The increasing popularity of passive investment strategies causes the long-term feasibility of active investing to be questioned more often. Therefore, this research aimed to uncover whether active investors' influence on fund performance is positive and significant enough to offset the cost involved, thereby providing reasoning for active rather than passive investing. A comparative analysis of 211 actively managed funds and 191 market and industry-specific indices is performed. Security selection skills and market timing ability are captured through a model comprising of the Fama French three-factor and the Treynor and Mazuy market timing model. The sample is tested between 2005 and 2020, with 5-year sub-periods. Over the full period, active and passive returns are found to be nearly indistinguishable. However, active funds seem to excel during bearish periods, where passive funds excel in bullish periods. The standard deviation is higher overall for passive investing. This difference, however, disappears during bearish periods. The security selection skill is barely distinguishable from zero for either strategy. On the other hand, market timing ability is existent for active investors, indicating a positive effect in bearish markets and a negative effect in bullish markets. Additionally, for both investing strategies, more than 90% of the returns are explained by the movements of the general market. The most suitable investment strategy is truly determined by an investor's level of risk aversion. Nevertheless, this research found that, in general, the passive investing strategy is dominant under normal market conditions. Active investors can act on the macroeconomic developments that fuel crises. This advantage enables them to achieve returns superior to indices while preserving a lower standard deviation during bearish market conditions.

Three petroleum futures contracts are examined over a ten-year period from 1986 to 1996. Intertemporal changes in futures prices and the net open interest positions of three trader types are compared to determine what, if any, market timing ability the traders have. Seasonal variation is considered and a simple trading rule is adopted to determine the dollar-return potential for market participation and shed light on issues of market efficiency.

Covid-19-pandemin ändrade snabbt förutsättningarna på kapitalmarknaden och företagen tvingades fort att anpassa sig efter rådande restriktioner och rekommendationer. Denna studie undersöker hur kapitalstrukturen i bolag noterade på Stockholmsbörsen förändrades under pandemiåren 2020–2021 jämfört med före pandemin (2016–2019). Med hjälp av teorier för kapitalstruktur och tidigare studier identifierades fem centrala mått som hjälper till att förklara skuldsättningsgraden. Genom multivariat analys studeras och analyseras vilka variabler och samband som har påverkat kapitalstrukturen under perioden. Studiens resultat visar, i likhet med tidigare studier kring agerande under krissituationer, att företagens skuldsättningsgrad minskade under jämfört med före pandemin.

The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the closure of these aforementioned research gaps. Answering these calls, the following research objectives are proposed: 1. Understanding the main factors that have an influence on the capital structure decision of firms. 2. Understanding how the capital structure of firms differs among various industries and to fathom cross-sectional differences in the importance of debt determinants among industries. 3. Investigating the influence of time on the capital structure decision of firms. In specific, it must be found out whether certain debt determinants alter their effect on the capital structure decision of firms over time. 4. Studying the market-timing effect of debt financing. It must be researched how managers time the debt market when engaging in bond or loan issues. 5. Empirically proving how stylized factors and market-timing behaviour influences the transaction of equity, bond and loan issues as well as of share repurchases. 6. Finally, discussing how far the stylized facts can be explained by existing capital structure theory in order to crown the theory, whose notion can best account the observed financing patterns across the world.

Submitted by MFEE Mestrado Profissional em Finanças e Economia Empresarial da EPGE (mfee@fgv.br) on 2015-02-23T22:54:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Felipe Cotrim - Versão Final.pdf: 2874262 bytes, checksum: c9adf65f93c0c6c7ad37a5c1dd872036 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2015-03-04T13:06:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Felipe Cotrim - Versão Final.pdf: 2874262 bytes, checksum: c9adf65f93c0c6c7ad37a5c1dd872036 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2015-03-04T13:06:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Felipe Cotrim - Versão Final.pdf: 2874262 bytes, checksum: c9adf65f93c0c6c7ad37a5c1dd872036 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-04T13:06:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Felipe Cotrim - Versão Final.pdf: 2874262 bytes, checksum: c9adf65f93c0c6c7ad37a5c1dd872036 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-09-17 / With lhe increase of lhe number of assei managers and an even larger a number of investments alternatives in lhe Brazilian hedge fund industry, Fund of Hedge Funds became an alternative for investors planning to diversify their investments through financiai specialists. The intention of this study is to evaluate lhe capacity of Brazilian Funds of Hedge Funds (FoHF), classified as Multimercados Multigestor, to generate abnormal returns (alpha). For this porpoise we studied a sample of 1421 Fund of Hedg Funds between January of 2005 and December of 2011. The results of multi-factor model regressions, derived from Jensen's model (1968), suggest that only 3.03% of lhe funds in lhe sample can add value. The three main potential sources of alpha generalion in Funds of Hedge Funds come from lhe strategic allocation of lhe portfolios, lhe anticipation of market movements (market timing) and lhe capacity of FoHF managers to select lhe best assei managers in lhe industry to com pose its portfolio (fund selection). To evaluate lhe Brazilian FoHF manager's ability to anticipate market movements we included quadratic terms in lhe multi-factor models, as proposed by Treynor and Mazuy (1966). The results showed lha! managers, on average, could not add value by market timing. To evaluate lhe strategic allocation ability and lhe fund's selection abilities, we created a new variable with lhe information about lhe asseis in lhe porlfolio of each fund in lhe sample in every different month. The tests indicated that FoHF managers, on average, could no! add value by selecting lhe best managers, but lhe strategic allocation ability showed a positive contribution to FoHF's return. We also studied lhe alpha generation capacity before costs. lt raised lhe percentage of funds with positive alpha to 6.39% of lhe funds in lhe sample, but it was no! able to change lhe signal of lhe average alpha, lha! remained nega tive. / Com o aumento do número de gestores especializados em um número cada vez maior de possibilidades de investimentos na indústria de fundos brasileira, os fundos Multigestor se tornaram uma alternativa para os investidores que procuram diversificar seus investimentos e delegam às instituições financeiras o trabalho de alocar os recursos dentro das diferentes estratégias e fundos existentes no mercado. O intuito deste estudo é avaliar a capacidade de gerar retornos anormais (alfa) dos fundos de fundos da indústria brasileira, classificados como Fundos Multimercados Multigestor. Para isso foi estudada uma amostra com 1.421 fundos Multigestor com tributação de Longo Prazo no período de janeiro de 2005 a dezembro de 2011. A análise dos resultados encontrados através de regressões de modelos de vários fatores, derivados do modelo de Jensen (1968), sugere que apenas 3,03% dos fundos estudados conseguem adicionar valor a seus cotistas. Foram estudadas ainda as três principais fontes potenciais de geração de alfa dos fundos de fundos, a escolha das estratégias que compõe a carteira do fundo (alocação estratégica), a antecipação de movimentos de mercado (market timing) e a capacidade selecionar os melhores fundos dentro de cada estratégia (seleção de fundos). A partir da inclusão de termos quadráticos, conforme proposto pelos modelos de Treynor e Mazuy (1966) pode-se verificar que os fundos Multigestor, em média, não conseguem adicionar valor tentando antecipar movimentos de mercado (market timing). Através da construção de uma variável explicativa com a composição estratégica de cada fundo da amostra em cada período de tempo, pode-se verificar que os gestores de fundos de fundos, em média, também fracassam ao tentar selecionar os melhores fundos/gestores da indústria. Já a escolha das estratégias que compõe a carteira do fundo (alocação estratégica) mostrou contribuir positivamente para o retorno dos fundos. Ainda foi avaliada a capacidade de gerar alfa antes dos custos, o que elevou o percentual de fundos com alfa positivo para 6,39% dos fundos estudados, mas foi incapaz de alterar o sinal do alfa médio, que permaneceu negativo.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:31:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcos Robertoprot.pdf: 3270286 bytes, checksum: 656412122410522073af0f0ac5a7066e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-03 / Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie / The aim of this study is to verify the influence of the sector of activities, economic and market factors and business performance in the definition of capital structure. It uses data from Economática with 415 Brazilian companies that operated in the capital market (BM&FBOVESPA), between 2001 and 2014, to examine the behavior to such dimensions and their adherence to the wider theoretical set today. Inappropriate decisions of capital structure raises the cost of capital, hindering acceptable investments that maximize the wealth of the owners. Many studies regarding the indebtedness of companies were made in recent decades, but so far has no obvious response of relevance or lack thereof. In this sense, one can conclude that we do not have a theory fully accepted on the capital structure. It is difficult to generalize about funding policies because they differ widely from company to company and in the various sectors of activity. The specific variables to business performance continue to be used exhaustively to seek underpin a theoretical framework on the subject. Other studies, on a smaller scale, mainly in Brazil, investigate a possible influence of the sectors of activity and the economics and market conditions / restrictions in the choice of capital structure. In this sense, realizing the gap of capital structure studies in Brazil, that address sectors of activity and economic and market variables, it opens up the opportunity for this research project. As a result it appears that, after robust regression problems correct order autocorrelation of errors and heteroscedasticity, the variables average leverage of sector, investment of sector, Ibovespa, GDP, inflation, market-to-book, Tobin's Q, profitability, liquidity, growth and business risk were statistically significant in order to explain the variations dependent variable, ie, leverage the market value. Other variables, such as concentration of the sector, interest rate, size and tangibility, did not show, after the robust regression, statistical significance. As a result it appears that, after robust regression correct order autocorrelation problems of errors and heteroscedasticity, the average leverage variables sector, industry investment, Ibovespa, gdp, inflation, market-to-book, Tobin's Q, profitability, liquidity, growth and business risk were statistically significant in order to explain the variations of the dependent variable, ie, leverage at market value. Other variables, such as concentration of the sector, interest rate, size and tangibility, did not show, after the robust regression, statistical significance. / O objetivo principal deste estudo é verificar a influência do setor de atividades, dos fatores econômicos e de mercado e do desempenho empresarial na definição da estrutura de capital. Utiliza-se de dados da Economática com 415 empresas brasileiras que atuaram no mercado de capitais (BM&FBOVESPA), no período entre 2001 e 2014, buscando examinar o comportamento de tais dimensões e sua aderência ao conjunto teórico mais difundido atualmente. Decisões inadequadas de estrutura de capital eleva o custo de capital, dificultando investimentos aceitáveis que maximize a riqueza dos proprietários. Muitos estudos em relação ao endividamento das empresas foram realizados nas últimas décadas, mas, até agora, não foi encontrada uma resposta de relevância ou falta dela. Neste sentido, pode-se concluir que não temos ainda uma teoria totalmente aceita sobre a estrutura de capital. É difícil generalizar sobre políticas de financiamento, pois elas diferem bastante de empresa para empresa e nos diversos setores de atividades. As variáveis específicas de desempenho empresarial continuam sendo usadas de forma exaustiva para buscar alicerçar um arcabouço teórico a respeito do tema. Outros estudos, em menor escala, principalmente no Brasil, investigam uma possível influência do setor de atividade e das condições/restrições econômicas e de mercado na escolha da estrutura de capital. Neste sentido, percebendo a lacuna de estudos de estrutura de capital no Brasil, que contemplem setor de atividades e variáveis econômicas e de mercado, abre-se a oportunidade para a contribuição deste projeto de pesquisa. Como resultado constata-se que, após regressão robusta visando corrigir problemas de autocorrelação dos erros e heterocedasticidade, que as variáveis alavancagem média do setor, investimentos do setor, Ibovespa, pib, inflação, market-to-book, Q de Tobin, lucratividade, liquidez, crescimento e risco do negócio apresentaram significância estatística, no sentido de explicar as variações da variável dependente, ou seja, a alavancagem a valor de mercado. Outras variáveis, como concentração do setor, taxa de juros, tamanho e tangibilidade, não apresentaram, depois da regressão robusta, significância estatística.

The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the closure of these aforementioned research gaps. Answering these calls, the following research objectives are proposed: 1. Understanding the main factors that have an influence on the capital structure decision of firms. 2. Understanding how the capital structure of firms differs among various industries and to fathom cross-sectional differences in the importance of debt determinants among industries. 3. Investigating the influence of time on the capital structure decision of firms. In specific, it must be found out whether certain debt determinants alter their effect on the capital structure decision of firms over time. 4. Studying the market-timing effect of debt financing. It must be researched how managers time the debt market when engaging in bond or loan issues. 5. Empirically proving how stylized factors and market-timing behaviour influences the transaction of equity, bond and loan issues as well as of share repurchases. 6. Finally, discussing how far the stylized facts can be explained by existing capital structure theory in order to crown the theory, whose notion can best account the observed financing patterns across the world.

American Depository Receipts (ADRs) represent shares of foreign firms that are issued and traded in the U.S. Since an ADR and its underlying shares represent ownership interest of the same firm, they should be perfect substitutes in a perfect market. However, market imperfections such as differences in information environment, liquidity, investment and trading restrictions, taxes, control right, corporate governance might make them less-than-perfect substitutes. These imperfections, on the other hand, also present opportunities for research. This dissertation consists of two essays on ADRs, both related to the effects of less-thanperfect information. Specifically, the first essay examines the return and volatility transfers between ADRs and their underlying home shares. Our investigation differs from the previous studies in that we cover substantially more countries and that we attempt to explain the variations in the extents of transfer effects both across firms and across countries. Various hypotheses are developed, based on the premise that barriers associated with trading, investments, and corporate governance would lower the extent or effectiveness of transfers. Overall, our empirical results support these hypotheses. The second essay takes the viewpoint of the issuing firms. Supposedly, an issuer's timing and dollar amount raised depend on the conditions of three markets: its home equity market, the U.S. equity market, and the currency market. From purely the standpoint of information accessibility, ADR issuers are likely to time their issues or set their amounts with respect to the conditions of the home equity market and/or currency market, with which they are more familiar. On the other hand, issuers typically employ the assistance of U.S. investment banks, and therefore they may be well-informed about the U.S. equity market. This is largely an empirical issue. Generally, our empirical results are mixed, but there is somewhat stronger evidence for the U.S. equity market being more important when setting the issue amount. There is also evidence that suggests regulations having influences on such activities.

<p>This study seeks to evaluate the performance of unit trust managers based on their client affiliation classification. Worldwide, the number of investors investing in unit trusts is on the rise and increasingly they want to be able to evaluate the performance of the managers managing their funds so as to make better investment decisions. This increase in the asset size and number of unit trusts funds could be attributed but not limited to the low capital required for investment by small investors who before could not afford to invest in portfolios requiring large capital (Prather, Bertin, and Henker, 2004). In addition, the fund managers of these units are believed to have special skills such as market timing and stock selectivity which contribute to the performances they achieve. The evaluation of the performance of unit trust fund managers is a largely unexplored area in South Africa. As a result, the study focuses on South Africa fund managers and has as aim to evaluate the performance of two groups of fund managers (independent and dependent) who were classified based on their client affiliation structure. The client affiliation classification is as a result of the fund manager‟s clientele base. The dependent group are those who formed part of a group structure and offer other wealth management services for which their clients or investors in the unit trust services originate from within the group while the independent group are those whose clients are pulled together from diverse individuals or institutions and does not form part of a group or render other services other than fund management. Two fund types were selected namely / general equity funds and balanced funds. It has also examined the underlying skills the different groups of fund managers possess. The performance of unit trust has an effect on many parties who are related in one way or the other to the unit trust funds. The results of this study will inform individual investors, trustees and asset consultants in their decision making process of selecting a fund manager. The results of the study will be of value to the asset management industry in terms of assessing their structures and restructuring the investment service business to meet the expectations of their clients / the investors. It could also be used as a marketing tool. Publicly available historical data on the returns generated by fund managers for a five year period from&nbsp / 2005 to 2009 was obtained. Analyses were done using the independent sampled t-test and the Treynor Mazel model respectively for the different research questions posed. The results obtained indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the performances of independent fund managers with those of dependent fund managers. However, dependent fund managers of equity funds performed better than their counterparts the independent fund managers. In the case of balanced funds, the independent fund managers performed better than their dependent counterparts. On average, both fund&nbsp / manager types possessed selectivity skills for equity funds and none for balanced funds. However for both fund types, the dependent fund manager demonstrated more selectivity skills than their independent counterparts. The results for market timing skills demonstrated that on average, both fund managers did not possess market timing skills for balanced funds while possessing these skills for equity funds. The dependent&nbsp / fund managers demonstrated more market timing skills for balanced funds though negative when compared to that of their counterparts. On the other hand, the equity fund independent fund&nbsp / managers demonstrated more market timing skills than the dependent fund managers.</p>

<p>This study seeks to evaluate the performance of unit trust managers based on their client affiliation classification. Worldwide, the number of investors investing in unit trusts is on the rise and increasingly they want to be able to evaluate the performance of the managers managing their funds so as to make better investment decisions. This increase in the asset size and number of unit trusts funds could be attributed but not limited to the low capital required for investment by small investors who before could not afford to invest in portfolios requiring large capital (Prather, Bertin, and Henker, 2004). In addition, the fund managers of these units are believed to have special skills such as market timing and stock selectivity which contribute to the performances they achieve. The evaluation of the performance of unit trust fund managers is a largely unexplored area in South Africa. As a result, the study focuses on South Africa fund managers and has as aim to evaluate the performance of two groups of fund managers (independent and dependent) who were classified based on their client affiliation structure. The client affiliation classification is as a result of the fund manager‟s clientele base. The dependent group are those who formed part of a group structure and offer other wealth management services for which their clients or investors in the unit trust services originate from within the group while the independent group are those whose clients are pulled together from diverse individuals or institutions and does not form part of a group or render other services other than fund management. Two fund types were selected namely / general equity funds and balanced funds. It has also examined the underlying skills the different groups of fund managers possess. The performance of unit trust has an effect on many parties who are related in one way or the other to the unit trust funds. The results of this study will inform individual investors, trustees and asset consultants in their decision making process of selecting a fund manager. The results of the study will be of value to the asset management industry in terms of assessing their structures and restructuring the investment service business to meet the expectations of their clients / the investors. It could also be used as a marketing tool. Publicly available historical data on the returns generated by fund managers for a five year period from&nbsp / 2005 to 2009 was obtained. Analyses were done using the independent sampled t-test and the Treynor Mazel model respectively for the different research questions posed. The results obtained indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the performances of independent fund managers with those of dependent fund managers. However, dependent fund managers of equity funds performed better than their counterparts the independent fund managers. In the case of balanced funds, the independent fund managers performed better than their dependent counterparts. On average, both fund&nbsp / manager types possessed selectivity skills for equity funds and none for balanced funds. However for both fund types, the dependent fund manager demonstrated more selectivity skills than their independent counterparts. The results for market timing skills demonstrated that on average, both fund managers did not possess market timing skills for balanced funds while possessing these skills for equity funds. The dependent&nbsp / fund managers demonstrated more market timing skills for balanced funds though negative when compared to that of their counterparts. On the other hand, the equity fund independent fund&nbsp / managers demonstrated more market timing skills than the dependent fund managers.</p>