abstract: Although margin trading has significant impacts on the stock market, extant research has mainly focused on its effect on stock price volatility and has rarely examined its influence on the rate of returns. In addition, little systematic research has examined the differential effects of margin trading under different circumstances. This thesis examines the effects of margin trading in bull market, bear market, balanced market and among stocks included in main board, SMEs(small and medium-sized enterprises) board, GEM(growth enterprises board), as well as large-cap and small-cap in China. I further studied the long-, medium-, and short-term influences of margin trading on the volatility of stock price, return rate, and liquidity of the market by both using the SVAR model and conducting panel data analyses. The findings show that: a)Volatility. Margin trading can effectively curtail the medium- and short-term volatility of the share price under any market condition but has no prominent influence on long-term volatility. b)Profitability. Margin trading enhances profitability in the bull market with an apparent leverage effect while having no significant effects on short-term profitability in the balanced market and the bear market. c) Individual shares with different attributes. The influences of margin trading on the large-cap and small-cap shares, shares with high vs. low PE ratio, shares included in the main board and SMEs stocks vary in different types of market. d) Liquidity. The influences of margin trading on the fluidity of market are significantly different in the bull, bear, and balanced markets. Finally, I set up a new trading strategy based on the above conclusions. The result from hypothetical trading demonstrates that the newly-created trading strategy works better than the long-term holding strategy, highlighting the practical implications of this thesis in addition to its implications for research / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2018

Uma crítica que corrobora a não convergência entre o Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) e o International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) baseia-se na discordância quanto a mensuração a valor justo de alguns tipos de instrumentos financeiros, pois argumenta-se que essa prática pode aferir volatilidade aos resultados das empresas, o que impactaria o desempenho de suas ações no mercado de capitais. Assim, o presente trabalho propõe-se a verificar se a adoção das International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) no tocante a mensuração e reconhecimento dos instrumentos financeiros, mais especificamente para o grupo classificado em \"Ativos e Passivos Financeiros Mensurados a Valor Justo por meio do Resultado\", levou a uma maior volatilidade dos resultados contábeis. Para isso, optou-se por analisar o caso brasileiro, porque tal país passou pelo processo de Full Adoption das IFRS. Desse modo, adotou-se testes estatísticos que analisaram a diferença entre as variâncias dos lucros líquidos que consideram instrumentos financeiros avaliados a valor justo e a custo histórico amortizado, no período entre 2010 e 2016, das empresas brasileiras de capital aberto não financeiras e bancos com maior Presença em Bolsa. Após analisar o efeito dos ganhos e perdas não realizados, oriundos do ajuste a valor justo, de instrumentos financeiros sob o resultado, constatou-se uma tendência a suavização, redução da volatilidade, dos lucros líquidos, tanto para a amostra de empresas não-financeiras quanto para a de bancos, e não de aumento da volatilidade como era argumentado por alguns críticos a adoção do valor justo. Com base nas análises da amostra de empresas não-financeiras, o reconhecimento do ajuste a valor justo de instrumentos financeiros no resultado afetou significativamente a volatilidade do resultado contábil, contudo, segundo essas analises não se pode afirmar quanto ao efeito desse impacto, se houve propensão ao aumento da volatilidade ou a suavização dos lucros. Ao realizar as análises descritivas dessa amostra, observou-se um efeito de suavização na média, uma vez que o desvio-padrão do lucro líquido que considera instrumentos financeiros avaliados a valor justo apresentou uma média e um desvio-padrão inferiores ao do desvio-padrão do lucro líquido que os considera a custo histórico. Já as análises da amostra de bancos evidenciaram que o reconhecimento do ajuste a valor justo de instrumentos financeiros no resultado tendeu a reduzir significativamente a volatilidade, observando-se em média uma suavização do resultado contábil. Essa tendência a redução da volatilidade pode ser advinda de: gestões de risco responsáveis; uso de instrumentos financeiros, predominante, para fins de hedge; uma provável escassez do uso da classificação de \"instrumentos financeiros avaliados a valor justo por meio do resultado\"; ou, gestões que realizem escolhas do tipo \"cherry-pincking\". Inclusive, um dos modelos aplicados identificou, em ambas amostras, indícios da realização da prática de \"cherry-pincking\", um tipo de gerenciamento de resultado baseado em escolhas operacionais vantajosas e oportunistas que têm consequências na classificação contábil. Além disso, tal tendência a redução da volatilidade pode apresentar um impacto positivo na avaliação dessas empresas pelo mercado de capitais e por seus credores, já que tais usuários primários da informação contábil apresentam uma preferência por lucros consistentes ao longo do tempo, devido a sua aversão ao risco / One of the criticisms that supports the non-convergence between the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is based on disagreement with the measurement at fair value of certain types of financial instruments, because it is argued that this practice can measure volatility to earnings, which would impact the performance of its shares in the capital market. Thus, this study aims to verify whether the adoption of standards International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) regarding the measurement and recognition of financial instruments, specifically for the group classified as \"Financial Asset or Financial Liability at Fair Value through Profit or Loss\" or \"Held for Trading\", caused greater volatility of earnings. For this, we chose to analyze the Brazilian case, because that country passed through the Full Adoption of IFRS process. Accordingly, it adopted statistical tests that analyzes the difference between the variances of the net incomes that consider financial instruments measured at fair value and amortized historical cost of Brazilian publicly traded non-financial companies and banks, with a greater Presence on the Stock Market, during the period between 2010 and 2016. After analyzing the effect of the unrealized gain and loss, resulting from the adjustment to fair value, of financial instruments recognized in net income, there was a tendency to income smoothing, reduce volatility, both for non-financial companies and for banks, rather than increased volatility as some critics argued the adoption of fair value. Based on the analysis of the non-financial companies sample, the recognition of the fair value adjustment of financial instruments in the result significantly affected the volatility of the accounting profit, however, according to these analyzes, it cannot be stated as to the effect of this impact, if there was a trend increasing volatility or smoothing profits. When conducting the descriptive analyzes of this sample, a smoothing effect was observed in the mean, since the standard deviation of the net profit that considers financial instruments evaluated at fair value presented a mean and a standard deviation lower than the standard deviation of the net profit that considers them at historical cost. The analysis of the banks sample showed that the recognition of the adjustment to fair value of financial instruments in the result tended to significantly reduce the volatility, observing, on average, a smoothing of the accounting profit. This trend to reduce volatility can be derived from: responsible risk management; use of financial instruments predominantly for hedge purposes; a probable shortfall in the use of the classification of \"financial instruments measured at fair value through profit or loss\"; or, cherry-pincking choices. In addition, one of the applied models identified, in both samples, indications of the practice of cherry-pincking, a type of result management based on advantageous and opportunistic operational choices that have consequences in accounting assignment. Furthermore, this trend of reducing volatilitymay have a positive impact on the valuation of these companies by the stock markets and by their creditors, since such primary users of accounting information show a preference for consistent profits over time due to their risk aversion

This thesis analyzes various text classification techniques in order to assess whether the knowledge of published news articles about selected companies can improve its' stock return volatility modelling and forecasting. We examine the content of the textual news releases and derive the news sentiment (po­ larity and strength) employing three different approaches: supervised machine learning Naive Bayes algorithm, lexicon-based as a representative of linguistic approach and hybrid Naive Bayes. In hybrid Naive Bayes we consider only the words contained in the specific lexicon rather than whole set of words from the article. For the lexicon-based approach we used independently two lexicons one with binary another with multiclass labels. The training set for the Naive Bayes was labeled by the author. When comparing the classifiers from the machine learning approach we can conclude that all of them performed similarly with a slight advantage of the hybrid Naive Bayes combined with multiclass lexicon. The resulting quantitative data in form of sentiment scores will be then incorpo­ rated into GARCH volatility modelling. The findings suggest that information contained in news feeds does bring an additional explanatory power to tradi­ tional GARCH model and is able to improve it's forecast. On the...

In this paper, we provide a parsimonious means of estimating panel VARs with stochastic volatility. We assume that coefficients associated with domestic lagged endogenous variables arise from a finite mixture of Gaussian distribution. Shrinkage on the cluster size is introduced through suitable priors on the component weights and cluster-relevant quantities are identified through novel normal-gamma shrinkage priors. To assess whether dynamic interdependencies between units are needed, we moreover impose shrinkage priors on the coefficients related to other countries' endogenous variables. Finally, our model controls for static interdependencies by assuming that the reduced form shocks of the model feature a factor stochastic volatility structure. We assess the merits of the proposed approach by using synthetic data as well as a real data application. In the empirical application, we forecast Eurozone unemployment rates and show that our proposed approach works well in terms of predictions. / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing is growing rapidly. Previous research in the area, has mostly been centered around ESG/CSR and its link to corporate financial performance, cost of capital and idiosyncratic risk. Furthermore, relevant previous research is presented that in part challenges the traditional market models and suggests that total risk is a relevant risk factor, instead of only the systematic risk, as proposed by normative theory. In this study, we develop two separate panel regression models, with separate dependent variables. Realized volatility and a GARCH (1,1) estimate of volatility. This is done in order to gain insight into if there is, as propositioned, a negative relation between high ESG/CSR performance and volatility of the shares, i.e. the total risk of the shares. The study uses ESG and financial data from Thomson Reuters Eikon database. The sample size is 481 firms from the S&P 500 Index, for the years 2009-2016. The results of this study indicate that there is a statistically significant negative relationship between high ESG/CSR performance and share price volatility. This result adds to the discussion that challenges existing theory.

This paper studies how high-frequency trading (HFT) affects the Swedish stock market quality based on volatility and liquidity measures. Previous studies show ambiguous results where a few propose that HFT deteriorates market quality by increasing volatility and decreasing liquidity while some studies point in the opposite direction.By setting up a simultaneous equations system with instrumental variables and estimating the parameters with Generalized Methods of Moments (GMM), this paper finds that in the majority of the investigated stocks high-frequency trading activity reduces bid ask spreads and therefore increases liquidity, i.e. enhancing market quality. Additionally, the results also show that the volatility decreases through high-frequency trading activity. Hence, both measures are indicating that the market quality is positively affected by high-frequency trading.However, interesting is the analysis and discussion on whether high-frequency trading strategies such as spoofing and layering potentially can contribute to false liquidity. This would mean that the market quality is impaired due to HFT. This paper also examines the reversed relationship, how the liquidity and volatility affect HFT activity and conclude that HFT is not affected by how liquid or volatile the market is.

As technological changes have revolutionized the way financials assets are traded today, algorithmic trading has grown to become a major part of the world's stock markets. This study aims to explore algorithmic trading through the eyes of different market operators. The market operators have, partly based on the stakeholder theory, been categorized into six categories, namely private investors, day traders, banks, the stock market, algorithmic developers and regulators. In this study we used a qualitative research design and 11 semistructured interviews have been conducted with the market operators about the main categories risks, volatility, liquidity and monitoring. The results contributed a broader view of algorithmic trading. Respondents saw a lot of risks with the business, but the majority did not express any serious concerns about this. Volatility and liquidity were considered to be affected in both directions, depending on context. Regarding monitoring of algorithmic trading, respondents considered it necessary, but the answers differ if the current monitoringis sufficient or not. The empirical results are partly in line with previous research.

O tema deste estudo é o papel dos partidos políticos brasileiros no momento eleitoral sob o prisma da volatilidade eleitoral. A questão da volatilidade é um dos principais tópicos de análise na área eleitoral e, em especial, sobre sistema partidário e sua evolução. Diz respeito à estabilidade/mudança, no tempo, da direção partidária do voto por parte do eleitor. No Brasil, o debate se trava em torno da institucionalização do sistema partidário e da relação deste com o eleitorado. Argumenta-se, de modo geral, que os partidos brasileiros manteriam relação fluída com os eleitores, o que configuraria um quadro de competição eleitoral instável e volúvel. Os paradigmas teóricos mobilizados pela abordagem tradicional são inspirados na sociologia política e eleitoral, e apontam, em geral, a falta de correspondência sólida entre partidos e clivagens sociais. Busco apresentar nesta dissertação uma versão alternativa. A fundamentação do argumento se dá, do ponto de vista teórico, por meio da reconstrução do caminho percorrido pela noção de volatilidade eleitoral, tal como ele se desenvolve na academia européia, conjugada com um diálogo com outro conjunto de literatura, encontrado marcadamente na academia americana, de inspiração institucionalista e na escola da escolha racional, interessado na competição eleitoral. Esse embasamento possibilitará uma visão teórica e analítica diversa da literatura nacional sobre o fenômeno da volatilidade no Brasil. Do ponto de vista empírico, proponho uma mudança de foco em relação aos estudos tradicionais: enquanto esses analisam os pleitos legislativos, defendo que estudos centrados nos cargos executivos possibilitam uma visão mais acurada sobre volatilidade e sistema partidário, pois essas são as disputas mais importantes para os partidos e para os eleitores. O objeto empírico deste estudo são os resultados eleitorais para o estado de São Paulo, nas eleições para cargos do Executivo, ou seja, presidente, governador, e prefeito da capital, nos anos de 1982 a 2008, com foco no período pós-94. A hipótese da pesquisa é que a volatilidade eleitoral, mensurada pelo índice de Pedersen, tradicional na literatura, é causada, em grande medida, por estratégias dos partidos políticos, ao decidirem pelo lançamento e retirada de candidaturas, não se devendo, necessariamente, a debilidades do sistema partidário ou ao comportamento e preferências instáveis do eleitor. Obviamente, existem mudanças de preferências, mas procuro mostrar que em São Paulo os partidos apresentaram bases eleitorais definidas. / The central theme of this work is the role of Brazilian political parties and electoral volatility at the time of election. Volatility is one of the major topics of analysis concerning electoral studies and the evolution of party systems. It addresses the stability and change, during certain period of time, of the electors vote for any given party. In Brazil, the debate deals with the institutionalization of the party system and its relationship with the electorate. It is generally argued that Brazilian parties maintain a fluid relationship with voters, which configures an unstable and fickle electoral competition framework. The theoretical paradigms used by the main approach are inspired by electoral and political sociology, and they tend to indicate, in general, the lack of strong correspondence between parties and social cleavages. In this dissertation, I offer an alternative approach. Theoretically, the ground of my argument is given by reconstructing the discussion of electoral volatility, as it has developed in the European academy, combined with a dialogue with another set of literature, found notably in the American academy, inspired by institutionalist and rational choice school, interested in electoral competition. This foundation will enable a theoretical and analytical vision different from the traditional literature about electoral volatility in Brazil. I propose an empirical change of focus, from the analysis of legislative elections, as it was common in brazilian studies, to an executive-centered analysis. I argue that executive-centered studies enable a more accurate view of volatility and party system, since executive disputes are more importante both for parties and voters. The empirical object of this work are the election results of the state of São Paulo, in Executive elections, President, Governor and Mayor of capital, from 1982 to 2008, focusing on the post-94 period. My hypothesis is that electoral volatility, as measured by the Pedersen index, is largely caused by political parties strategies and decisions of who should and who should not be its candidates. Thus electoral volatility should not necessarily be caused by the weaknesses of brazilian party system or unstable behavior and preferences of voters. Obviously, there are changes in preferences, but I try to show that in São Paulo, parties had well defined constituencies.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a volatilidade dos mercados de renda fixa e renda variável no Brasil, no período de março de 1986 até fevereiro de 2006, por meio do CDI (Certificado de Depósito Interfinanceiro) e IRF-M (Índice de Renda Fixa de Mercado), como indicadores do mercado de renda fixa, e o IBOVESPA (Índice da BOVESPA), como indicador de renda variável. Por meio da comparação da volatilidade destes ativos é possível observar se há coincidência temporal entre os dois mercados, em relação aos picos de volatilidade devido, principalmente, a influência de variáveis macroeconômicas. Tal análise é importante para que os gestores de portfólios, que tomam decisões de como alocar os investimentos, conheçam o histórico e o corrente relacionamento entre as volatilidades dos dois mercados. As volatilidades do mercado de renda fixa e do mercado de renda variável foram calculadas por meio do desvio padrão anual dos retornos mensais e por meio de um modelo GARCH(1,1). Os resultados mostram que, no Brasil, durante o período analisado, os dois mercados apresentaram: períodos coincidentes de picos de volatilidade, grande mudança no padrão comportamental das volatilidades após a implantação do Plano Real e pouca estabilidade na relação entre as volatilidades. / This work aims to study the volatility of the fixed income market and the stock market in Brazil, from March 1986 to February 2006, through CDI (Interbank Interest Rate), IRF-M (Fixed Income Index), as a fixed income market indicators, and IBOVESPA (BOVESPA index), as a stock market indicator. Through the comparison of the volatility of these assets it is possible to observe if there is time frame coincidence between the two markets, in relation to the peaks of volatility due to, mainly the influence of macroeconomics variables. Such analysis is important so that portfolio managers, responsible for decisions such investments allocation, know the history and the actual relationship between the markets volatility. Such analysis is important so that portfolio managers, responsible for decisions such investments allocation, know the history and the actual relationship between the markets volatility. Those fixed income market and stock markets volatilities were calculated through the annual standard deviation of the monthly returns and from a GARCH(1,1) model. The results show that, in Brazil, during the studied period, both markets presents: coincident volatility peaks periods, high change in the behavioral pattern of volatility after the deployment of the Plano Real and little stability in the relationship between the volatility.

Desde Markowitz (1952), a volatilidade tem ocupado um papel de grande importância dentro da moderna teoria das finanças. Durante muito tempo, a mensuração da volatilidade tem sido realizada a partir de dados diários. No entanto, a disponibilização de dados intradiários, somada à redução do custo de aquisição destes, tem permitido a criação de modelos baseados nestes dados, o que permite incorporar mais informação, e em teoria, proporcionar previsões mais eficientes em comparação aos modelos que incorporam dados diários apenas. Dessa forma, o objetivo foi verificar se a modelagem da volatilidade a partir da utilização de dados diários é mais eficiente que a modelagem a partir de dados diários em termos de previsão da volatilidade futura. Utilizou-se, para comparar os modelos, a lucratividade de operações estruturadas no mercado de derivativos entre janeiro e abril de 2011. Os resultados demonstram que tantos os modelos baseados em dados diários como intradiarios apresentaram resultados satisfatórios em termos de previsão da volatilidade futura, tendo, entretanto, os modelos intradiários apresentado mais consistentes se comparado aos modelos diários, além de serem mais simples de serem estimados. / Since Markowitz (1952), volatility has played a major role in modern finance theory. For a long time, the measurement of volatility has been made from daily data. However, the availability of intraday data, added to reduce of the cost of these has allowed the creation of models based on these data, which allows to incorporate more information, and, in theory, provide more efficient forecasts compared to models that incorporate daily data only. Thus, the objective was to verify if the modeling of volatility from the use of daily data is more efficient than the model from daily data in terms of forecasting future volatility. Was used to compare the models, the profitability of structured transactions in the derivatives market between January and April 2011. The results show that both daily and intraday models showed satisfactory results in terms of forecasting future volatility, with, however, higher consistent of intraday models compared to daily models, being simpler to estimated them too.