1 Liability for defective prospectus Abstract The aim of my thesis is to provide a paper that discusses the overall consequences of an issuer who, in connection with public offer of securities or their admission to the trading on regulated market, provide and make public a defective prospectus that contains untrue, incomplete and misleading information. The thesis does not deal with all aspects of the laws of prospectus. Instead, it focus on particular issues in relation to the prospectus. Mainly, it deals with civil liability arising out of the defective prospectus. As a consequence, the other sanctions, eg. administrative or criminal, are not included in the thesis. In my thesis, I consider prospectus as an informative document that ought to provide certain information in order to protect investors. These information must not be untrue, incomplete or misleading so that the high standard of protection to investors is preserved. High standard of investors protection include, inter alia, higher liability attached to a prospectus. Legal regulations governing civil liability attached to a prospectus are not harmonized on the EU level. Instead, broad discretion is given to Member States in order to provide their own legal regulation regarding civil liability for a defective prospectus. That opens free field for...

The study is based on the financial statistics published by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) to analysis the behavior of Taiwan credit cardholders after the dual card crisis and the global financial storm. In the meantime, the data as of September and November 2008 is applied to examine the impact of credit cardholders in different segments who have cash needs after the regulation implementation. The study concludes that: 1. The behavior of credit cardholders impacted by the dual card crisis and the global financial storm Using various statistical charts and one-way ANOVA analysis can be found that after the dual card crisis and global financial storm, the revolving credit balance of credit card market reduced year by year. Obviously, a correct concept of card usage is established gradually. Cardholders should not only enjoy the convenience of credit card, but also control the burden of over spending. 2. The cash advance amount deteriorated due to FSC regulation implementation After a series of guided actions launched by FSC, people no longer rely on credit card as a financing tool but treat it as a payment implement. The amount of cash advance shrink while the cardholders who have cash advance need get financing from personal loan. 3. The impact is various between each segment by regulation Using Independent-Sample T Test, it is found that there are no significant differences in credit card cash advance features for cardholders who have debt burden ratio greater than 22 times of the monthly income, the internal employee, and cardholders whose credit line is greater than NT$800,000.

Credit rating agencies are controversial yet influential financial gatekeepers. Many have attributed the recent failures of credit rating agencies to conflicts of interest, such as the agencies’ issuer-pays business model and the agencies’ provision of ancillary services. This report identifies these conflicts; examines recently-finalized Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations proscribing these conflicts; and suggests other possible regulatory measures. The strategies available to regulators are diverse and differ widely in their political and administrative feasibility. These strategies include outright prohibition of conflicts; removing regulatory references to credit ratings; enhancing agency liability; organizational firewalls; performance disclosures; demonstrating due diligence and its results; increasing competition; staleness reforms; internal governance; administrative registration; and requiring alternative business models. While the report primarily focuses on how the most recent financial crisis—and the related market for asset-backed securities—highlighted conflicts of interest at credit rating agencies, this report also examines how credit ratings—and their limitations—affect sovereign debt markets. / text

This study examines decisions relating to the composition of audit committees by foreign private issuers (FPIs) that are listed on US exchanges. A firm listed on the US stock market must have an audit committee consisting of at least three financially literate independent directors, and disclose if it has at least one financial expert. Although FPIs are exempted from these requirements, 72 percent of FPIs choose to opt into complying with them. I find that FPIs from countries with a greater number of differences in audit committee requirements compared to US requirements are less likely to opt-in. Firms from weak investor protection countries are more likely to opt-in. Because FPIs are not mandated to follow US audit committee requirements, their opt-in choices indicate greater benefits (possibly from “bonding” to a rigorous regulatory setting) than compliance costs. Further investigation into the consequences of opting in show that FPIs opting into the US audit committee requirements are less likely to restate their financial statements or disclose internal control material weaknesses, have less earnings management, and hence have better financial reporting quality. / Business Administration/Accounting

In this thesis, we study if credit rating agencies (CRAs) are capable, through their rating process, of discover information that it is valued by the market. Additionally, we investigate if CRAs are able to propagate their findings to the market. if Specifically, we study the differences between issuer-paid and investor-paid credit rating agencies, and how those differences shape the characteristics of their credit ratings and ultimately, if investors can profit from credit rating announcements. For our research we use a large dataset of rating announcements from 1997 to 2012, which includes information of four credit rating agencies (CRAs), Egan-Jones Ratings Company (EJR), Fitch, Moody's and Standard and Poor's, which representing investor-paid and issuer-paid CRAs. This allows us to compare these two kind of agencies and its ratings. In the first essay we study what variables explain the rating coverage of an investor-paid credit rating agency. We show that probability of being covered by EJR is positively related with the size of the firm, the level of institutional ownership of the firm, stock analysts and issuer-paid CRAs level of coverage, while it is negatively related to the firm's corporate governance. We found that the likelihood of being covered by EJR augments after regulatory changes and most interestingly, since EJR received the NRSRO certification. In the second essay we compare the timeliness of rating changes produced by EJR and the issuer-paid CRAs representatives. We found that the lead effect of investor-paid over issuer-paid CRAs has weakened in recent years, while Granger causality is bidirectional and therefore a lead-lag relationship cannot be established. Finally, stock prices manifest statistically significant abnormal reactions to downgrades of all agencies; however, abnormal negative returns are significantly higher for EJR. Our results support the hypothesis that issuer-paid agencies improve the quality and timeliness of their ratings when they see their market power threatened by tighter regulations. Nevertheless, event studies illustrate that markets still price stocks under the assumption that investor-paid rating actions carry superior information. Finally, our third essay found that purchasing (selling short) stocks with positive (negative) rating announcements generates portfolios with positive annual abnormal returns when investors react immediately to rating announcements. Returns are higher for stronger announcements (i.e. rating changes over rating outlooks) and for an investor-paid agency rather than an issuer-paid agency. When we introduced transaction costs, only the investor-paid agencies' announcements lead to positive abnormal returns. Additionally, when we included a delay in the reaction of investors to rating announcements, all positive abnormal returns net of transaction costs disappeared. Finally, our results suggests that the differences between investor-paid and issuer-paid agencies are based on their dissimilar business models rather than their regulatory status.

Introduktion: Historiskt sett har de svenska företagens lånebaserade finansiering mestadels utgjorts av banklån. Efter finanskrisen 2008 har bankerna tvingats till att minska utlåningen när de numera jobbar utefter det nya regelverket Basel III. Rapporter från bland annat riksbanken och svenskt näringsliv menar att detta regelverk kommer att slå hårdast mot svenska små bolag. Forskning inom området menar att den svenska marknaden för företagsobligationer inte fått den utveckling den borde haft. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att söka en förståelse till varför den svenska marknaden för företagsobligationer förefaller att vara underutvecklad bland små bolag, samt att undersöka urvalets lämplighet för ett framtida inträde på den svenska företagsobligationsmarknaden. För att styrka uppsatsens resultat kommer studien även att inkludera ett jämförelseindex hämtat från Large Cap.   Metod: För att infria studiens syfte har en metodtriangulering tillämpats. Empirin har delvis samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med aktörer listade på svenska Small Cap.  En intervjuguide utformades på basis av studiens förda problematik och teoretiska referensram. Empirin har även samlats in genom en multipel regressions analys i syfte att undersöka urvalets lämplighet för ett framtida inträde på den svenska företagsobligationsmarknaden.  Slutsats: Resultatet vi erhöll från studien är att den svenska marknaden för företagsobligationer fortfarande är underutvecklad. Studien visade att de mindre bolagens kunskap till marknaden är bristfällig och att bankernas nya roll som intermediär skapar informationsasymmetrier och således stora transaktionskostnader. Studien kan även konkludera att företags storlek, mätt i totala tillgångar, skulle kunna utgöra en företagsspecifik variabel som kan förklara en otillräcklig kreditvärdighet för ett eventuellt inträde på företagsobligationsmarknaden. / Introduction: Historically, the Swedish companies' loan-based financing mostly consists of bank loans. After the 2008 financial crisis, banks have been forced to reduce lending as they now work along the new Basel III regulations. The Swedish Riksbank and the Swedish business community believe that this regulation will hit hardest towards smaller companies. Researches in the field believe that the Swedish corporate bond market did not receive the development it ought to have been. Aim: The purpose of this study is to seek an understanding of why the Swedish corporate bond market seems to be underdeveloped among small companies and also to examine the future suitability regarding a future entry on the Swedish corporate bond market, for the selection. To put the study results into perspective, the study will include a benchmark gathered from the Large Cap. Method: To meet the study objective, a method triangulation is applied. The empirical data has partly been collected through semi-structured interviews with actors listed on the Swedish Small Cap. An interview guide was designed on the basis of the study´s problematization and theoretical framework. The empirical data is also collected through a multiple regression analysis, in order to examine the sample suitability for future entry into the Swedish corporate bond market. Conclusion: The results we obtained from this study is that the Swedish corporate bond market is still underdeveloped. The study showed that the smaller companies knowledge of the market is insufficient and that the banks' new role as intermediate are creating information asymmetries and henceforth high transaction costs. The study may also conclude that the company's size, measured in total assets, could provide a firm-specific variable that can explain an inadequate credit rating for a possible entry into the corporate bond market.

The aim of the thesis is to assess the suitability of financing company’s project via initial public offering as well as to set the steps of the whole IPO process. The introductory section clarifies important terms related to the issue. Practical section deals with the company’s readiness and observance rate of assumptions of a successful emission. There are outlined individual steps in addition. The conclusion formulates own suggestions, including improving recommendation.

關於信用卡詐欺風險管控的研究，係非常專業的問題，除了瞭解信用卡各項作業程序外，必須親自參與實務上的管控經驗，才能充分瞭解現有市場上，信用卡詐欺所發生之原因、詐欺模式、手法與趨勢，也唯有做到理論結合相關實務管控經驗，才能研究出有效的防制策略。目前在實務上防制信用卡詐欺方面，由本文中可發現，業者與警政單位在處理信用卡風險管控與詐欺案件時，有非常多的盲點與困難，也突顯出其專業能力上之不足，因此導致信用卡詐欺問題之嚴重。 在防制信用卡詐欺研究當中，筆者第一次嘗試將信用卡實務運作之模式貢獻出來 ; 以過去到現在的實務經驗，將信用卡所發生的案例，來探究其發生的原因 ; 以運用分析的方法，來建立各項風險管控措施 ; 以闡釋各項業務之作業風險，來遏止風險損失之發生 ; 以紮實的教育訓練教材，讓特約商店做好第一道的防衛 ; 以科學的統計方法，來研究防衛參數與增加偵測系統的防衛效能 ; 以實務管控的經驗，來遏止其犯罪手法的翻新 ; 以實際案件調查的經驗，來瓦解詐欺集團的組織，所以必須瞭解信用卡整體運作的關係與詐欺手法，才能深入瞭解各項風險管控問題，並結合預防作業、偵測系統、調查作業的功能，方能充分發揮信用卡業務詐欺風險管控的效能。 除了建立完整的風險管控作業之外，在第六章之建議事項中，就主管機關、司法機關、警政單位、發卡業者、收單業者、特約商店、持卡人與國際組織等方面 ; 提出個人具體之建言，藉以喚起社會各界對信用卡詐欺問題之重視，以推動損害防阻之功，徹底解決當前所發生之信用卡詐欺問題。 / The research on credit card risk management is a specialized field. Besides the need of understanding the various operational processes, personal involvement’s and practical experiences in respect of credit card risk management are essential in order to fully appreciate the reason for credit card frauds in the current market. An effective credit card fraud prevention strategy consists of the theoretical aspects and practical experiences of credit card fraud management. Based on this paper, it appears that strategies of credit card fraud prevention are solely lacking in the current market. This is because the business sectors and police department encounters numerous ‘blind spots’ and problems when tackling with fraud issues. Also, the lack of professionalism in control and prevention strategies resulted in serious credit card fraud issues. In this research, the author would attempt to showcase for the first time the credit card’s practical working models;1) to try to investigate and understand the reasons for credit card frauds by reviewing past and present real life cases; 2) to develop various risk management methodologies via credit card risks analysis; 3) to explain the various businesses’ operational risks to reduce if not prevent loss occurrences; 4) to constantly upgrade /educate the merchant banks with solid training programmers to make them an effective first line of defense; 5) to employ scientific statistical methods to aid in the research of any defensive mechanisms as well as to increase the effectiveness of early detective systems, if any; 6) to make use of practical credit card risk management experiences in order to prevent repeat offences; 7) to utilize real life investigative experiences to dissolve credit card syndicates and/or groups. Therefore, know the relation of whole operation of credit card and modus operandi could understand in depth of every risk management issue, and combine the function of preventing operation, detection system, investigation process can be fully developed efficiency for credit card risk management. In addition to establish sophisticated a developing risk management methodology, the author has directed his personal opinions to the various industry players such as the regulatory bodies, policing units, credit card issuers, acquiring banks, merchant banks and credit card users. In chapter 6 of the recommendations, he attempts to draw the public’s attention on the seriousness of credit card frauds that exists in our society. He also hopes to completely eradicate the issues of credit card frauds by actively promoting the risk prevention methodology of credit card frauds.

Telekomunikacijų ir informacinių technologijų plėtra iš pagrindų pakeitė komercinės veiklos pobūdį. Verslas, visai dar neseniai egzistavęs tradicinėje (popierinėje) aplinkoje, įgavęs kitas formas, persikėlė į naujas skaitmenines erdves. Ši veiklos sfera praplėtė tradicinę komerciją iki elektroninės, kur visi finansiniai, atsiskaitymo ar kiti santykiai yra palaikomi moderniomis ryšio priemonėmis. Tačiau naujosios technologijos, plačios jų panaudojimo galimybės bei augantys vartotojų poreikiai kelia iššūkius susiklosčiusiai tradicinei tvarkai. Atsiranda poreikis ir net būtinybė suformuoti pakankamą teisinę bazę, kuri reglamentuotų naujų mokėjimo priemonių prigimtį, įtvirtintų šių priemonių naudotojų ir leidėjų teisinius santykius, šalių tarpusavio įsipareigojimus, civilinės atsakomybės principus. Todėl neatsižvelgiant į tai, kad mokėjimo kortelės tapo savaime suprantamu reiškiniu, vis dėlto šios elektroninės mokėjimo priemonės reglamentavimas nėra pakankamas. Nėra teisinio tikrumo ir dėl kitų elektroninių mokėjimo priemonių. Dėl šios priežasties šiame magistro darbe pateikiama mokėjimo kortelių ir kitų elektroninių mokėjimo priemonių teisinė analizė Lietuvos bei Europos Sąjungos teisės kontekste, nustatomos galimos reglamentavimo spragos, jų atsiradimo priežastys bei pateikiami pasiūlymai. / The development of telecommunications and information technologies changed in the essence the character of commercial activity. Business, which quite recently existed only in the traditional (paper) medium, having acquired other forms, got transferred into new digital spaces. This sphere of activity expanded traditional commerce to electronic one, where all financial, settlement and other relations are being maintained by modern means of communication. Nevertheless, new technologies, wide opportunities of their application and increasing needs of consumers give challenge to the traditional procedure. A need and even necessity emerges to form the sufficient legal basis, which would regulate the origin of new instruments of payment, would enforce the legal relations between consumers and issuers, the mutual obligations of the parties, and principles of civil liability. Therefore, notwithstanding the fact that payment cards have become a comprehensible phenomenon, however, the regulation of those instruments of electronic payment is insufficient. Legal certainty does not exist in respect of other instruments of electronic payment either. Due to this reason, in this Master thesis, a legal analysis of payment cards and electronic payment instruments is given in the context of Lithuania and European Union, possible gaps in the regulation, causes of their emergence are identified, and proposals are provided.

EMV est la norme implémentée pour sécuriser une transaction d'achat avec contact ou sans contact (NFC) entre un appareil de paiement d'un client et un PoS. Elle représente un ensemble de messages de sécurité échangés entre les acteurs de la transaction, garantissant plusieurs propriétés de sécurité importantes. En effet, plusieurs chercheurs ont analysé le fonctionnement de la norme EMV afin de vérifier sa fiabilité: ils ont identifié plusieurs vulnérabilités de sécurité qui représentent aujourd'hui des risques majeurs pour notre sécurité au quotidien. Par conséquent, nous sommes intéressés à proposer de nouvelles solutions qui visent à améliorer la fiabilité d’EMV. Dans un premier temps, nous présentons un aperçu du système de sécurité EMV et nous étudions ses vulnérabilités identifiées dans la littérature. En particulier, il existe deux vulnérabilités de sécurité EMV, qui mènent à des risques dangereux menaçant à la fois les clients et les commerçants. Par conséquent, nous sommes intéressés dans la deuxième étape à répondre à ces deux faiblesses. Nous examinons d'abord une sélection des travaux qui ont été conçus pour résoudre ces vulnérabilités. Ensuite, afin d'obtenir de meilleurs résultats par rapport à ces travaux, nous proposons un nouveau système pour le paiement avec contact et NFC qui intègre 4 mécanismes de sécurité innovants. Enfin, dans la troisième étape, nous adaptons notre premier mécanisme de sécurité dans le contexte d'une nouvelle architecture de paiement NFC. Cette architecture est particulièrement destinée aux petits commerçants, leur permettant de profiter de leurs smartphones NFC pour une utilisation directe en tant que des lecteurs NFC. / EMV is the standard implemented to secure the communication, between a client’s payment device and a PoS, during a contact or NFC purchase transaction. It represents a set of security messages, exchanged between the transaction actors, guaranteeing several important security properties. Indeed, researchers in various studies, have analyzed the operation of this standard in order to verify its reliability: unfortunately, they have identified several security vulnerabilities that, today, represent major risks for our day to day safety. Consequently, in this thesis, we are interested in proposing new solutions that improve the reliability of this standard. In the first stage, we introduce an overview of the EMV security payment system and we survey its vulnerabilities identified in literature. In particular, there are two EMV security vulnerabilities that lead to dangerous risks threatening both clients and merchants: (1) the confidentiality of banking data is not guaranteed, (2) the authentication of the PoS is not ensured to the client’s device. Therefore, our interests move in the second stage to address these two weaknesses. We first review a selection of the related works that have been implemented to solve these vulnerabilities, and then, in order to obtain better results than the related works, we propose a new secure contact and NFC payment system that includes four innovative security mechanisms. Finally, in the third stage, we adapt our first security mechanism in the context of a new NFC payment architecture. This architecture is especially destined for small merchants, allowing them to take advantage of their NFC smartphones for use directly as NFC readers.