This research complements and combines market microstructure theory and mechanism design to optimize the market structure of financial markets systematically. We develop an agent-based model featuring near-zero-intelligence traders operating in a call market with a wide range of trading rules governing the determination of prices, which orders are executed as well as a range of parameters regarding market intervention by market makers and the presence of informed traders. The market structure which generates the best market performance is determined by applying the search technique Population-based Incremental Learning, guided by a number of performance measures, including maximizing trading volume or price, minimizing bid-ask spread or return volatility. We investigate the credibility of our model by observing the trading behavior of near-zero-intelligence traders with stylized facts in real markets. Based on computer simulations, we conform that the model is capable to reproduce some of the most important stylized facts found in financial markets. Thereafter, we investigate the best found market structure using both single-objective optimization and multi-objective optimization techniques. Our results suggest that the best-found combination of trading rules used to enhance trading volume may not be applied to achieve other objectives, such as reducing bid-ask spread. The results of single-objective optimization experiments show that significantly large tick sizes appear in the best market structures in most cases, except for the case of maximizing trading volume. The tick size is always correlated with the selection of multi-price rules. Though there is no particular combination of priority rule and multiprice rule achieving the best market performance, the time priority rule and the closest multi-price rule are the most frequently obtained rules. The level of market transparency and the extend of market maker intervention show ambiguous results as their representative parameter values change in a wide range. We also nd that the results of multi-objective optimization experiments are much similar to those obtained in the single-objective optimization experiments, except for the market transparency represented by the fraction of informed trader, which shows a clear trend in the multi-objective optimization. Using the results obtained from this research we can derive recommendations for exchanges and regulators on establishing the optimal market structure; for securities issuers on choosing the best exchange for their listing; and for investors on choosing the most suitable exchange for trading.

In this thesis, we aim to improve forecast accuracy of a heterogenous au- toregressive model (HAR) by including market sentiment indicators based on Google search volume and Twitter sentiment. We have analysed 30 com- panies of the Dow Jones index for a period of 15 months. We have performed out-of-sample forecast and compiled a ranking of the extended models based on their relative performance. We have identified three relevant variables: daily negative tweets, daily Google search volume and weekly Google search volume. These variables improve forecast accuracy of the HAR model se- parately or in a Twitter-Google combination. Some specifications improve forecast accuracy by up to 22% for particular stocks, others impair forecast accuracy by up to 24%. The combination of daily negative tweets and weekly search volume is a superior model to the basic HAR for 17 stocks according to RMSE and for 16 stocks according to MAE and MASE. The daily nega- tive tweets specification outperforms the basic HAR for 17 and 19 stocks, respectively. And, the combination of daily negative tweets and daily search volume outpaces the basic HAR for 15 and 18 stocks, respectively. Based on the average MASE improvement, the combination of daily negative tweets and weekly search volume is a clear winner as it lowers the...

The thesis analyses election campaigns of successful parties by Lees-Marshment model. According to five basic aspects - election research, political product, implementation of product, adjustment of product and communication - the work aims to prove or disprove the hypothesis, that more market oriented political party tends to gain more political profit. Furthermore, the thesis describes financing of political parties and several negative campaigns connected to chosen parliamentary election. Thanks to questionnaire market research the work aims to analyse the factors of influence on decision-making of the first-time voters.

Submitted by Rafael Santana (rafael.silvasantana@ufpe.br) on 2017-07-14T18:10:27Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO (2016-03-01) - BRENO JOSÉ BURGOS PAREDES.pdf: 904683 bytes, checksum: 2fbedea852f504c30d0284f3763b12b3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-14T18:10:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO (2016-03-01) - BRENO JOSÉ BURGOS PAREDES.pdf: 904683 bytes, checksum: 2fbedea852f504c30d0284f3763b12b3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-01 / A avaliação de empresas apresenta-se como um tema relevante tanto para a literatura quanto para o mercado financeiro, uma vez que os agentes econômicos possuem interesse em precificar estes ativos. O presente estudo buscou avaliar o impacto dos indicadores PIB per capita, Inflação, Taxa de Juros, Taxa de Câmbio, risco, Governança Corporativa, Sustentabilidade Empresarial e crise dentro do processo de valuation das empresas brasileiras listadas nos segmentos estudados, de 1995 e 2013, por meio do Modelo de Ohlson (MO) (1995). A amostra foi composta pelos segmentos Petróleo e Gás, Siderurgia, Construção, Energia Elétrica e Financeiro da Bovespa. Esta dissertação foi estruturada com base em dois artigos, o primeiro analisou o efeito das variáveis macroeconômicas e de risco no processo de formação de valor das empresas, já o segundo, objetivou capturar o impacto dos aspectos de Governança Corporativa, Sustentabilidade Empresarial e Crise por meio de variáveis dummies. A principal contribuição deste trabalho está no uso das variáveis Risco, Governança Corporativa, Sustentabilidade Empresarial e Crise no processo de valuation. Os resultados indicam que o MO foi capaz de mensurar o valor de mercado das organizações, bem como, as variáveis SELIC, Taxa de Câmbio, IPCA, Risco e Crise demonstraram ser influenciadoras do processo de valoração. Contudo, as variáveis Governança Corporativa e Sustentabilidade Empresarial não apresentaram significância estatística. Tais achados demonstram a necessidade do aprofundamento do estudo sobre estas temáticas dentro do processo de valuation. / The company valuation is presented as an important issue both for literature and for the financial market, since economic agents have interest in pricing these assets. This study aimed to assess the impact of GDP indicators per capita, Inflation, Interest Rate, Exchange Rate Risk, Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability and crisis within the valuation process of Brazilian companies listed in the segments studied, 1995 and 2013, through the Ohlson's Model (1995). The sample was composed of the segments Oil and Gas, Steel, Construction, Energy and Financial Bovespa. This dissertation was structured based on two articles, the first analyzed the effect of macroeconomic variables and risk in the process of formation of the company value, as the second, aimed to capture the impact of aspects of Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability and Crisis through of dummy variables. The main contribution of this work is the use of variables Risk, Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability and Crisis in the valuation process. The results indicate that the Ohlson's Model was able to measure the market value of organizations, as well as the SELIC variables, Exchange Rate, IPCA, Risk and Crisis proved influencing the evaluation process. However, the variables Corporate Governance and Corporate Sustainability were not statistically significants. Such findings demonstrate the need to study the deepening of these issues within the valuation process.

This thesis pertains to international finance and models of exchange rate determination as well as efficiency of the market for foreign currency. The first chapter is an introduction where we discuss the advent of flexible exchange rate regimes and the development of monetary models of exchange rate determination as well as present a framework for this thesis. In the second chapter we consider the historical failure of monetary models of the exchange rate and revisit the standard real interest differential (RID) model (Frankel, 1979a). The Great British Pound (GBP) and Canadian Dollar (CAD) vis-à-vis the United States dollar (USD) are examined during the period 1980:Q1 -2015:Q1, a time characterized by flexible exchange rate regimes and heightened capital mobility across borders. Unit root properties of the sample variables are examined and the Johansen (1995) methodology is applied to test for cointegration. The RID model yields a single cointegrating relation however tests of long-run exclusion (LE) and weak exogeneity (WE) show that the RID model is not a coherent model of the GBP and CAD against the USD. The study is furthered by examination of the hybrid monetary model (Hunter and Ali, 2014). The hybrid model is tested for comparison with Japan, as the post 2007-2009 financial crisis period is branded by zero-lower bound interest rates, a phenomenon first experienced by Japan for any prolonged period of time. The hybrid model in addition yields a single relation however tests of LE and WE show that the long-run projection is reversed and that a coherent relationship exists between the GBP and CAD vis-à-vis the USD and variables related to monetary fundamentals as well as long-run economic activity. In the third chapter we examine efficiency of the market for foreign currency. The lead-lag pricing relationship between spot and futures rates is discussed and a panel employing data for the GBP, Australia Dollar (AUD), CAD, Brazilian Real (BRL) and South African Rand (ZAR) vis-à-vis the USD is constructed at several intervals prior to expiry. The Johansen (1995) methodology is applied and shows that spot and futures rates cointegrate and that the cointegrating vector is the basis. Unit root properties for the basis are also examined and found to be integrated of order one or I(1). We therefore show that the market for foreign currency functions efficiently and that profitable arbitrage opportunities exist that restore prices to parity levels. This study is of particular significance in view of the markets' growing share and need for greater transparency to lay down appropriate regulation that limits systematic risk. In the fourth chapter we re-examine monetary models of the exchange rate and consider the USD vis-a vis the Japanese Yen (JPY) in view of the Japanese economy's slow growth in the post 2007-2009 financial crisis period. We test the standard RID monetary model as a framework for modelling the USD/JPY exchange rate however tests of WE show that the nominal exchange rate is weakly exogenous so drives the system instead of adapting to it. The hybrid monetary model developed by Hunter and Ali (2014) is adjusted in consideration of the current period of sluggish economic growth in Japan by incorporating differentials related to traded and non-traded goods productivity (Rogoff, 1992). The adjusted hybrid model produces a single cointegrating relation and joint tests of LE and WE show that the nominal exchange rate cannot be long-run excluded and is not weakly exogenous so that the adjusted hybrid model is a coherent long-run model of the USD/JPY nominal exchange rate. In the fifth chapter we conclude and summarize the findings of the three studies presented in this thesis as well as provide practical recommendations for further study such as construction of dynamic error correction models and assessing out-of-sample forecasting performance for the extended monetary models examined in chapters two and four. Further development of the study for effectively functioning foreign exchange markets as presented in chapter three is in addition discussed in the final chapter. We contribute to the extant literature by showing in chapter two that the conventional RID monetary model of the exchange rate for the GBP and CAD vis-à-vis the USD can be rejected. A single econometric specification can be adapted to explain the long-run exchange rate for the GBP/USD exchange rate while an extended model is effective in providing an explanation of the long-run CAD/USD exchange rate. In chapter three we demonstrate that the spot and futures markets for five bilateral exchange rates function effectively across developed and developing countries. Lastly, we show in Chapter four that the model of the USD/JPY exchange rate due to Hunter and Ali (2014) appears a specific case and that the USD/JPY is not readily distinguished from a random walk in the context of a monetary model that considers traded and non-traded goods productivity differentials.

The thesis deals with the creation of a real business plan for establishing a company offering a pop-up store service in the city center of Brno. The thesis is based on the theoretical background describing current forms of sales with focus on the main idea of the plan, creation of a business model, structure of a business plan, especially analytical-research methods, which are used in the following up analytical part of the thesis. The proposal part follows the results of the analyzes and describes the strategy of the start-up, its connection to the created business model, which is further elaborated into partial parts of the business plan.

Diploma thesis deals with the creation of a real business plan that offers zero waste products in the city of Topoľčany, Slovakia. The theoretical part focuses on the main idea of the business plan, including a description of used analytical-research methods that aims at the planning and the structured content of the business plan. The analytical part contains particular outputs of processed analyses and research, based on which the most suitable strategy for a starting company is then selected. The last part of the diploma thesis elaborates on the selected strategy into particular structure parts of the business plan

We investigate the practical use of Taylor-type rules in Trinidad and Tobago, which is in the process of implementing market based monetary policy and seeks to implement flexible inflation targeting in the presence of a managed exchange rate. This is motivated by the idea that normative Taylor rules can be shaped by the practical experience of developing countries. We find that the inflation – exchange rate nexus is strong, hence the country may be unwilling to allow the exchange rate to float freely. We contend that despite weak market development the Taylor rule can still be applied as the central bank is able to use moral suasion to achieve full pass through of the policy rate to the market rate. Our evidence rejects Galí and Monacelli’s (2005) argument that the optimal monetary policy rule for the open economy is isomorphic for a closed economy. Rather, our evidence suggests that the rule for the open economy allows for lower variability when the rule is augmented by the real exchange rate as in Taylor (2001). We also reject Galí and Monacelli’s (2005) hypothesis that domestic inflation is optimal for inclusion in the Taylor-type rule. Instead we find that core CPI inflation leads to lower variability. Additionally, our evidence suggests that the monetary rule, when applied to Trinidad and Tobago, is accommodating to the US Federal Reserve rate. Further, we expand the work of Martin and Milas (2010) which considered the pass through of the policy rate to the interbank rate in the presence of risk and liquidity. By extending the transmission to the market lending rate, we are able to go beyond those disruptive factors by considering excess liquidity and spillovers of international economic disturbances. We found that these shocks are significant for Trinidad and Tobago, but it is not significant enough to disrupt the pass through. As a result, full pass through was robust to the presence of these disruptive factors.

The subject of this thesis is to build a business plan to establish a wellness centre. The wellness centre will be located in Slavkov u Brna and the main services that will be offered include massages, thermal baths, sauna and body treatments. Part of the business plan is to analyse the surroundings, the staffing and marketing and financial plan. A business plan serves as the basis for a decision on the project implementation.

This thesis considers the proposed business plan which outlines the present difficult conditions which exist in the company. It is derived from a complex analys of the company surroundings, changes and estimates of internal performance parameters aligned to the agreed strategic design. The objective is to produce a definitive document which sets out a clear statement of the future direction of the business and its desired position including the identification of the resources required to achieve that goal