Ce mémoire traite des diverses agences de notation et de l'importance qu'elles accordent aux fluctuations du nationalisme dans l'émission des cotes de crédit du Québec de 1970 à 2012. Plus spécifiquement, il a pour objectif de traiter de la situation des finances publiques du Québec, de démystifier le rôle de la notation financière et de déterminer si le nationalisme québécois est une variable spécifique prépondérante dans le processus d'évaluation des agences de notation. L'analyse statistique occupe une portion importante de la démonstration. Ce faisant, il est possible d'établir des modèles, voire des préférences méthodologiques, pour chacune des agences de notation à l'étude dans ce document. Les résultats de cette recherche démontrent que le nationalisme québécois n'est pas une variable spécifique prépondérante dans l'évaluation des agences de notation à l'endroit du Québec mais que ce sont plutôt les facteurs institutionnels et fiscaux qui vont primer lors de l'émission des cotes de crédit.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the usefulness of statistical decomposition measures in the prediction of industrial bond rating changes. Further, the predictive ability of decomposition measures is compared with multiple discriminant analysis on the same sample. The problem of this study is twofold. It stems in general from the statistical problems associated with current techniques employed in the study of bond ratings and in particular from the lack of attention to the study of bond rating changes. Two main hypotheses are tested in this study. The first is that bond rating changes can be predicted through the use of financial statement data. The second is that decomposition analysis can achieve the same performance as multiple discriminant analysis in duplicating and predicting industrial bond rating changes. To explain and predict industrial bond rating changes, statistical decomposition measures were computed for each company in the sample. Based on these decomposition measures, the two types of analyses performed were (a) a univariate analysis where each decomposition measure was compared with an industry average decomposition measure, and (b) a multivariate analysis where decomposition measures were used as independent variables in a probability linear model. In addition to statistical decomposition analysis, multiple discriminant analysis was used in duplicating and predicting bond rating changes. Finally, a comparison was made between the predictive abilities of decomposition analysis and discriminant analysis.

This dissertation examines the reaction of common stock prices to the announcement of changes in bond ratings by Moody's Bond Service, while having a control for differential information availability. The Institutional Brokers Estimate System (I/B/E/S) number of security analysts and coefficient of variation of earning per share (EPS) estimates are used as a proxy for information availability of the firms. Past studies differs in their conclusions as to whether the market has responded to announcement of bond rating changes. None of past studies have controlled for differential information availability. This study, using daily stock returns data and the event study methodology with the statistical test, finds that while the sample of rating downgrades exhibit significantly negative abnormal price effect during the announcement period, the magnitude of this effect is significantly higher for firms with low information availability. For the rating upgrades, the sample as a whole has no abnormal announcement period returns, but the sample of firms with lower information earns significantly positive abnormal returns. This study provides support for the hypothesis that the announcement effect of bond-rating changes is conditional on the information available about the firm.

This dissertation deals with one aspect of how city officials respond to community needs. It is about the decisions of governments on how to secure the financial resources needed to fulfill their obligations to the public. The study explores the factors that influence officials' decisions to issue debt. It is different from other municipal bond studies in that it focuses on the behavior of bond issuers rather than bond investors and the rating agencies.

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研發支出之會計處理，一直以來，因著研究發展之特性，始終有著相當分歧的看法。由於研究發展支出具有長期性及未來的經濟效益，有人主張將其以「資本化」方式處理；亦由於研究發展支出具有高度的風險與不確定性，有人主張將其以「費用化」方式處理。 Shi(2003)認為研究發展支出資本化與費用化之爭論，正反映了研發支出未來效益及其風險間之抵換關係(trade-off)，亦即，若研發支出之未來效益大於其風險，則較傾向將其資本化，其會計處理同於一般的無形資產；相反地，若研發之風險大於其未來效益，則較傾向將其以費用化方式處理，於發生當期即以費用入帳。 本研究以台灣債券市場為研究對象，探討研發支出未來效益與風險間之抵換關係，文中檢視「債券風險衡量因子」(bond risk measures)與「研究發展支出」之相關性，並以「債信評等等級」與「債券風險溢酬」為債券風險衡量因子，決定平均數效果(預期未來效益)與變異數效果(風險)於債券的評價上何者較為顯著。 一般而言，以債券投資者的角度觀之，若「債券風險衡量因子」與「研究發展支出」兩者呈現負相關，亦即平均數效果較強，則代表研究發展之未來預期效益大於研究發展之風險；若此兩者呈現正相關，亦即變異數效果較強，則代表研究發展之風險大於研究發展之未來預期效益。本研究之實證結果與發現如下： 1.對全體樣本而言，研發支出與債信評等等級呈顯著之正相關(本研究採用TCRI為債信評等衡量變數，等級愈高，風險愈大)，代表研發支出之風險大於其未來效益。然研發支出與債券風險溢酬之關係未達統計顯著水準，無法再次驗證上述結果。 2.對電子業樣本而言，與上述對全體樣本之結論相同。 3.對非電子業樣本而言，研發支出與債券風險溢酬為顯著之負相關，代表研發支出之未來效益大於其風險。然研發支出與債信評等等級之關係未達統計顯著水準，無法再次驗證上述結果。 4.在全體樣本、電子業樣本、及非電子業樣本中，將研發支出以費用化或資本化方式予以衡量，兩者之實證結果並無不同，顯示兩者對研發支出未來效益與風險間之抵換關係並無顯著差異存在。 5.電子業與非電子業所獲之結論不同，再次驗證產業別對於研發支出之效果確實有其差異性。 6.針對電子業而言，本研究之實證結果較傾向以費用化之方式處理其研發支出；然針對非電子業而言，較傾向以資本化之方式處理之。 / The debate about the alternative accounting treatments of R&D expenditures reflects trade-offs between the future benefits of R&D and its risk. In general, if the uncertainty regarding future benefits is not so high that it disqualifies the measurability criterion of asset recognition, then one may argue in favor of capitalizing R&D expenditures (as is typical for intangible investment). Conversely, if future outcomes are risky and unpredictable, the expensing treatment may be warranted. This is study examines the associations among bond risk measures (bond rating and risk premium) and R&D expenditures to determine whether their mean effect (expected future benefits) or their variance effect (risk) is more significant in pricing bonds. In general, from the perspective of bondholders, a negative correlation between bond risk parameter and R&D expenditures would indicate a stronger mean effect; that is, the expected future benefits of R&D expenditures are more than enough to compensate for the added risk of R&D. Conversely, a positive correlation would imply a stronger variance effect that swamps the mean effect of future benefits from R&D expenditures. The empirical results indicate follows: (1) For all samples, R&D expenditures are significantly positively associated with bond rating. The evidence suggests that, from the perspective of bondholders, the risk and uncertainties of R&D appear to dominate its expected future benefits. However, R&D expenditures have no significant effect on risk premium. (2) For electronic industry samples, the empirical results are the same with all samples. (3) For nonelectronic industry samples, R&D expenditures are significantly negatively associated with risk premium. The evidence suggests that, from the perspective of bondholders, the expected future benefits of R&D appear to dominate its risk. However R&D expenditures have no significant effect on bond rating. (4) The interpretation of this issue are not significant different through the expensing and capitalizing of R&D expenditures. (5) The industry effect is supported by the empirical results that show different effects of R&D on the bond risk measures between electronic industry and the nonelectronic industry. (6) The results indicate that it may be in favor of expensing R&D expenditures for electronic industry and capitalizing R&D expenditures for nonelectronic industry.

Historically public sector personnel policies and practices have been targets of reform. These reforms consisted of transferring private sector techniques to a public sector perceived to be more bureaucratic and less efficient. Private sector research is replete with evidence of a connection between "superior" human resource management (HRM) practices and the performance outcome of profitability. Public sector outcomes are more difficult to connect directly to management practices. As a result, the focus of public sector reform has become one of improving the processes of management rather than improving the outcomes of government. The linkage between reform and outcome is assumed.This study attempts to add to the literature by tying local government HRM practices to the organization level performance outcome of un-enhanced general obligation municipal bond rating. A database was obtained from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) containing the results of an HRM survey in 2000 of all U.S. municipalities with a population over 10,000. The municipal bond rating was then used as a performance proxy and dependent variable; the greater the number of high performing HRM practices employed by a municipality, the higher the bond rating or the higher the performance. The study sample consisted of 366 municipalities both responding to the survey and with bond ratings meeting the criteria of the study. The results of a binary logistic regression analysis showed intensive recruitment, family oriented work practices, job flexibility and open communication to be strong predictors of high performance. Decentralized HRM decisions, pay for performance programs and incentives for group participation were not associated with high performance. These findings suggest municipalities are likely to improve their performance by implementing the practices found to be predictive of higher bond ratings. However, differences between private and public sectors need to be considered when implementing change and a systems view helps minimize "deadly combinations" and maximize "powerful connections". Also, organization culture and the structure of the HRM system need to be considered. Additional research is recommended to further develop and validate the use of the municipal bond rating as a measure of a government level performance outcome.