有關於現金股利的發放，在國外多數的研究都發現整體市場現金股利發放的比率都是呈現下滑的趨勢，但在台灣，自1997年之後現金股利發放比率卻呈現大幅上升，為了研究究竟何種原因造成了這樣的情形，本篇文章首先就公司特性的部分進行研究與分析，以瞭解究竟是否近來整體市場的公司特性出現明顯改變，造就出現金股利發放比率的大幅上升。研究結果顯示，未發現金股利公司的平均獲利能力與成長性在1997年之後都呈現急速下降並跌破零成為負值的情形存在，分析此種原因應該是有能力發放現金股利的公司無論規模大小、獲利能力高低抑或成長性強弱都選擇進行現金股利的發放，反觀不發現金股利公司都只剩下無成長性且公司獲利狀況不佳以致於無力發行現金股利的公司。為進一步探究為何有能力發行現金股利的公司通通都開始進行現金股利的發放，我們在此選用Baker and Wurgler(2004)所提出的討好理論(catering theory)作為我們現金股利發放比率產生顯著提升的主要關鍵，經過實證研究結果發現討好理論的確對於台灣股票市場產生影響，另外我們也探討出影響投資人對於現金股利的需求強弱可能與兩稅合一的實行、政治風險的大小以及股票市場周轉率的大小有著密切的關連性。

Thesis (doctoral)--Eberhard-Karls-Universität zu Tübingen, 1997.

This dissertation presents three essays on asset pricing and econometrics. The first chapter identifies rare events and long-run risks simultaneously from a rich data set (the Barro-Ursua macroeconomic data set) and evaluates their contributions to asset pricing in a unified framework. The proposed model of rare events and long-run risks is estimated using a Bayesian Markov-chain Monte-Carlo method, and the estimates for the disaster process are closer to the data than those in the previous studies. Major evaluation results in asset pricing include: (1) for the unleveraged annual equity premium, the predicted values are 4.8%, 4.2%, and 1.0%, respectively; (2) for the Sharpe ratio, the values are 0.72, 0.66, and 0.15, respectively. / Economics

Presented here are consumption and production related asset pricing models which seek to explain stock market behaviour through the stock premium over risk-free bonds and to do so using parameter values consistent with theory. Our results show that there are models capable of explaining stock market behaviour. For the consumption-based model, we avoid many of the suggestions to artificially boost the predicted stock premium such as modelling consumption as leverage claims; instead we use the notion of surplus consumption. We find that with surplus consumption, there are models including the much-maligned power utility model, capable of yielding theory consistent estimates for the discount rate, risk-free rate as well as the coefficient of relative risk aversion, y. Since real business cycle theory assumes a risk aversion coefficient of 1, we conclude that our model which gives a value close to but not equal to 1, provides an indication of the impact of market imperfections. For production, we present many of the existing models which seek to explain stock market behaviour using production data which we find to be generally incapable of explaining stock market behaviour. We conclude by presenting a profit based formulation which uses deviations of actual from expected profits and dividends via stock price reaction parameters to successfully explain stock market behaviour. We also conclude that the use of a profit based formulation allows for a link to investment, output and pricing decisions and hence link consumption and production.

Although existing cross-border M&A research suggests that national pride is associated with higher bid premiums, the underlying rationale behind these national pride bids is unclear. We study two plausible explanations for this phenomenon: payment for a prearranged expansion strategy (real options) and bidders’ lack of experience in a target country (organization learning). Using a sample of cross-border acquisitions of developed-country targets by developing-country acquirers, we perform an extensive media search to identify 36 acquisitions that involve national pride. We divide these 36 acquisitions into those with zero bids completed in that particular country prior to the national pride bid (non-foothold bidders) and those with at least one bid completed in that country before the national pride acquisition (foothold bidders). We find that the higher premium paid in so-called national pride bids is primarily attributable to the non-foothold acquirers. Since non-foothold characteristics can proxy for either lack of experience or higher value of embedded real options, or both, we perform further tests which confirm that the higher premium of national pride bids can be attributed to both channels, supporting both organizational learning theory and real options explanation. We further demonstrate that national pride acquirers underperform operationally post-acquisition, and such underperformance is also attributable to the non-foothold acquirers. One explanation for this finding is the lack of prior acquisition experience of non-foothold bidders.

Bakgrund: Förvaltningstjänster inom premiepension har ökat i takt med införandet av det nya pensionssystemet. Marknaden för dessa aktörer har vuxit och det har riktats kritik mot förvaltningstjänsterna inom premiepension och dess förvaltare. De problem som förvaltningsföretagen påstås skapa riskerar att hota funktionaliteten och förtroendet i premiepensionssystemet. Aktörerna är ett relativt nytt fenomen i Sverige vilket gör att det inte finns tillgänglig information och statistik om förvaltarna och dess förvaltning. Lagar och finansiella teorier på området vägleder i hur förvaltarna bör och får agera, men anger inte hur förvaltningsföretagen arbetar i praktiken. Det är därför intressant att kartlägga förvaltarnas praktiska tillvägagångssätt angående förvaltning och investering för att därefter utvärdera det utifrån teorier och empirisk forskning med fokus på investeringsprocessen. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att kartlägga förvaltningstjänsterna inom premiepension med fokus på investeringsprocessen samt kritiskt granska den utifrån finansiell teori, empirisk forskning och rådande lagstiftning. Genomförande: För att besvara studiens syfte har dokumentstudier genomförts för att sammanställa studiens referensram gällande de lagar, finansiella teorier och empirisk forskning inom området. Därefter har det praktiska tillvägagångssättet inom diskretionär förvaltning av premiepension kartlagts genom intervjuer med nio av totalt nitton observerade förvaltningsföretag. Slutsats: Kartläggningen av förvaltningstjänsterna har påvisat att det finns olikheter i företagens praktiska tillvägagångssätt och processer vilket gör det svårt att jämföra företagen med varandra. Det finns förvaltningsföretag vars praktiska arbete stämmer överens med finansiella teorier, empirisk forskning och spelregler gällande investeringsprocessen. Överlag tyder dock studiens resultat på att förvaltningsföretagen har ett tillvägagångssätt som inte överensstämmer med dessa aspekter, vilket kan innebära utrymme för förbättring. / Background: As a result of the introduction of the new pension system, portfolio management services within the Premium pension have risen. The market for these actors has grown and the portfolio managers have been criticized to threat the functionality and the trust in the premium pension system. These actors are a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden, which means that there is no information and statistics available about the managers and their management processes. Laws and financial theories tell us how these managers should act, but they say nothing about how the managers work in practice. Therefore, it is interesting to identify the managers’ practical approach concerning the portfolio management and investment in order to evaluate the process by the means of the theories and empirical research. Aim: The aim of this study is to identify portfolio management services within premium pension focusing on investment process and critically examines it based on financial theory, empirical research and current laws. Completion: To fulfill the aim of this study, document studies have been implemented to summarize the frame of reference concerning laws, financial theories and empirical research. Subsequently the discretionary management of Premium pension is identified through interviews with nine companies of total nineteen companies observed. Conclusion: The identification of portfolio management services has proved that there are differences in companies' practical approaches and processes. This makes it difficult to compare the companies with each other. Some companies have a practical work that is consistent with financial theory, empirical research and the rules regarding the Investment process. Overall the results of the study suggest that portfolio management companies within premium pension have an approach that does not consist with these aspects, which can be improved.

Bakgrund: Den finansiella marknaden och dess tjänster har blivit alltmer komplexa under åren. Utbudet av olika produkter som exempelvis olika typer av fonder och aktier har blivit allt större. Det finns idag många olika handelsplattformar för aktier och fonder. Samtidigt som utbudet av komplexa produkter ökar, läggs mer ansvar på individen i exempelvis hantering av premiepension. Det förutsätter att konsumenten är väl informerad och tar rätt beslut. Konsumenten kan välja mellan att ta hjälp av rådgivning eller att sköta investeringar själv. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka privatpersoners motiv gällande val av finansiella tjänster och investeringsbeslut, samt att analysera relationen mellan val av tjänster och sparmål. Genomförande: Sjutton intervjuer har genomförts med anställda på Linköpings universitet. Urvalsgruppen består av lärare av olika slag. Slutsats: Författarna har kommit fram till att det finns många brister hos konsumenten angående finansiella tjänster. Det saknas kunskap och tillräckligt med information, vilket gör att konsumenten inte kan utnyttja dessa tjänster optimalt. Valen av finansiella tjänster är inte alltid relaterade till sparmålen. / Background: The financial market and its services have become more complex during the years. The supply of diverse products, like different types of funds and stocks has steadily increased. Today there are plenty of different trade platforms for stocks and funds. Simultaneously as the supply of complex products is increasing, more responsibility is being placed on the individual, which can be seen in the Swedish premium pension. This assumes that the consumer is well informed and makes the right decisions. The consumer can choose between obtaining help from counseling, or handling the investments alone. Aim: The aim of this thesis is to examine consumers’ motives behind choices of financial services and investment decisions, and to analyze the relation between choice of financial services and goals for saving. Implementation: Seventeen interviews have been conducted with employees at the Linköping University. The selected group consists of teachers with different positions. Result: The writers conclude that the consumers fall short, regarding financial services. They lack knowledge and enough information. The result is that consumers cannot utilize these services in an optimal way. The choices of financial services are not always related to the goals of saving.

Scientific problem: In order to maintain a competitive position in the market, companies need to create an environment of sustained development. Growing companies basically have two choices: expand internally, known as organic growth, or expand externally by a merger or acquisition (M&A). It is widely known that in almost all acquisitions the price paid by the acquiring firm tends to be much higher than the market value of the target firm before the bid, this is called an acquisition premium. There are different ways of financing an acquisition, for example with cash or stock. Previous research within this topic have concluded the M&As follow the market, as well as premiums. Therefore, an assumption made by the authors is that when there is a boom in the market, the stock exchange quota-tion takes a certain movement and the number of acquisitions that are made increases, as well as the premiums paid, and further to check if the means of payment changes whether there is a bull or bear market. Purpose: “The general aim of this thesis is to examine acquisitions on the Swedish market in order to estimate the relation between the OMXS index and the number of acquisition bids, the acquisitions pre-mium and the means of payment.” Method: To investigate whether a relation between the OMXS and the amount of take-over bids, simple regression analyses was the preferred model, having the bids as being de-pendent upon market performance of the OMXS index. This way, any significant lag ef-fect, the time it takes for a bidder to present a bid offer, could be recognized and used as a benchmark. This model was carried on to the remaining questions as well; whether premi-ums are affected by the stock market, and which way the acquisitions was financed, cash or stock. The time period selected for data collection was 1994 to 2004, allowing the authors a wide enough time-span to interpret at least one bull, and one bear market. The model will be based upon secondary data of market quotes and a quantitative approach will be util-ized. Results: The authors claim that a relation between the number of acquisition bids and market movement does exist. This evidence shows that an important decision as the one of deciding whether or not to merge or acquire another firm, might not be as rational as tho-ught. Instead, it is influenced on the environment around it, with the OMXS index as one of them. When it comes to the two remaining questions, if premiums and means of pay-ment are affected by the OMXS index, the obtained answers do not provide a positive rela-tion. And thus, this thesis cannot support earlier studies that state that a relation is present.

In this dissertation, I investigate three different issues related to signalling and price dynamics in mergers and acquisitions. The first issue is whether the act of raising capital signals an increase in takeover probability for a forthcoming target. Analysing target returns under event-study methodology, I find that this is indeed the case, as was initially pre-supposed by financial journalists. The second issue is whether the observed increase in target returns which are associated with the increase in takeover probability can be attributed to the actions of sophisticated traders, either via information leakage or through the adept analysis of publicly available information. An examination of price-volume dynamics reveals that investors incorporate the increased likelihood of a takeover attempt into target firm returns without necessarily resorting to illegal insider trading. The final issue is whether this public signal of raising capital impacts the target price runup and takeover premium in a meaningful way. Multivariate regression analysis reveals substantial support that raising capital close in proximity to the acquisition announcement date is associated with significant increases in both target firm returns as well as takeover premiums paid by acquiring firms. In sum, these three essays provide evidence which supports the notion that raising capital can act as both a statistically and economically significant signal to all market participants of a forthcoming takeover attempt. / Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2011-08-12 10:35:35.142

Using data from the 2013 American Community Survey, the author examines the wage returns to same-sex parenthood and their role in the sexual orientation wage gap. Specifically, he compares individuals by gender, sexual orientation, and household earner status. The importance of accounting for household specialization among heterosexual men and women is illustrated by the significant differences in returns to parenthood between heterosexuals of the same gender, but different earner statuses. The empirical results show that gay men face a fatherhood penalty for the presence of children between the ages of 5 and 18 irrespective of earner status. Lesbians on the other hand, experience motherhood premiums for the presence of children under the age of 5, but modest motherhood penalties for the presence of children between the ages of 5 and 18. Ultimately, differences in the wage returns to parenthood for gays, lesbians, and their respective heterosexual counterparts play a negligible role in sexual orientation wage differentials.