Avec le début du processus de négociation entourant la création d'une éventuelle Zone de libre-échange des Amériques, il est permis de se demander si l'entente, prévue pour 2005, aura un impact significatif sur l'évolution des normes réglementant les investissements directs étrangers (IDE). À cet égard, à l'échelle internationale, l'évolution des normes sur les IDE est caractérisée par deux grandes phases. Une première phase concerne l'évolution des règles et principes destinés respectivement à sécuriser et garantir les investissements internationaux. Cette phase pourrait et sera probablement consolidée juridiquement avec la conclusion prochaine de la ZLÉA. Conséquence de l'effacement progressif des doctrines politiques réfractaires ou dissuasives à l'IDE, particulièrement vrai depuis la fin de la guerre froide, ces principes sont largement connus des juristes: traitement national, traitement juste et équitable, traitement de la nation la plus favorisée, règles en matière d'expropriation et de nationalisation, etc. La seconde phase concerne, elle, les règles destinées à libéraliser le cadre juridique entourant les opérations d'investissements. i.e. les règles visant notamment à assurer une libre admission des IDE sur le territoire de l'État hôte de l'investissement et une plus grande liberté de gestion en faveur de l'investisseur étranger. Cela dit, contrairement aux règles destinées à sécuriser les IDE, il n'y a pas de consensus politique suffisamment important dans les Amériques, enfin selon nous, pour voir ces principes se cristalliser de manière extensive dans un accord pan-américain. Le présent mémoire examinera les règles juridiques appartenant à ces deux phases d'évolution. Celles-ci feront plus précisément l'objet du second chapitre de notre mémoire. Le premier chapitre, quant à lui, portera sur l'évolution et la réaction de "la société internationale face à ce phénomène de multinationalisation des entreprises, pour ensuite porter sur l'évolution conceptuelle des notions d'investissements et d'investisseurs internationaux. En sus des trois versions de l'avant-projet de chapitre sur les investissements rendues publiques sur le site officiel de la ZLÉA, les ententes bilatérales et sous-régionales occuperont aussi une place privilégiée dans nos analyses. Alors qu'historiquement les premières 1n11:latlves d'intégration économique (en Amérique latine et centrale principalement) étaient marquées par l'idéologie du développement et celle du Nouvel ordre économique international (NOEI), la ZLÉA, comme processus d'intégration, est guidée elle au premier chef par l'idéologie libérale, sinon ultralibérale. Dans les Amériques, compte tenu des différences tangibles de développement des économies nationales des 34 États invités à négocier, le consensus de Washington, présent en 1994, semble s'effriter et annonce la conclusion prochaine d'une entente minimaliste. Cela affecterait dans une même proportion la question des IDE auquel cas il faudra admettre que la ZLÉA ne révolutionnera pas le cadre juridique dans lequel se font les opérations d'investissement. / With the beginning of the negotiating process that should be leading to the establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas for 2005, it's interesting to take a look at the possible evolution of the roles and principles related to Foreign Direct investments regulation in the Americas. On the international level, there's two basics categories of norms. The ftrst one, are essentiaily design to protect and guarantee the investor and his investment. The eventual conclusion of FTAA could consolidate, at the hemisphere level, such category of roles and principles. Consequently to the end of cold war and the alignment of many country, but also many developing countries, in regard of the liberalism doctrine, the nature of these roles and principles are weil know by lawyers and professors in north-America: national treatment, fair and equitable treatment, most-favoured-nation treatment, roles concerning expropriation and nationalization, etc.. The second one, concern the roles and principles design to liberated the copusjuns afferent to FDI : for example, the roles and principles concerning transfer clause or performances requirements. That said, contrary to the ftrst category, there's no consensus over theses roles and principles. The absence of such consensus will probably influence the content of the agreement in a way that will be unsatisfted either for export-developing countries, such as the Canada and the United States, or developing countries. The present paper will examine roles and principles design for both protection and liberalization of FDI regulations. Indeed, the second chapter will entirely be treating of these matters. The ftrst chapter will instead be treating about the "transnationalization" of the private ftrm and the reaction of the international community regarding this phenomenon. The first chapter of our paper will also be the occasion to look at the conceptual evolution of both notions of "investor" and "investment" in regards of the FDI regime developed in the FTAA draft. On that matter, a special attention will be accorded to the FTTA process but also to bilateral and regional agreements signed over the last 15 years between members of the FTAA negotiating process. Historicaily and ideologicaily, the FTAA is link with the recent NAFTA process. There is no doubt about it. The integration process in the Americas is far from been recent in Latin America, with the difference that this last process was mostly inspired by the ideology of "development" and the project of NIEO. The FTAA process, on the other hand, is clearly guide by the liberalism ideology which not always take into account the particularize needs of developing countries. When the FTAA process begin, there was a consensus, among leaders, over the idea that free-trade, as weil as liberal FDI regulations, will beneftt to developing countries and ftt their economic and social aspirations. Since then, this consensus, the so-called "Washington consensus", has been lost and that will, necessarily, have some effects on the evolution of the roles and principles related to FDI regulation in the Americas. / "Mémoire présenté à la Faculté des études supérieures en vue de l'obtention du grade de LL.M. Droit Dans le cadre du programme de Maîtrise en droit(LL.M.) 2-325-1-0 en option recherche et droit des affaires"

Nos travaux, dans le prolongement de recherches envisageant l’harmonisation comptable internationale (IAS/IFRS) et la mise en place des indicateurs de Responsabilité Sociale de l’Entreprise (RSE) sous un angle processuel et « historico évolutif », tendent à s’en démarquer en recherchant les moyens d’analyser l’information issue du reporting financier (IAS/IFRS) et extra-financier (RSE) dispensée durant la période 2006-2010 par les sociétés cotées composant les indices boursiers français du CAC 40 et du SBF 120, d’une part, et allemands du DAX 30 et du DAX 100, d’autre part, et en substituant à une approche souvent inductive dans ce domaine une démarche hypothético-déductive. Ils mettent en regard, d’une part, les données recueillies et, d’autre part, les intérêts des actionnaires/investisseurs ainsi que de l’ensemble des parties prenantes de part et d’autre du Rhin, sur le fondement théorique de la théorie de l’agence et la théorie des parties prenantes. La méthode employée, à la fois quantitative et qualitative, vise d’abord à utiliser des outils de mesure se fondant sur des moyennes, médianes et analyses de régression combinant plusieurs variables exprimées pour l’essentiel sous la forme de ratios comptables et financiers (IAS/IFRS) ; cette mesure s’étend à un recensement de l’occurrence de mots dans les supports d’information extra-financière (rapports RSE et de développement durable). Puis à interroger les responsables administratifs et financiers en charge de l’application du référentiel IAS/IFRS ainsi que les responsables de la communication RSE et du développement durable des sociétés de notre panel, au moyen de questionnaires se fondant sur les outils de « logique floue ». Nous ne cherchons pas à mesurer l’incidence des normes IAS/IFRS et des indicateurs RSE ni sur la performance financière, ni en taux de retour sur la valeur boursière. Nous observons par nos résultats des nuances de perception des normes IAS/IFRS et des objectifs de RSE dans le reporting financier et extra-financier susceptibles d’être imputées à des facteurs socioculturels, et répondant à une gouvernance plus actionnariale en France qu’en Allemagne. / This study, in the extension of researches aimed at harmonising accounting internationally (IAS/IFRS) and implementing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) indicators from a processual and “historical evolutional” angle, tends to differ from them by focusing on the means to analyse the information issued from financial (IAS/IFRS) and extra-financial (CSR) reporting released during the 2006-2010 period by the listed companies which compose the French and German stock market indexes respectively CAC40/SBF120 and DAX30/DAX100, and replacing an oftentimes inductive approach in this field with a hypothetical and deductive process. It compares the collected data on the one hand, and the needs of shareholders/investors and third parties as a whole on the other hand, on either side of the Rhine, on the basis of the theoretical frame of the agency theory and the stakeholder theory.The method employed, which is both quantitative and qualitative, aims to do as follows. First use of tools for measuring based on averages, medians and regression studies combining many variables essentially expressed in the form of accounting and financial ratios (IAS/IFRS); this measure extends to the listing of words occurrence in the extra-financial information supports (CSR and sustainability reports). Then question the administrative and financial managers in charge of the application of the IAS/IFRS referential and the managers responsible for the CSR and sustainability communication within these companies we selected with reference to matrixes based on the “fuzzy logic” theory tools. We do not investigate the influence of IAS/IFRS standards/CSR indicators neither on financial performance nor in terms of expected return on the capital asset. We can observe that our results show nuances of perception of IAS/IFRS standards and CSR goals in the financial and extra-financial reporting that are likely to be attributed to socio-cultural factors, and reflecting a governance much more aimed at shareholders in France than in Germany.

Made available in DSpace on 2009-11-18T19:01:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004 / This paper analyses the effect of International capital flows and their behavior for emergent countries, focused in Brazilian financiai market. It considers that capital flows had dramatically increased, however their impact, proposals on changes in international market and capital controls has not been clear. Considering capital flows In comparison to portfolio investments and to direct investments, this paper, also aims to discuss and highlight questions whether the concepts that capital flows generally associated to portfolio investments are frequently connected with incidence of crises meanwhile the second have been associated with growth in some countries. / Esta dissertação procura avaliar, dentro de um contexto de economia globalizada, o comportamento dos fluxos de capitais estrangeiros para investimentos nas economias emergentes, com foco no Brasil e nos investimentos em portfólio. Considera que os fluxos desses capitais têm crescido, dramaticamente, nos últimos anos e que as propostas de reformulações do sistema financeiro internacional e a adoção de controles desses capitais não estão totalmente claras, merecendo maiores estudos. Por meio de comparação entre os fluxos para investimentos em portfólio e os direcionados para investimentos diretos, o texto, aborda e questiona também, conceitos que, geralmente, relacionam esses capitais à incidência de crises, enquanto que os fluxos de capitais para investimentos diretos são associados ao crescimento de alguns países.

Submitted by Eduardo Sanchez Palma (edsanpa7@hotmail.com) on 2017-01-17T17:31:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 17012017 MPA PALMA.pdf: 6332936 bytes, checksum: 491bc558997174d0785b04d3518b6105 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Fabiana da Silva Segura (fabiana.segura@fgv.br) on 2017-01-17T17:35:15Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 17012017 MPA PALMA.pdf: 6332936 bytes, checksum: 491bc558997174d0785b04d3518b6105 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-17T17:53:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 17012017 MPA PALMA.pdf: 6332936 bytes, checksum: 491bc558997174d0785b04d3518b6105 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-01-09 / A maioria dos investidores se vê esmagada por uma vasta quantidade de informações, muitas vezes de natureza abstrata. Além disso, o formato padrão utilizado para comunicar os riscos é, geralmente de difícil compreensão e de pouca ajuda na tomada da decisão de investimento, pois a mencionada padronização, raramente leva em consideração os diferentes níveis de conhecimento dos investidores sobre finanças (Sachse, Jungermann, & Belting, 2012, v. 33, p. 438, tradução nossa). Alinhada a isso, a presente pesquisa utiliza questionário baseado na Teoria do Paradigma Psicométrico, para investigar as percepções de risco entre especialistas e investidores leigos sobre seis produtos financeiros. Baseado no elevado conhecimento sobre investimentos que possuem, os Certified Financial Planners foram escolhidos como grupo de controle para comparar as percepções de risco da categoria profissional melhor remunerada no Brasil, qual seja a dos médicos da Grande São Paulo (IBRE, 2009). Testes t para diferença de médias foram feitos para avaliar as percepções entre gêneros e os cinco construtos de risco, respectivamente, relacionados à volatilidade, ao desconhecimento, a desconfiança, a adversidade e as falhas regulatórias; os testes mostraram que são distintas as percepções de risco entre CFPs e médicos, com resultados muitas vezes contrários aos indicados pela literatura, assim como a maior percepção de risco entre as mulheres somente para os construtos relacionados às falhas regulatórias e desconfiança nos consultores de investimento, instituições financeiras e órgãos reguladores. O estudo mostra, ainda, que estão negativamente correlacionadas as percepções do benefício/retorno com os construtos desconfiança e falhas regulatórias somente entre os médicos, e que há diferenças de percepção importantes para o Tesouro Direto e PGBL/VGBL entre as duas categorias profissionais. Dentre os resultados encontrados destacam-se as diferentes percepções de risco sobre os construtos falhas da regulamentação e desconfiança, sugerindo que iniciativas de educação voltadas ao investidor podem não surtir o efeito esperado em razão de serem patrocinadas exatamente por instituições vistas com suspeição pelos investidores. O estudo conclui atribuindo à comunicação o papel determinante do sucesso na relação com o investidor e a necessidade que ela seja construída a partir das percepções de risco e níveis de familiaridade com investimentos dos consumidores. / Most individual investors may be overwhelmed by this vast amount of information and by its abstract nature. Furthermore, this way of informing about risk might be hardly helpful when making a particular investment decision, because this kind of standardized information neglects different levels of experience and financial literacy of the clients (Sachse, Jungermann, & Belting, 2012, v. 33, p. 438). Aware of this, this research paper will use a questionnaire in Psychometric Paradigm Theory to investigate risk perceptions among specialists and lay investors of six financial products. Certified Financial Planners were selected as the control group to assess how risk perceptions of the best-paid category in Brazil, compounded by physicians in São Paulo Metropolis (IBRE, 2009). T Tests about average differences were taken to assess gender perceptions and the five risk constructors associated with volatility, lack of knowledge, mistrust, adversity and regulatory failures; tests showed that risk perceptions are different between CFPs and physicians, with some results contradicting literature, as well as a greater perception of risks among women only to risk constructs related to regulatory failures and mistrust in investment advisors, financial institutions and regulatory bodies. The study also shows that correlations between benefit/return and constructs distrust and regulatory failures are negative only among physicians, and that there are significant perceptual differences about Tesouro Direto and PGBL/VGBL among the two professional categories. Different risk perceptions about the lack of regulation, as well as distrust, suggest that investor education initiatives may not have the expected effect, since they are sponsored by the same institutions of which investors are suspicious. Finally, the study says consumer perceptions of risk and their level of familiarity with investments are crucial, and attributes to communication the role for determining success in the relationship with investors.

It is generally acknowledged that the share price of listed companies is not usually a true reflection of the value imbedded in the said companies. The main purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between selected performance measurement tools, namely Return on Equity (ROE) and Economic Value Added (EVA®), and the share price of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The study is a quantitative one as it uses data extracted from McGregor BFA database to investigate the relationship between the variables studied. Correlation and linear regression analyses were used in determining such relationships. This study found that there is a synergy in using ROE and EVA® as performance measurement tools and that their interaction explains 8.06% of the movement in the share price of listed companies, all things being equal. Hence it is recommended to identify and study possible synergies between other performance measurement tools. / Management Accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)

In South Africa, less than 10% of individuals are financially independent after retirement, with an increasing number becoming dependent on social grants from government – hence the importance of analysing the asset composition of high net worth individuals who have achieved financial independence. To achieve the aim of this study, it was first necessary to define net worth and to develop a theoretical framework of the assets and liabilities included in the measurement of an individual’s net worth and how these assets and liabilities should be valued. A definition of high net worth individuals was then formulated. Secondly, the factors influencing the asset composition of high net worth individuals, as well as selected demographic factors that influence net worth, were investigated. Finally, following a quantitative approach, data collected from the liquidation and distribution accounts of deceased individuals were analysed according to the developed framework. The results of this study suggest that are indeed differences in the contribution of the different asset types when measured using the mean, relative contribution and importance of the asset class in comparison with total assets. Further analysis revealed that the richest individuals included in the survey invested more in shares than the other groups for whom immovable property was the primary asset. Based on the analysis of selected demographic factors, the findings indicated that for many of the dependent variables, the asset used most by respondents in that group was not the same asset that made the highest contribution to the net worth of the individuals in the group. / Taxation / M. Com. (Accounting)

Studien syftar till att analysera equity- och debt baserad crowdfunding i förhållande till studiens primära teori om elaboration likelihood model (ELM) och hur dess variabler påverkar potentiella investerares investeringsbedömningar. Informationsasymmetri och behavioral finance har inkluderats i studien som två kompletterande delteorier. För att undersöka detta har studien avgränsats till potentiella investerare som geografiskt är bosatta i Stockholms län. Undersökningen har genomförts med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer där totalt elva potentiella investerare har intervjuats. Respondenterna har baserats på ett snöbollsurval. Intervjuerna har skett genom att respondenterna tagit del av fyra scenarion som innehåller variabler kopplade till teorin om ELM. Studiens resultat påvisar att potentiella investerare bedömer samt väljer investeringsprojekt utifrån den centrala vägen i ELM teorin, som karaktäriseras av projektets kvalitet vilken är motsatsen till den perifera vägen som istället belyser elektronisk word of mouth (WoM). / The study aims to investigate how equity- and debt based crowdfunding in relation to the study’s primary theory of elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and its variables effect on potential investors’ investment decision. Information asymmetry and behavioral finance has also been included in the study as two complementary theories. To investigate this, the study has been delimited to potential investors who are geographically resident in Stockholm County. The survey has been conducted using semi-structured interviews, where a total of eleven potential investors have been interviewed based on a chain sampling. The potential investors have been presented four scenarios that contain variables linked to the theory of ELM. The study's findings show that potential investors assess and choose investment projects based on the central path of ELM theory, characterized by the quality of the project and opposite to the peripheral road that instead illuminates the electronic word of mouth (WoM).

摘要 自2008年金融風暴後，長期的經濟動盪造成顧客喪失對於傳統投資產業之信心。在這樣的環境下，從自動化投資管理、社群交易平台到零售演算法交易的興起，提供低成本與先進的替代方案取代傳統的投資管理產業。這種方式獲得廣大消費者的信賴，並使得顧客擁有更多投資管理之控制權。 本研究欲探討賦權投資者於金融科技的浪潮下，競爭者加入後所面臨之挑戰進行情境分析，了解投資者如何以自動化管理及報告、社群交易平台和零售演算法交易改變投資管理業之發展，並使得傳統以顧問諮詢為主的投資管理興起全自動化或財務顧問協助之新商業模式；再者，透過個案分析，分別探討自動化管理及報告為代表之機器人理財公司以及零售演算法交易平台Quantopian，並建議投資產業應善用金融科技結合兩者，因此，未來顧問所扮演的角色將轉型為從旁協助財務規劃之服務，不僅能夠降低成本，亦可大幅提升理專的效率，為更廣大的客群提供高價值之金融服務。 / Abstract The 2008 financial crisis was the worst economic disaster since it has caused public losing confidence in traditional investement management industry. As a result, the three key innovation clusters are booming─automated management and advice, retail algorithmic trading and social trading platform─that offer lower-cost and advanced alternatives to replace the traditional investement management industry. Additionally, those innovation clusters gain more trust to the masses and allow customers to control in their own investment portfolio. This study analyzes three scenarios how the empowered investors face the challenges under the new waves of Fintech. In particular, we consider the investment management industry transfer the traditional model to the new business models of fully automation or advisor-assistant. In the case studies, we compare six typical robo-advisor firms and retail algorithmic trading platform like Quantopian. Furthermore, we suggest that the investment industry should make good use of Fintech that combines both advantage of automated management and retail algorithmic trading;therefore, it can not only reduce costs but also improve the efficiency of financial services.

LLM / Department of Mercantile Law / This research examined the mechanisms that were employed by the Companies Act 71 of 2008 in order to protect the interests of creditors in company affairs. At the preamble of the aforementioned Act lies an undertaking from legislature to provide appropriate redress to investors and third parties/creditors. It was on that basis that the researcher sought to establish whether legislature had indeed fulfilled its commitment to provide appropriate redress to creditors. Traditionally, companies have been run to promote the interests of shareholders with little attention given to the interests of other stakeholders such as creditors. It is this research`s findings that South African company law has moved from the traditional view, that is the shareholder value approach, to the enlightened shareholder value approach: a model of corporate governance which permits directors to have regard, where appropriate, to the interests of other stakeholders but with shareholders’ interests retaining primacy. It is thus found that creditors cannot be protected by contract laws alone but that their protection should be enhanced by mandatory corporate laws which regulates the manner and conduct of company controllers in a way that ensures that the interests of all stakeholders, including creditors, are given due regard. Finally, it has been found that much work has been done by legislature in developing the re-enacted creditor protective mechanisms and also in statutorily adopting new mechanisms which are aimed at advancing creditor interests. Recommendations have thus been made to legislature for possible amendments to refine its corporate laws. / NRF

The Thesis is composed by three complementary research investigations on the economic and policy aspects of EU corporate R&D.Collectively, the work first reviews the theoretical and empirical literature of corporate R&D intensity decomposition; it then investigates the EU R&D intensity and its decomposition elements comparatively with most closed competitors and with emerging economies over the period 2005-2013. Finally, it inspects further some key aspects that can be associated to the EU R&D intensity gap: sectoral dynamics and the resulting sectoral and technological specialisations as well as the drivers for R&D investment growth across sectors and firms' age groups of top R&D investing firms over time. These studies also address the possible policy implications that derive from their outcomes.The investigations rely on literature as well as on company data, mainly from nine editions (2006-2014) of the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard. For analytical purposes they use literature review, meta-analysis, descriptive statistics, R&D intensity decomposition computational approach, Manhattan distance and Technological Revealed Comparative Advantage metrics, and a multinominal logit regression model. The results of these three research works are novel in several aspects. It indicates that literature results on R&D intensity decomposition differ because of data and methodological heterogeneities, and that the structural cause is the main determinant of EU R&D intensity gap if sector compositions of the countries are considered. It inspects how the use of different data sources and analytical methods impact differently on R&D intensity decomposition results, and what the analytical and policy implications are.The empirical research results of this Thesis confirm the structural nature of the EU R&D intensity gap. In the last decade the gap between the EU and the USA has widened, whereas the EU gap with Japan has remained relatively stable. In contrast, the emerging countries' R&D intensity gap compared to the EU has remained relatively stable, while companies from emerging economies are considerably reducing such gap. Besides, as novel contribution to the state of the art of the literature, this Thesis uncovers the differences between EU and US by inspecting which sectors, countries and firms are more accountable for the aggregate R&D intensity performance of these two economies, and it finds a high heterogeneity of firms' R&D intensity within sectors. Furthermore, it shows that there is a bigger population of both larger and smaller US top R&D firms which invest more strongly in R&D than competitors, and that the global R&D investment is concentrated in a few firms, countries and industries. Finally, the research founds a slightly higher EU R&D shift over sectors compared to the US, but not strongly enough towards high-tech sectors. Also, the EU has an even broader technological specialisation than its already broad industrial R&D sector specialisation, while the USA leads by number of technological fields belonging mostly to the industrial R&D sectors of its specialisation. Furthermore, the EU has been better able than the USA and Japan to maintain its world share of R&D investment even during the years of economic and financial crisis. Lastly, the study also indicates that firms make a complementary use of capital expenditures and R&D intensity for their R&D investment growth strategies and it reveals that there are differences in their use between firms' age classes across sectors. Overall, the main results of the Thesis suggest that to reach a more positive R&D dynamics and boost its competitiveness, the EU should adapt its industrial structure and increase the weight of high R&D intensive sectors. A focus on creating the conditions for firm creation and growth in new-emerging innovative sectors is advised together with favouring the exploitation of the full capacity of EU leading - but mature - sectors to also absorb high-technology from other sectors. / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished