Companies dependent on commodities for their production have to deal with volatile commodity prices and should employ measures for risk reduction as unfavourable spot price development may cause significant losses. A useful tool for diminishing the risk is hedging on futures market; however, this approach faces a crucial question of optimal hedge ratio determination (ratio between spot and futures units). Our thesis examines nine different ways of optimal hedge ratio estimation (naive, Sharpe, mean extended Gini coefficient, generalized semivariance, value at risk, and minimum variance through OLS, error correction, GARCH, and bivariate GARCH models) and evaluates their efficiency using the data on eight different commodities. The results differ across the respective commodities and cannot be generalized. Two conclusions resulting from the analysis refer to performance of naive and OLS hedge ratios and constant vs time varying hedge ratios. We find that complex hedge ratios, such as bivariate GARCH or VaR hedge ratios, do not outperform naive and OLS hedge ratios and that the results of constant hedge ratios are mostly as good as results of time-varying hedge ratios.

The thesis assesses measurements of the VAT efficiency. It compares the tax quota, implicit tax rate and VAT revenue ratio. The first chapter deals with theoretical foundations for a flat rate consumption tax. Following chapters discuss the perquisites for VAT efficiency calculations (comparing actual VAT revenue and theoretical amount of tax base). Following chapters assess the above mentioned calculations, with special respect to VAT Revenue Ratio, which is analyzed in detail and to which is presented a comparison across the EU countries. The thesis further analyses Policy Efficiency Ratio (policy gap) and Compliance Efficiency Ratio (compliance gap). In its conclusion it summarizes the information gathered and presents a number of possible improvements.

This diploma thesis "A Performance Comparison of in Czech Republic available mutual funds and ETFs from the view of CZK investor" elaborates on collective investing in Czech Republic; focusing on mutual funds and their exchange traded alternatives in ETFs. In the thesis, a history of Czech collective investments' development is briefly mentioned and of ETFs' beginnings in the US, also a legislative framework for the mutual funds in CZ is shortly discussed; furthermore, different approaches to fund classification based on various criteria are provided. An impact of fund fees and expenses is also analysed. A Current situation on the capital market of funds and ETFs and its trends are showed in many graphs and tables. In the second part of the thesis, author introduces not only the basic ones but also the more sophisticated methods of portfolio's or fund's performance measurements, including yields, risks, risk-adjusted yields etc... The third and last chapter aims at application of the previously mentioned methods on a selection of 20 funds and ETFs; therefore building a financial model enabling that. The analysis is viewed as from the CZK investor, thus all calculations are made in CZK.

This thesis describes fundamental analysis method based on a price to earnings ratio and an effort is put on the following areas: (i) empirical verification of factors determining the price to earnings ratio, (ii) empirical verification of an investment strategy based on historical price to earnings ratios and (iii) behavior of P/Es in bear market periods. The empirical verification of the main factors determining the price to earnings ratio is conducted on empirical data for a sample of eleven stocks listed on Prague Stock Exchange in period 2006-2011. The empirical verification of macroeconomic factors determining the price to earnings ratio as well as the empirical verification of an investment strategy based on historical price to earnings ratios are researched based on empirical data of an equity index S&P 500 in period 1954-2011 and an equity index PX in period 2001-2011. Behavior of P/Es in bear markets is researched on empirical data of index S&P 500 in period 1954-2011 and index PX in period 2001-2011.

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are a relatively recent financial innovation receiving much attention from investors and media due to its low administrative costs. Literature related to ETF performance presents no sizeable records as a result of its brief history.This study contributes to the literature on ETF performance by comparing ETFs to their respective tracking indices as well as to comparable passive unit trusts (PUTs) and active unit trusts (AUTs) after administrative costs. Data used involved ETFs that are derived from securities listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) that track FTSE/JSE indices. PUTs and AUTs were selected on the basis that they use the same FTSE/JSE indices, as the ETFs, as a benchmark.The results indicate that ETFs have a slightly lower tracking error than PUTs due to lower administrative costs. On average, ETFs and PUTs present statistically insignificant net return differences and it can be inferred that they have very similar return records. Furthermore, ETFs and AUTs, on average, also present statistically insignificant net return differences and it can be inferred that they have very similar return records. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第21580号 / 理博第4487号 / 新制||理||1644(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科地球惑星科学専攻 / (主査)准教授 宮﨑 真一, 教授 福田 洋一, 教授 橋本 学 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

Bitcoin is an asset that demonstrated a high increase in price since it was launched in 2009, meanwhile it has been a very volatile and risky asset. Previous research has indicated that an allocation of bitcoin in investor’s portfolio could increase return as well as risk adjusted return. Furthermore, bitcoin has been observed to be uncorrelated to many markets; creating diversification opportunities and in some instances acted as a hedge against various stock markets. Due to the similarities between bitcoin and gold they have often been compared as alternative investment assets. Therefore, it is of interest for investors to understand if bitcoin could be included into a stock-portfolio in the Swedish market to increase risk adjusted returns and if bitcoin is a better alternative investment, than gold. Furthermore, if bitcoin could be used as hedge against the Swedish stock market. Three different portfolios with bitcoin were created, 1% bitcoin, 4% bitcoin and 8% bitcoin, the rest of the portfolio constitutes of Stockholm gross-index (OMXSGI). The portfolios are compared to OMXSGI and similar portfolios involving gold and OMXSGI. The portfolios are created for four different periods: 2011- 2021, 2016-2021, the bear market during the pandemic and the year 2020. Results reveals that during normal market behavior an 8% allocation of bitcoin and OMXSGI generates the highest Sharpe ratio. Also, that a small allocation of bitcoin can generate higher returns to lower risk then OMXSGI. During normal market behavior portfolio with bitcoin performs higher returns and Sharp ratio than portfolios with gold but to a higher risk. Additionally, bitcoin is not correlated to the Swedish market and implies that it possibly may be used as a hedge during normal market behavior. During the corona bear market bitcoin has a high correlation to OMXSGI and has a similar negative return but to a higher volatility. Meanwhile gold act as a safe haven during turbulent market behavior. To conclude during normal market times bitcoin creates opportunities for investors to include bitcoin to the portfolio. High allocations of 8% bitcoin might be too much risk for risk averse investors. During the corona bear market bitcoin portfolios generates worse returns to a higher risk and gold is a better asset to hold. Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are assets which have some unique risks that cannot be measured by the Sharp ratio. Thus limit the results and analysis of the study.

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Oleaginous yeasts posses the ability to accumulate increased amount of lipids under appropriate conditions. These microbial lipids vary in the composition of fatty acids which results in their wide application in the biotechnological industry. This master thesis focuses on the lipid production and fatty acids composition from waste substrates by the yeasts Metschnikowia depending on various cultivation conditions. The influence of temperature, the ratio of carbon and nitrogen in medium, and the concentration of different carbon sources was studied. The cheap and easy available waste substrates as glycerol and animal fat were used for the cultivation. The production characteristics of the yeasts were monitored by various technique including gas chromatography, Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy FLIM. Moreover, the partial optimalization of the pulse field gel electrophoresis was applied in order to characterize the karyotype of the yeasts Metschnikowia. All the studied strains were able to use the waste substrates and at the same time to produce lipids. The amount of lipids and mainly their compositions vary depending on the yeast strain and on the culture conditions. Nevertheless, the ability of the yeasts to produce significant amount of unsaturated fatty acids by manipulation of culture conditions was proved. The maximum lipid yield was achieved by M. pulcherrima 149 on glycerol medium and by M. andauensis 129 on medium containing waste animal fat.

In the theoretical part, I mentioned the project management of buildings and the construction of prices in construction. In the next section I have described the building site and its water supply requirements. Finally, I have dealt with the cost of water and its consumption. The aim of the thesis was to analyze the influence of water prices on the cost of construction. I transferred this analysis to the model building in the practical part of the thesis. I determined the water consumption during construction, and then I analyzed the impact of the change in water prices on the construction cost.