Die folgende Arbeit befasst sich mit den Untersuchungen von Problemen der Optimierung von Ressourcen in Umgebungen mit unvorhersehbarem Verhalten, wo: (i) nicht alle Informationen verfügbar sind, und (ii) die Umgebung unbekannte zeitliche Veränderungen aufweist. Diese Dissertation ist folgendermaßen gegliedert: Teil I stellt das Investitionsmodell vor. Es wird sowohl eine analytische als auch eine numerische Analyse der Dynamik dieses Modells für feste Investitionsstrategien in verschiedenen zufälligen Umgebungen vorgestellt. In diesem Investitionsmodell hängt die Dynamik des Budgets des Agenten x(t) von der Zufälligkeit der exogenen Rendite r(t) ab, wofür verschiedene Annahmen diskutiert wurden. Die Heavy-tailed Verteilung des Budgets wurde numerisch untersucht und mit theoretischen Vorhersagen verglichen. In Teil II wurde ein Investitionsszenario mit stilisierten exogenen Renditen untersucht, das durch eine periodische Funktion mit verschiedenen Arten und Stärken von Rauschen charakterisiert ist. In diesem Szenario wurden unterschiedliche Strategien, Agenten-Verhalten und Agenten Fähigkeiten zur Vorhersage der zukünftigen r(t) untersucht. Hier wurden Null-intelligenz-Agenten, die über technischen Analysen verfügen, mit Agenten, die über genetischen Algorithmen verfügen, verglichen. Umfangreiche Ergebnisse von Computersimulationen wurden präsentiert, in denen nachgewiesen wurde, dass für exogene Renditen mit Periodizität: (i) das wagemutige das vorsichtige Verhalten überbietet, und (ii) die genetischen Algorithmen in der Lage sind, die optimalen Investitionsstrategien zu finden und deshalb die anderen Strategien überbieten. Obwohl der Schwerpunkt dieser Dissertation im Zusammenhang mit dem Gebiet der Informatik präsentiert wurde, können die hier vorgestellten Ergebnisse auch in Szenarien angewendet werden, in denen der Agent anderere Arten von Ressourcen steuern muss, wie z.B. Energie, Zeitverbrauch, erwartete Lebensdauer, etc. / The main goal of this PhD thesis is to investigate some of the problems related to optimization of resources in environments with unpredictable behavior where: (i) not all information is available and (ii) the environment presents unknown temporal changes. The investigations in this PhD thesis are divided in two parts: Part I presents the investment model and some analytical as well as numerical analysis of the dynamics of this model for fixed investment strategies in different random environments. In this investment model, the dynamics of the investor''s budget x(t) depend on the stochasticity of the exogenous return on investment r(t) for which different model assumptions are discussed. The fat-tail distribution of the budget is investigated numerically and compared with theoretical predictions. Part II investigates an investment scenario with stylized exogenous returns characterized by a periodic function with different types and levels of noise. In this scenario, different strategies, agent''s behaviors and agent''s capacities to predict the future r(t) are investigated. Here, ''zero-intelligent'' agents using technical analysis (such as moving least squares) are compared with agents using genetic algorithms to predict r(t). Results are presented for extensive computer simulations, which shows that for exogenous returns with periodicity: (i) the daring behavior outperforms the cautious behavior and (ii) the genetic algorithm is able to find the optimal investment strategy by itself, thus outperforming the other strategies considered. Finally, the investment model is extended to include the formation of common investment projects between agents. Although the main focus of this PhD thesis is more related to the area of computer science, the results presented here can be also applied to scenarios where the agent has to control other kinds of resources, such as energy, time consumption, expected life time, etc.

This dissertation consists of three empirical analyses examining the interactive and evolving nature of government regulations and how the regulated industries respond to the changes in the regulatory climate. Using the U.S. pulp and paper mills as an example, the three essays bring together a number of strands of literature in environmental economics and policy studies discussing how changes in the U.S. environmental policy are shaped by industry concerns and which strategies firms choose in order to adjust to the changes in policy. Essay 1 examines if, in addition to the standard input factors, indirect costs associated with tax and environmental policies affect papermakers’ ‘stay put’ investment decisions. The findings suggest that state environmental stringency has a negative impact on investments, but it is statistically insignificant and higher taxes do not deter investments. The Essay 2 studies whether voluntary abatement and prevention efforts at pulp and paper mills affects regulatory stringency they face. The analysis tests the hypotheses of ‘responsive regulation’ and whether regulators are driven by numerical pollution targets or budgetary constraints. The findings suggest that voluntary pollution abatement and prevention have greater impact on regulatory stringency than government budgets. Finally, Essay 3 analyzes the relationship between pollution prevention (P2) policy instruments and adoption of P2 modifications. The study tests the hypotheses of whether P2 policy instruments have positive impact on P2 adoptions. The results suggest that the policy instruments have different effects on different types of P2 modifications and that regulatory and political threat is a strong predictor of P2 adoptions.

This master thesis, Analysis and Influences of Fundamental news on Gold Prices deals with macroeconomic variables that drive the price of gold. This paper is divided into three chapters: Possible investment forms in gold, Fundamental analysis of commodities, and lastly Analysis of impact of strong economies and their influence on gold prices. In the first chapter, emphasis is put on the Efficient Market Theory that plays an important role in success or failure of investment strategies such as technical and fundamental analysis. The second chapter illustrates the Commitment of Traders (COT) report and how it is used as a tool to predict the movement of gold prices. This chapter also discusses other large drivers effecting gold prices such as financial and geopolitical stability, inflation, interest rates, Central Banking operations, the value of the US dollar, and other influences. The final chapter analyzes the impact of announced fundamental news in the United States, China, and Europe on the price of gold. The empirical part of this paper analysis the impact of announced fundamental news in United States, China and Europe on gold prices. With the use of the linear regression method, we can test whether the macroeconomic variables significantly influence the return on gold investments immediately after their announcement, or over long periods of time. If this new public data was calculated into gold prices directly, investors would not be able to achieve additional returns by using fundamental analysis. The major findings are summed up at the end of the last chapter.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to assess the post-crisis development of the hedge fund regulation both in the EU and in the United States as well as to outline the regulátory trends in this area. The fist part of the thesis is dedicated to the explanation of the term hedge fund by comparing it with a mutual fund, venture capital fund and a private equity fund. In the second part of the thesis I captured an overview of hedge fund strategies and their classification. The third chapter deals with various possible regulatory approaches including their impact. In this part I also describe in detail the development of the hedge fund regulation in the United States since the thirties of the last centure up to now. Part of the thesis dedicated to the EU focuses on understanding the requirements set by Alternative Investment Fund Directive and its implementation in the individual national legislations. Finally, a comparison of the individual requirements is provided and supplemented with my own findings.

This diploma thesis is engaging in investing on international stock markets and the main objective was to analyze the profit potential with consideration of possible risks. At first I have characterized international stock market and the theory of effective markets. In the second chapter I was focusing on methods that are used for stock valuations. The third chapter is comparing particular investment strategies that proved to be profitable in a long term. The secondary objective of my diploma thesis was recognition of investment risks, thus the fourth chapter is engaging in market and exchange rate risks. The fifth chapter is focusing on the hedging of exchange rate risk. I was applying obtained theoretical knowledge on a case study about BP company. All the results of the analysis were included in the final investment recommendation. The thoughts of the investment recommendation were then generalized into common investment principles.

Bakgrund: En av de vanligaste aspekterna vid investeringar är att åstadkomma hög avkastning samtidigt som risken hålls på en låg nivå. Risker kopplade till bolag beror på flera olika faktorer varaven anses vara bolagsstorleken. För att vidare nå önskad avkastning har flertalet investeringsstrategier presenterats som sägs ska kunna överavkasta marknaden och vilket kontrasterar den effektiva marknadshypotesen. Genom investeringar i bolag med låga börsvärden, samt i kombination medinvesteringsstrategier, är det av intresse att undersöka huruvida överträffande av marknaden kan ske. Syfte: Denna uppsats har som syfte att analysera om det, på Spotlight Stock Market och First North, under åren 2007–2019, har gått att påvisa existensen av en SBE och huruvida det går att generera en riskjusterad överavkastning i småbolag med hjälp av investeringsstrategier. Metod: För att genomföra denna uppsats användes en kvantitativ design i kombination med endeduktiv ansats. Åtta olika portföljer sammanställdes baserat på storleken hos bolagen samt en investeringsstrategi baserad på låga P/BV-multiplar. Urvalen skedde utifrån Spotlight Stock Market, Large Cap och First North. Resultaten som genererades analyserades utifrån avkastning och riskjusterad avkastning samt statistiska tester i from av t-tester genomfördes. Slutsats: Utifrån resultaten kunde en småbolagseffekt inte påvisas. Portföljerna enbart baserade påbolagsstorlek för Spotlight Stock Market och First North presterade avkastningar som alla var lägre änOMXSPI, dock kunde detta inte säkerställas statistiskt. När investeringsstrategin utifrån låga P/BVmultiplar användes kunde portföljen utifrån Spotlight Stock Market påvisa en högre avkastning än OMXSPI, dock kunde denna inte heller statistiskt säkerställas. Gällande den riskjusterade avkastningen kunde enbart en av portföljerna baserade på Spotlight Stock Market och First Northpåvisa en riskjusterad överavkastning. Portföljerna baserade på Large Cap påvisade både högre avkastning än småbolagsportföljerna samt riskjusterad överavkastning. / Background: One of the most common aspects when investing is to achieve high returns while maintaining the risk at low levels. Risks associated with firms vary due to different factors of which oneis the size. In order to reach satisfactory returns many investment strategies have been presented with the goal of outperforming the market and thus contrasts the efficient market hypothesis. Through investments in firms with low market value of equity, and in combination with other investment strategies, it is of interest to investigate whether outperforming the market is possible. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze whether a Small firm effect on the Spotlight Stock Market and First North during the years 2007-2019 could be proven and if it is possible in combination with investment strategies to generate risk-adjusted returns. Methodology: In order to complete the study a quantitative design in combination with a deductive design was used. Eight different portfolios were compiled based on the size of the companies as well as an investment strategy based on low P/BV-multiples. The samples were chosen from Spotlight StockMarket, Large Cap and First North. The results that were generated were analyzed based on return, risk-adjusted return and statistical test in the form of t-tests. Conclusion: The results from this study show that a Small Firm effect could not be established. The portfolios solely based on company size for Spotlight Stock Market and First North all performed a lower return than OMXSPI, though this could not be statistically confirmed. When an investment strategy based on low P/BV-multiples was used the portfolio based on Spotlight Stock Market showed a return higher than OMXSPI, though this could not be statistically confirmed either. Regarding the risk-adjusted excess return only one of the portfolios based on Spotlight Stock Market and First North could prove a risk-adjusted excess return. The portfolios based on Large Cap both proved a higher return than the small firm portfolios as well as risk-adjusted excess return.

Digitalization is an important aspect for future growth of all organizations, and especially in times like the past year where most of the world has been faced with covid-restrictions and lockdown. Dermarome is a leading skincare and beauty distributor and are currently in the process of launching a new B2B website and web-shop. The aim of this research is to provide an answer to the following interrelated research questions:   1. How do the management of Dermarome decide on their investments in the business- to- business IT infrastructure?    2. How will the launch of the business- to- business website affect the purchasing behaviour of the business- to- business customers?    To answer these research questions a qualitative study has been made and the top management at Dermarome has been interviewed for this purpose. 5 interviewees were selected based on their knowledge and experience. All interviews that participated in this research were anonymous.    The result of this thesis is divided up into two parts, firstly, it describes how Dermarome has used the Payback rule and SWOT in order to make a decision regarding the investment in the B2B website. Secondly, it describes how Dermarome believes the saloon and spa customers purchasing behaviour will change due to this website, as it will lead to an increase in Dermarome’s sales.

Title: Theoretical multiples as an investment strategy Authors: August Forsberg och William Rydman Supervisor: Øystein Fredriksen Background: Whether it is possible to generate excess return over time has been debated throughout the history and the results of previous research have found it possible. One approach to generate excess return is by using relative valuation. Even though there are theories on how to conduct the valuation method, a lot of actors in the market simplifies and misinterpret relative valuation. This leads onto the question if the gap between theory and practice has grown too big and if the common mistakes in relative valuation might be counteracted by calculating and using theoretical multiples as an investment strategy. Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze whether theoretical multiples can identify mispricing’s in the stock market. Further, the authors aim to examine if it is possible to generate excess return and a more accurate valuation by calculating the difference between theoretical- and reported multiples. Methodology: To achieve the aim of the study, a quantitative method with a deductive approach has been used. The study examines Swedish listed companies at OMX Stockholm Large Cap during the period 2008 to 2018. In order to evaluate the investment strategy, comparative portfolios have been designed based on the difference between theoretical and reported multiples. A total of eight portfolios have been constructed with low respectively high P/E, EV/EBITDA, P/BV and EV/Sales, where the portfolios are weighted once a year. Results: The study's results show that theoretical multiples work as an investment strategy for generating excess returns. In three out of four multiples, the overvalued shares performed better than the undervalued ones. By contrast, the undervalued shares generate higher riskadjusted returns than the overvalued ones. Although the psychological element in relative valuation is reduced by the investment strategy, the authors conclude that the share prices are largely influenced by other actors in the market. Key words: Efficient market hypothesis, Excess return, Investment strategies, Relative valuation, Multiples, Theoretical multiples, P/E, EV/EBITDA, P/BV, EV/Sales. / Titel: Teoretiska multiplar som investeringsstrategi Författare: August Forsberg och William Rydman Handledare: Øystein Fredriksen Bakgrund: Huruvida det är möjligt att generera överavkastning över tid har länge diskuterats och tidigare forskning menar att det är möjligt. Ett tillvägagångssätt för att generera överavkastning är att använda sig av relativvärdering. Trots att det finns teorier om hur värderingsmetoden ska genomföras, förenklas och misstolkas relativvärdering ofta av aktörer på marknaden. Det leder in på frågan om gapet mellan teori och praktik har blivit för stort samt om värderingsmetodens fallgropar kan motverkas genom beräkningen av teoretiska multiplar som investeringsstrategi. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att analysera om teoretiska multiplar kan identifiera felprissättningar på marknaden. Vidare ämnar studien att undersöka om det genom att beräkna differensen mellan teoretiska- och redovisade multiplar går att generera överavkastning och en mer precis värdering. Metod: För att uppnå syftet med studien har en kvantitativ metod med deduktiv ansats använts. Studien undersöker bolag noterade på OMX Stockholm Large Cap under perioden 2008 till 2018. För att utvärdera investeringsstrategin har jämförelseportföljer utifrån differensen mellan teoretiska och redovisade multiplar utformats. Totalt har åtta portföljer konstruerats med låga respektive höga P/E, EV/EBITDA, P/BV och EV/Sales där portföljerna viktas om en gång per år. Resultat: Studiens resultat visar att teoretiska multiplar fungerar som investeringsstrategi för att generera överavkastning. I tre av fyra multiplar har de övervärderade aktierna presterat bättre än de undervärderade. Däremot genererar de undervärderade aktierna högre riskjusterad avkastning än de övervärderade. Även om det psykologiska inslaget i relativvärdering minskas av investeringsstrategin, blir författarnas slutsats att aktiekurserna till stor del påverkas av andra aktörer på marknaden. Sökord: Effektiva marknadshypotesen, Överavkastning, Investeringsstrategi, Relativvärdering, Multiplar, Teoretiska multiplar, P/E, EV/EBITDA, P/BV, EV/Sales.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vad ESG har för påverkan på privatainvesterare vid investeringsbeslut. I studien undersöks även hur den socialaomgivningen och finansiella rådgivare kan påverka investeringsprocessen ienlighet med ESG.Den teoretiska referensramen består av legitimitetsteorin, the socialcomparison theory och befintlig forskning på ämnet. Studien utgår från endeduktiv ansats med induktiva inslag. En kvalitativ forskningsmetod haranvänts och datainsamling har skett via semistrukturerade intervjuer.Efter genomförda analyser av datainsamlingen framgår det att företagensattityd till ESG inte har särskilt stor inverkan på privata investerare vidinvesteringsbeslut. Förväntad avkastning är alltid högst upp påprioriteringslistan. ESG-faktorer ses framförallt som ett komplement vidinvesteringsbeslut. Av studien framgick det även att de sociala aspekterna (S)är den faktor av de tre som värderas högst. Miljöaspekter (E) värderas främstnär den potentiella investeringen ska ske i ett företag som har en starkkoppling till miljön. En bra bolagsstyrning (G) skapar en trygghet förinvesteraren men är väldigt sällan en avgörande faktor. Fortsättningsvispåvisar studien att den sociala omgivningen påverkar en privat investeraresbeslut. I den sociala omgivningen är det närstående personer som har störstinverkan. Finansiella rådgivares påverkan på investeringsprocessen är låg dåförtroende ofta saknas. / The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of ESG on individualinvestors investment decisions. The study also investigates how the socialenvironment and financial advisors can influence the investment process inline with ESG.The theoretical framework consists of legitimacy theory, the socialcomparison theory and existing research on the subject. The study adopts adeductive approach with elements of an inductive approach. A qualitativeresearch method was applied and data collection was conducted throughsemi-structured interviews.After analyzing the collected data, it appears that a company's attitudetowards ESG does not have a significant influence on individual investors'investment decisions. Expected returns always rank highest on individualinvestors' priority list. ESG-factors are primarily seen as a supplementaryconsideration in investment decisions. The study also reveals that the socialaspects (S) are the most valued among the three factors. Environmentalaspects (E) are particularly prioritized when investing in companies withstrong environmental ties. A well-managed governance (G) provides a senseof security for investors but is seldom a decisive factor. Furthermore, thestudy demonstrates that the social environment influences the investmentdecisions of individual investors, with close acquaintances having the mostsignificant impact. The influence of financial advisors on the investmentprocess is low, often due to a lack of trust.

I dagsläget står vår omvärld inför flertal utmaningar utifrån ett miljö- och socialt perspektiv. En effekt av detta är att efterfrågan av hållbara investeringsalternativ har ökat hos privatpersoner. I takt med att medvetenheten om hur privatpersoners investeringar kan bidra till en förbättrad omvärld har andelen svenska människor som söker investeringar i hållbara fonder ökat. Genom att investera pengar i hållbara fonder kan privatpersoner påverka hur företag arbetar ur ett miljö- och socialt perspektiv. Hållbara fonder söker investeringsalternativ som leder till en positiv klimatpåverkan och social påverkan genom ett långsiktigt värdeskapande. Information om hur hållbara fondbolag går till väga för att identifiera och investera i hållbara alternativ är dock bristande vilket kan leda till att privatpersoner inte vet hur deras pengar hanteras utav fondbolagen vid val av investeringar. Denna studie har som syfte att beskriva och analysera vilka investeringsstrategier svenska fondbolag använder för att identifiera hållbara investeringar. Studien har anpassat en kvalitativ metod och, med hjälp av fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer med svenska fondbolag, samlat in data avseende hur de går till väga innan, under och efter investeringsbeslut. Studiens slutsats är att fondbolagen använder negativ- och positiv screening baserat på ESG-kriterier för att identifiera hållbara investeringsalternativ. Efter det att fondbolagen har investerat i ett företag använder fondbolagen olika former av engagemang för att säkerställa att investeringen fortsatt förblir hållbar. / The global community is currently facing various environmental and social challenges, leading to an increased demand for sustainable investment options among private individuals. In response, the proportion of Swedish individuals seeking sustainable investment options has grown. This study describes and analyzes the investment strategies used by Swedish fund companies to identify sustainable investments. A qualitative method was applied and included four semi-structured interviews with Swedish fund companies. The results indicate that fund companies use negative and positive screening based on ESG criteria to identify sustainable investment opportunities and employ various forms of engagement to ensure the sustainability of the investment. This study contributes to the understanding of how fund companies identify sustainable investments and can inform private individuals on the processes used by such companies.