Stock Repurchase and the Role of Signaling： A Comparative Analysis between U.S. and China

This paper compares different methods used for stock repurchase and examines the role of signaling in the U.S. and China＇s capital markets. We find that the ways to buyback stocks are very different in the two countries. Most U.S. stocks are repurchased through open market and the signals sent to the market through open market repurchase are getting weaker. Even though stock repurchases are at their early stage in the Chinese stock market and the dominated way to buyback is through a negotiated repurchase agreement for non-floating shares, the power of signaling seems much stronger. Examining stock prices pre- and post-repurchase, we find that stock repurchase records an average abnormal return of 3.42% on the announcement date and 3.24% on the date of actual renurchase.     

An Extreme Value Approach to Test the Effect of Price Limits on Volatility

Many stock exchanges around the world enforcing daily price limits on the amount asset prices can change to prevent the market from overreacting and to reduce volatility. Price limits are artificial boundaries set by market regulators who restrict price changes of a stock to a pre-specified range during a trading day or a single trading session. The primary aim of price limit rules is to stabilize the markets during panic trading, to moderate vitality by repressing excessive speculation, and to allow stocks to be traded at prices close to their fair value. However, their impact on the market is a somewhat unresolved issue （Harris, 1998）. Using a methodology of comparing volatility based on the extreme value technique, the authors empirically investigate the impact of price limits on the volatility of the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The empirical results support price limits advocates, suggesting that price limits rules moderate stock price volatility.     

A Panel Data Analysis of Corporate Attributes and Stock Prices for Indian Manufacturing Sector

Stock prices have always been considered as unpredictable phenomena due to their dynamic patterns. Identifying the forces that contribute to variations of stock prices is probably one of the most researched areas in finance. This study relates stock prices to the stock volatility （measured by beta） and to corporate attributes, i.e., size, liquidity, profits, leverage, and returns. The study is based on manufacturing sector in India, and it is based on a sample of 3,027 manufacturing companies during the periods from 1991-1992 to 2006-2007 collected from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy （CMIE） database. The regressions were performed with the dummies for time effect and firm effect separately and then for both effects together. Panel data models have been used to estimate the stock prices equation. The model finds out fixed and random effects between independent and explanatory variables and analyzes them through Hausman test. The paper also studies multicollineairity that may exist amongst the selected variables. The study shows that volatility （represented by Beta）, profit （represented by earnings per share （EPS））, and size （represented by market capitalization （MCAP）） significantly influence the stock prices （at the level of 5%）. Panel data analysis using Hausman test supports the fixed effect model.     

Dependencies between price duration,volatility, volume and return on the Warsaw Stock Exchange

The successive changes of asset prices are the most visible manifestation of financial markets dynamics. There exist different views about factors generating these changes, but many researchers and practitioners agree that the most important among them is the impact of information flow. According to the market microstructure theories, it depends mainly on the behavior of informed and uniformed traders. In the paper, we investigate dependencies between the possible proxies of information process： price duration and corresponding to it volume change and return. Our main objective is to answer the question about the most important factor in the process of discovering information by uniformed traders. We apply a set of models for volatility, volume and duration data. Our analysis is performed for selected equities listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and uses tick-by-tick data. The obtained results show that the stock liquidity on this leading stock market in Central and Eastern Europe is the most important factor influencing the process of discovering information by uninformed traders.     

Evaluating the Performance of Investment Funds in Turkey

It is important to determine the most appropriate levels of risk and return for small investors. For that purpose, the investment funds are very important tools to create a portfolio for small investors, to deploy the potential risks in optimal proportions, and to direct investors. In this study, the performance of 83 pieces of investment funds will be evaluated which are treated in Turkey dates from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012 with performance evaluation methods such as Sharpe, Modigliani （M2） that is based on the standard deviation, and Treynor, T2, Jensen that is based on systematic risk （beta）, and the highest and lowest performance investment funds will be presented. The aim of the study is to examine the success of the investment fund managers whether they could estimate the course of the market well or not regarding time period. The empirical results show that the investors who invest on the funds that have negative risk premium by investing in the investment funds getting under the risk cannot get more excess return than getting the return from the risk-free interest rate as treasury bills. The result implies that it could be said that the systematic and total risks of all investment funds are low and they are not sensitive to the developments in the market, and thus, regarding funds could be called as conservative funds.     

The Reliability of Impairment Tests： The Case of Vessels

For a shipping company, the vessel is the most valuable and important asset. In most cases, the value of the vessel is the bigger part of total assets. Under International Accounting Standards （IAS） and also United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles （US GAAP） （IAS 36 and Statement of Financial Accounting Standards （SFAS） 144 respectively）, entities are required to conduct impairment tests where there is an indication of impairment of an asset. It is of high importance that the assumptions and the methodology of these tests be right, in order for the results of these tests to be valid. Always, there is the risk that the accountant manipulates the test in order to avoid any impairment losses. Our purpose is to examine the way that the results from these tests are related with market values. Also, we aim to examine under what test assumptions the results from these tests are close enough to market values of vessels.     

Controversies over fair value accounting： The case of SMEs

This study analyses IASB＇s stipulations on fair value usage in its standard designed for SMEs and the reactions of national standard setters, preparers and users of financial reporting in this respect. It tries to clarify fair value applications such as market value and value in use and the appropriateness of their usage for the case on hand. This research determines the inconsistencies within IASB ED IFRSfor SMEs （2007） related to the usage of fair value, underlined by the respondents＇ comment letters. The content analysis of all the above, conducted according to the type of economy and nature of respondent, along with the statistical techniques applied, indicates a partial approval of fair value usage under the following conditions： clarification of the concept, details on its usage in relation to market liquidity and the nature of the asset, additional guidance regarding the measurement methods. We advocate for the value in use, an application of the fair value based on internal valuations, which offers an adequate cost-benefit rate. The final version ofIFRSfor SMEs highlights both the preference of market information over the internal valuations and the insufficient information regarding solutions suited for non-liquid markets. It may be appropriate for the IASB, maybe in collaboration with the IVSC, to provide guidance and details regarding the implementation and disclosure of the valuation techniques applicable to this type of entities.     

Human Resource Controlling and Human Resource Management： Practice of Small and Medium-Sized Building Companies in the Czech Republic

The aim of this paper is to define the nature, present the possibilities, and discuss the problems of using human resource controlling in small and medium-sized building companies. This paper is based on the assumption that expedient human resource controlling is an effective human resource management tool that achieves the required performance of employees and expected competitiveness of a building company. This paper uses the results of a questionnaire survey conducted in November 2013 to analyze human resource management in building companies in the Czech Republic and specify the organization and conditions of human resource management. Some 81 small （less than 50 employees） and 66 medium-sized （50-249 employees） building companies operating in the Czech Republic took part in the questionnaire survey. The results of the questionnaire survey showed the lack of concept and random nature of human resource management in most small and medium-sized building companies. Of course, in terms of the present economic trend, it is above all important for small and medium-sized companies to develop their adaptability to the building market and to be able to deal with a variety of construction works. It is effective human resource management supported by expedient human resources that serves this purpose.     

Impact of mergers on the corporate performance of acquirer and target companies in India

Mergers and acquisitions become the major force in the changing environment. The policy of liberalization, decontrol and globalization of the economy has exposed the corporate sector to domestic and global competition. It is true that there is little scope for companies to learn from their past experience. Therefore, to determine the success of a merger, it is to be ascertained if there is financial gain from mergers. It is very important to study the liquidity performance of those companies to test whether those companies have sufficient liquid assets to meet its current obligations. The present study is limited to a sample of companies which underwent merger in the same industry during the period of 2002-2005 listed in one of the Indian stock exchange namely Bombay Stock Exchange. It is proposed to compare the liquidity performance of the thirteen sample acquirer and target companies before and after the period of mergers by using ratio analysis and t-test during the study period of three years. The study found that the shareholders of the acquirer companies increased their liquidity performance after the merger event.     

Modem Cost Management in the Transport Company Through the Activity-Based Costing （ABC） Method

Road transport is a flexible mode of transport and its importance in era of globalization increases. Management of road transport companies is, in this turbulent environment, exposed to many technical, legislative, and economic problems. Especially, the growing economic pressure leads to an urgent requirement of the manager and control system improvement. Activity-based costing （ABC） method is a very powerful tool to improve products, services, processes, and market strategies. ABC allows company management to understand what causes costs and how to manage them. Company under this scheme may get a glimpse of how efficiently a company converts the source value. The main objective of our research was to assess the possibility of application of the ABC method in a transport undertaking. ABC method as a fundamentally different view on the cost in the transport business helps to find the reasons of cost and thereby influences their levels to make better use of resources.. New managerial accounting methods aim to show management what information is needed, how and where this information can be obtained, and how they can be useful for the management of the company＇s proper planning, decision-making, and control. Information provided by management accounting is often a key factor in the analysis of alternative ways of solving problems. This article focuses on the transport enterprise management and helps to decide on the use of this method in business practice.     

The Changes in World Oil Prices, Monetary Factors, and Foreign Index Toward Composite Index Movement： Indonesian Case for the Period of 2005-2011

Capital market is one of the drivers of the economy through the formation of capital investor excess as well as an indicator of a country＇s economy. Movement of stock price index is often influenced by many factors, derived from the company＇s performance, monetary factor, and changes in world oil prices. This study highlights the problem in world oil prices due to political turmoil in the Middle East. The samples are taken from the Jakarta Composite Stock Price Index （JCI）, oil prices, Indonesian inflation rate, Certificate of Bank Indonesia＇s （CBI） rate, and the reserve assets, during the period from January 2005 to December 2011 （84 months）. Using the data published by the Bank of Indonesia, reports of the Central Bureau of Statistics （Biro Pusat Statistik, BPS）, and other relevant sources, the data analyzed through the Eviews 7.1. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of oil prices, foreign stock price index, and monetary variables （inflation rate, CBI rate, country＇s foreign reserves, and others） toward the JCI analyzed through the error correction model （ECM）. Hypothesis testing with the F-test for the 95% confidence level indicates that the oil price, exchange rate （Indonesian Rupiah （IDR）/United States Dollar （USD））, CBI rate, foreign exchange reserves, the Dow Jones Index, and the Taiwan stock index, both simultaneously as well as partially have a significant influence on the JCI.     

An optimal incentive contract to venture capitalist

This paper aims to study the principal-agent relationship between investors and venture capitalists （VCs）, makes research on the moral hazard issues under this relationship, and how to design an effective incentive mechanism to avoid it. By constructing a new incentive model, this paper provides the reference for investors to establish a reasonable payment contract. The designed incentive contract is a kind of dominant consecutive payment mode, which plays a strong incentive role to the VCs, in addition, it also requires the VCs to invest certain capital to the project, which can effectively prevent the slapdash action of VCs, and reduce the agent cost of investors.     

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises （SMEs） in Personal Services

Entrepreneurship has become an attribute of the current growth without business activities. Entrepreneurship is a global world. It is not possible to think about economic driving force of technological development and scientific research. It materializes knowledge and involvement of people and society. Expansion of business activities is a source of individual country＇s economic performance. It contributes to the development of people＇s living standards. In every market economy, it represents an irreplaceable role for small and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs）. A strong representation of＂micro-enterprises＂ can be found in the field of personal services. Companies within the course of their existence go through particular stages of their development--from their foundation through the stage of steady development. After this stage, there comes their decline that can develop even into their termination. We indicate this process as a company life cycle. The aim of the submitted project is to map the life cycle of particularly chosen companies providing accommodation and catering services and to find a mutual relation among observed quantities and their stable economic positions in the market. The analysis is based on the data of macro-economic character, the data about development of receipts in the sector, development of inflation, tempo of economic growth, and development of consumer prices. Out of a company, non-financial factors will also be considered. The core of the analysis is the stage of sustainable stability of the assessed companies. The point of the findings is revelation of the causes of risks of possible transition into the stage of termination due to the decline of services volume, decline of profitability, and long-lasting payment insolvency. The contribution of the project is to draw our attention to possible risks of critical situation development and to propose how to avoid them so that the company will not occur in financial straits. Achieved information could assist the company managem     

From risk society to audit society

Contrary to what is sometimes claimed, the 2008 banking crisis occurred in an ultra-regulated environment. Legislative and regulatory financial-security regimes have in fact multiplied in recent years. The economic crisis is accelerating the transition of the risk society towards the audit society. But the G20 （Group of Twenty） declarations in Washington and London also reveal a managerial utopia： the march towards a society of confidence or harmony that would make controls superfluous. In this context, the article seeks to call upon philosophical, sociological and managerial references to risk, from Foucault to Power by way of Beck, Giddens ＆ Ewald, to shed light on the official declarations of the leaders of the world＇s main economies. The documentary corpus examined includes all the G20 works published between November 8, 2008 （preparation for the Washington Summit） and April 2, 2009 （conclusions of the London Summit）. The political philosophy underlying the G20＇s works remains fundamentally liberal, even though saving the worldwide market economy involves established security systems as well as self-control and control of others. In the end, the leaders do not decide between reinforcing the existing tools and inventing new systems. The updating of security technologies is meant to serve the preservation of the capitalist managerial utopia. This gives rise to a new variant of Beck＇s risk-society paradigm, too often confined to environmental threats alone, in three phases： （1） The crisis is a consequence of financial modernity and in particular of the inefficiency of regulation in the face of growing sophistication in techniques; （2） To restore confidence, the states and international institutions want, paradoxically, both to reinforce regulation and promote flexibility; （3） Thereupon, flexi-security controlled by worldwide economic governance characterizes the second financial modernity.     

Which Central and Eastern European country has the greatest potential for housing market recovery？

This paper is concentrated on analyzing the CEE （Central and Eastern European） countries housing and lending market development in 2002-2009. These countries experienced real estate boom and bust phases during that time and the aim of this paper is to understand which of these countries have the greatest potential for housing market recovery. The study has conducted comparable analysis of these countries and their real estate and lending market. The data was collected from central banks, national statistic offices and real estate companies. The results suggest that countries with higher housing debt had stronger real estate booms and the current bust-cycle has caused much steeper decline in prices. This paper attempts to look at the CEE housing markets from the developer＇s or investor＇s point of view and may be useful for banks and other financial institutions which are related to housing market and lending.     

Modus operandi of transnational transfer pricing for window dressing

A goal of transfer pricing may be to maximize after tax revenue by setting transfer prices that reduce the total tax paid. ＂Transfer pricing＂ is the pricing of products or services provided by one division to other division of the same corporate entity. Most of the corporate entities are using the method of ＂Window dressing＂, which is a technique used in preparation of financial statements of corporate entities. A transnational corporation is any enterprise that undertakes Foreign Direct Investment （FDI）, owns or controls income gathering assets in more than one country, produces goods or services outsides its country of origin, or engages in international production. Profitability of the transnational corporate entities is being manipulated by the technique of transfer pricing. Abuse of transfer prices is a key tool used by the corporate entities to think that they have virtually no profit; hence, they shouldn＇t pay any taxes. India needs to realize the fundamental need for co-operation among tax administrations in order to remove the obstacles that international double taxation presents to the free movement of goods, services and capital between various countries. In this context, one needs to consider that transactions among associated enterprises may take place under different conditions from those taking place among independent enterprises, while enforcing the act of transfer price mechanism. This paper focuses on transfer pricing and its implications in transnational transactions.     

The accounting valuation of bank stocks in Europe

In this study we examine the validity of the earnings-book value capitalization model in the pricing of bank stocks in Europe. We perform cross-sectional tests using a sample of banks operating in 21 European Union countries. We split our sample into code and common law countries to control for the influence of the financial reporting system upon the pricing of earnings and book value. Our empirical findings suggest that disaggregating total reported clean surplus income into reported gains and losses from securities and other income increases the explanatory power of the accounting valuation model. Indeed, reported gains and losses from securities are priced lower than other income, irrespective of whether the financial reporting system is classified as a code or a common law system, probably because the market considers the former as a less stable source of income. Additionally, we observe that the pricing of both earnings and book value is influenced by the financial reporting system. We conclude that earnings announced under a common law financial reporting system are priced differently from those reported under the respective code law system. Finally, we provide evidence that comprehensive and dirty surplus income are two value relevant variables for banks reporting earnings under the code law system, although dirty surplus income is priced lower than clean surplus income.     

GARCH-Type modeling of stock market returns for the pre-crisis countries

Empirical studies have shown that a large number of financial asset returns exhibit fat tails （leptokurtosis） and are often characterized by volatility clustering and asymmetry. This paper considers the ability of the GARCH-Type （Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity） models to capture the stylized features of volatility in national stock market returns for three countries （Portugal, Spain and Greece）. The results of this paper suggest that in the presence of asymmetric responses to innovations in the market, the ARMA （1,1）-GJRGARCH（1,1） skewed Student-t model which accommodates both the skewness and the kurtosis of financial time series is preferred.     

Self-Dealing Among Convergence and Path-Dependency Opportunities： An Empirical Analysis of Regulatory From Six European Countries

Self-dealing refers to all kinds of transactions and operations diverting value from a company to corporate controllers. In order to tackle self-dealing, academics and regulators have emphasised the legal tools. However, there is a divergence between those supporting the existence of a benchmark model towards which to converge （convergence hypothesis） and those underscoring the importance of socio-economic factors on the efficacy of governance rules （path-dependency view）. The aim of this paper is to join in the convergence vs. path-dependency debate by focusing on the efficiency of mandatory rules and investigating their effectiveness. Considering the current market integration, the traditional cost-benefit analysis has been extended in order to embrace costs specifically associated to the issue of domestic rules in a global scenario. This analysis supports the convergence view and encourages at least a partial and gradual adjustment of national legislations towards the prevailing Anglo-Saxon model. In order to test this hypothesis, an examination of the self-dealing regulatory （on conflict of interests and self-dealing） adopted in some Western （Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom （UK）） and Eastern （Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland） European countries has been conducted.     

Financial Market of Montenegro： Evidence of Crisis and Beyond

The financial sector has played a small role in the restructuring of the manufacturing sector in transition economies, and in some cases, financial liberalization may have undermined real sector development. However, stable and stimulating business environment is crucial for economic development. The aim of this paper is to show the main changes that have been implemented in Montenegro so far, and guidelines for changes in the financial market in Montenegro, for further harmonization in accordance with the requirements of European Union （EU） accession. Also, the ability of governments of transition economies to enforce contracts and to achieve fiscal and monetary responsibility is of great importance for economic and financial development. By adopting the new Constitution of Montenegro, in the field of regulation of the financial system, there have been significant changes, recognizing the Central Bank as an institution responsible for financial stability. The authors will give a review of the actual state of the financial market in Montenegro, as well as recommendations for further changes in order to create a favorable climate for entrepreneurship and to strengthen the overall financial system.