The purpose and intent of this study is to conduct comparative research between domestic and foreign investors in regard to short selling positions on the Swedish financial market. The performance differences are measured by compounding short selling positions by the investors between 2015-2018. Two comparative methods were utilized to conduct this research: The cumulative abnormal return (CAR) and the buy-and-hold abnormal return, with each calculation being utilized in accordance with Barber & Lyon (1997). The produced results have been scrutinized via univariate descriptive statistics (t-test) and a regression in order to verify if there is any significant difference between the investors. The result of the study shows that there is a tangible, noteworthy difference in an average performance amongst the investors. We can now recognize that foreign investors who hold their short selling positions for a longer time-period demonstrate better performance. To compare with the domestic investors, their displayed trading behavior seems to be more unpredictable and they have not been performing as good in this selected time-interval.

The European financial market is rapidly changing with emerging fintechs targeting the banks’ traditional value chain, leveraging on their lower pace of innovation. The Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) is put into force in 2018 and aims to open up the financial market to new competitors, thus, promoting positive competition. This study examines how the managerial perception of changes in the external environment, caused by PSD2, affects banks’ preparatory work. The study uses a mix of Market Based View and Resource Based View along with an extension of RBV, illuminating how capabilities and managerial cognition affects managerial action. Using a qualitative approach through an interview based comparison between managers of two Swedish banks, the study confirms the theories’ stating that managerial cognition of the external environment, comprised of perceived opportunities and threats, affects managerial preparatory actions. Additionally, the study shows that managers’ perception of organisational capabilities affects managerial action.