significant improvement across the broader signatory base. The PRI suffers from several weaknesses commonly identified in the literature on voluntary initiatives. First, a lack of accountability measures limits incentives for investors to go beyond business-as-usual. Second, less stringent voluntary standards like the PRI are likely to suffer from adverse selection and free riding, therefore threatening the credibility of the initiative’s reputation over the longer-term. Ironically, weaknesses in the institutional design of the PRI may undermine the very reputational benefit sought after by signatories.

本研究以2002年至2005年之上市公司為研究對象，衡量2002與2004年兩年之年報資訊揭露水準，探討資訊揭露水準與機構投資人持股兩者間之關係，並分析兩期資訊透明度與機構投資人持股比率的改變對經營績效與公司價值變動的影響。 實證結果發現，機構投資人持股意願受到前期年報資訊揭露水準高低的影響，顯示資訊揭露水準為機構投資人之選股決策因素之一。前期年報資訊揭露水準愈佳，機構投資人持股比率愈高，但當期資訊揭露程度對同期機構投資人持股意願則無顯著影響。此外，機構投資人持股比率高低與公司同期或次期資訊揭露程度皆無顯著關聯性。企業資訊揭露水準之改善與機構投資人持股比率增加皆與公司經營績效及公司價值之提升呈顯著正相關。 / Based on a sample of firms listed on Taiwan Securities Exchange over the period of 2002 to 2005, this study first examines the relationship between the information transparency, measured the disclosure level of annual reports, and shareholdings of institutional investors. In addition, this study investigates the influence of increase in the level of disclosure transparency and shareholdings on performance and firm value. The empirical results suggest that firms with higher disclosure level are associated with greater institutional ownership next year, but the same relationship didn’t hold for concurrent period. This finding suggests that disclosure level of annual report is considered by the institutional investors when making their investment decisions. The findings also indicate that improvement in disclosure level and increase in institutional investors’ shareholdings not only enhances the operating performance but also the firm value.

published_or_final_version / Business / Master / Master of Philosophy

The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) is a voluntary investor-led initiative, backed by the United Nations. Together, the six principles are meant to provide a ‘best practice’ code of conduct for institutional investors seeking to adopt responsible investment practices with a secondary goal of contributing to improved corporate performance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Launched in 2006, the PRI has grown to be the single largest global investor initiative with over 700 signatory financial institutions representing assets under management in excess of $US20 trillion. Contributing to the broader literature on plausible explanations for why firms participate in voluntary initiatives, the thesis is primarily concerned with the question of what has motivated institutional investors to create and publicly commit to the PRI. A review of the broader trends behind the growth of responsible investment and the emergence of the PRI indicates the dominant utilitarian, cost-benefit logic is not wholly persuasive in understanding investor motivations. The research findings indicate that decisions to integrate ESG issues and publicly commit to adopting the PRI should be primarily viewed as a response to formal pressures by external stakeholders and actors in an investor’s institutional environment. Regulatory and stakeholder influences in the form of NGO advocacy campaigns have established normative standards directed towards the conduct of investors. As public opinion has shifted to put greater emphasis on sustainable development, the image and reputation of a pension scheme in relation to these trends have come under increasing scrutiny such that being perceived as a ‘responsible’ investor – sometimes even in the absence of a direct market rationale – has become a central driver behind the growth of responsible investment. The decision to adopt the PRI and establish beyond-compliance commitments to integrate ESG issues into investment decision-making should principally be seen as embedded in broader reputational risk management strategies. These findings support complex market rationalism explanations for firm participation in voluntary initiatives which suggest that firms commit to such principles or codes of conduct as a means of assuring stakeholders that their concerns are being internalized into corporate practices. A secondary focus of the thesis is to examine signatory implementation to-date, assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of the voluntary measure for the promotion of more socially-responsible and environmentally-sustainable investments. While substantial progress has been shown by a small group of PRI signatories, it remains unclear whether the PRI has generated significant improvement across the broader signatory base. The PRI suffers from several weaknesses commonly identified in the literature on voluntary initiatives. First, a lack of accountability measures limits incentives for investors to go beyond business-as-usual. Second, less stringent voluntary standards like the PRI are likely to suffer from adverse selection and free riding, therefore threatening the credibility of the initiative’s reputation over the longer-term. Ironically, weaknesses in the institutional design of the PRI may undermine the very reputational benefit sought after by signatories.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe nagrinėjamas investicinių fondų valdymo vaidmuo plėtojant šalies ekonomiką augančios globalizacijos kontekste ir ekonominio klestėjimo sferoje. Akcentuojama rizikos kapitalo fondų reikšmė didinant šalies konkurencingumą kitų šalių atžvilgiu, pritraukiant tiesiogines užsienio investicijas bei skatinant inovacijas. Išnagrinėti pagrindiniai teoriniai principai, kuriais remiantis nustatoma investicijų, investicinių fondų bei investicinių bendrovių samprata šiuolaikinėje literatūroje bei jų pokyčių tendencijos, analizuojamos įvairios investicijų formos, nustatomi tokio kapitalo panaudojimo tikslai bei lūkesčiai. Nagrinėjama investicijų skatinimo, būtent rizikos kapitalo pritraukimo į šalį būtinumas, rezultatyviai sekančios pasekmės. Atlikto tyrimo metodika susideda iš Lietuvos bei Europos sąjungos makroekonominių rodiklių analizės, koreliacinės regresinės analizės. Analizuojama Lietuvos investicinė situacija tarptautinėje rinkoje, jos investicinio klimato patrauklumas, stiprybės ir silpnybės. Iškeliama hipotezė, ar šalies investicijos į mokslinius tyrimus ir eksperimentinę plėtrą įtakoja užsienio investuotojų susidomėjimą. Ši analizė yra svarbi vertinant perspektyvias rizikos kapitalo potencialo kryptis ir galimybes, atsižvelgiant į globalizacijos ir inovacinės plėtros didėjančią svarbą, naujų ekonominių pranašumų bei konkurencingumo būtinybę žinių visuomenėje. Darbe pateikiami veiksniai, nulemiantys sėkmingą investicijų skatinimą šalyje, siūlomi... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The thesis examines the notion and functions of management of investment funds in growing globalization and prosperous country’s environment. Emphasizing the impact of venture capital, it develops their value in increasing the competitiveness in international market, attracting direct foreign investments, stimulating innovations. It analyses main theoretical aspects of investments, investment funds, investment company’s concept in contemporary literature as also gives the exact details about its fluctuation prospects, various forms of investing, their main intentions and expectations. The thesis also explains the reasons of resulting effects for attracting investments in venture capital funds. The methodology of investigation consists of macroeconomic research on Lithuanian and European Union situation, analysis of correlation and regression. It also points out our country’s situation in the international market of investing, its investment climate attraction, as well as strengths and weaknesses. This work raise a hypothesis that country is more attractive for investments if it budgets more into domestic research and development. The above mentioned analysis is rather important for evaluating perspective venture capital trends and possibilities of the globalization as well as with account of growing significance of the innovation within the knowledge society. Analytically developed results provides with factors of prosperous influence which guarantees big foreign investment... [to full text]

Economic globalization, the liberalization of markets, and the opening of once closed societies have all heralded the remarkable emergence of the current system of investment treaty arbitration. The current system, however, has attracted significant criticism and calls for reform. This thesis reviews the historical employment of arbitration in international society and the circumstances that lead to the emergence of the current system of investor-state dispute settlement. Following this, two recent proposals for reform of the current system are outlined: the creation of an international court of investment and the implementation of appellate mechanisms for investment treaty arbitration. The thesis concludes by offering an assessment of these proposals and argues for the rejection of the proposal to replace the current system with an international investment court, but offers a cautious endorsement of appellate mechanisms. / Graduate

This thesis aims to provide detailed investigation into the role and functioning of the FTSE-100 stock index futures contract, by examining four interrelated issues. Chapter 1 reviews the literature, demonstrating that stock index futures can increase investor utility by offering hedging and investment opportunities. Further, the price discovery role of futures is discussed. Chapter 2 investigates the risk return relationship for the FTSE-100 contract within a CAPM framework. While CAPM adequately explains returns prior to October 1987, post-crash the contract is riskier and excess returns and a day of the week effect are evident. Chapter 3 examines the impact of futures on the underlying spot market using GARCH, which allows examination of the link between information and volatility. While spot prices are more volatile post-futures, this is due to more rapid impounding of information. The view that futures destabilise spot markets and should be subject to further regulation is questioned. Chapter 4 examines futures market efficiency using the Johansen cointegration procedure and variance bounds tests which are developed here. Results suggest futures prices provide unbiased predictions of future spot prices for 1, 2 and 4 months prior to maturity of the contract. For 3, 5 and 6 months prior to maturity the unbiasedness hypothesis does not hold. Chapter 5 discusses the major role of futures; hedging. Hedge ratios and hedging effectiveness are examined in relation to duration and expiration effects. Hedge ratio stability is also examined. Finally, hedging strategies based on historical information are examined. Results show there are duration and expiration effect, hedge ratios are stationary and using historical information does not greatly reduce hedging effectiveness. The FTSE-100 contract is shown to be a highly effective means by which to hedge risk. Chapter 6 provides a summary and concluding remarks concerning the relevance of the research carried out here.

Moral Hazard and the Agency Costs thereof have long been accepted arguments in venture finance theory and have therefore long been accepted shortcomings in the venture capitalist / entrepreneur relationship. In psychological experiments ??? including economic ??? it has been shown that human beings prefer to act in a reciprocal manner that reduces any inequity in a relationship. Humans who expect to receive an unfair and inequitable position in a relationship, will take steps to rectify that position. Specifically, if a venture capitalist expects the entrepreneur to unfairly extract private benefits from the investee company post investment by the venture capitalist, then he or she will impose costly controls and monitoring mechanisms in place to prevent that. All relationships that impose controls and monitoring mechanisms are inefficient, as opposed to Advising the investee which draws upon the skills of the venture capitalist and is generally efficient. The venture capital industry is comprised of intelligent and professional people who can recognise inefficiency easily. Indeed, this is how they make poorly managed companies into profitable trade sales or IPO???s. The online survey completed for this thesis poses questions that attempt to show that venture capitalists and entrepreneurs are not locked in an antagonistic relationship where each merely acts in a self interested way. This thesis concludes that venture capitalists and entrepreneurs do work in a reciprocal relationship recognising the substantial efficiency gains to be made by doing so.