Political systems and the financial soundness of Islamic banks

We investigate whether and how political systems affect the financial soundness of conventional and Islamic banks. Using factors extracted from principal component analysis, we find that Islamic banks underperform their conventional counterparts in more democratic political systems but outperform them in hybrid and Sharia’a-based legal systems. The findings reflect the challenges Islamic banks face in Western countries in terms of perception, financial infrastructure, and regulatory constraints while mirroring the recognition of their specificities and their cultural and religious compliance with Sharia’a law in Muslim countries. The findings are robust to a battery of alternative estimation techniques and methods of correcting standard errors.     

Financial inclusion,financial inclusion policy and Islamic finance

Using a qualitative analysis, the paper examines the links between financial inclusion and the Islamic financial services industry in Muslim countries. The findings show that, despite growth in the financial sector in many Muslim countries over the past few decades, many individuals and firms are still financially excluded. An analysis of the use of and access to financial services by adults and firms also shows that most Muslim countries lag behind other emerging economies in both respects, with a rate of financial inclusion of only 27%. Cost, distance, documentation, trust, and religious requirements are among the important obstacles. In addition, not surprisingly, the extent of Islamic microfinance is very limited, small by international standards; it accounts for a small proportion of microfinance, about 0.5% of global microfinance, and lacks a cost-efficient service model. This study suggests that Islamic instruments for redistributing income such as awqaf, qard-al-hassan, sadaqa, and zakah, can play a role in bringing more than 40 million people, who are financially excluded for religious reasons, into the formal financial system. The Islamic financial services industry has a long way to go in improving financial inclusion in many Muslim countries due to the scale needed and its relatively weak infrastructure.     

Design and marketing of financial products

Marketing costs are introduced into the security design environmentoutlined in Allen and Gale (1988). It is shown that splittingthe firm's cash flow between products enhances their investorappeal and reduces marketing costs. We also explain how theextremal product design in Allen and Gale is thereby avoidedand how in simple cases, debt, equity, or warrants can be optimal.Furthermore, we illustrate in general terms how the optimalsolution employs portfolios of option-type products, and wegive an example of two optimal products that share profits inseven of eight states.     

Impact of the global financial crisis on Islamic and conventional stocks and bonds

This study explores the impact of the global financial crisis (GFC) on Islamic and conventional stock and bond indices in 11 Islamic and eight non‐Islamic countries. We find that there are benefits of Islamic stocks during the GFC, particularly during the early stage of the crisis because Islamic institutions are prohibited from holding sub‐prime mortgage securities and derivatives. The strongest benefits of Islamic stocks are in the UK and USA. We conclude that there are benefits of risk reduction and stability for Islamic stocks during a financial crisis, although not necessarily during a global recession.     

Investment appraisal practices: A comparative study of conventional and Islamic financial institutions

This paper compares the use of capital budgeting techniques of conventional and Islamic financial institutions, using data obtained from a survey of 105 conventional and Islamic financial institutions. Our main aim is to analyze the use of capital budgeting and risk techniques by the two types of financial institutions from a comparative perspective to see whether prohibition of riba makes a difference. Standard difference-of-means tests of the mean scores methods were used to test the hypotheses of the study. The results reveal a number of important conclusions. First, discounted cash flow techniques are found to be more widely used by financial institutions, and among those techniques internal rate of return is the most common. Second, Islamic financial institutions are found to adopt traditional methods that do not comply with the principles of Islamic Sharia'a. Third, a huge gap is found between the theory base of Islamic institutions and some of the practices of those institutions. Fourth, firms' characteristics, such as size, listing status, sources of revenue and government ownership, have some impact on their decisions to adopt capital budgeting criteria, methods of estimating costs of capital and risk. Finally, the decisions to select particular capital budgeting techniques, cost of capital estimation methods, and risk assessments are partly related to the characteristics of the chief financial officers.     

The holding behavior of Shariah financial assets within the global Islamic financial sector: A macroeconomic and firm-based model

The extant academic literature has shown the distinct differences between Islamic and conventional financial institutions along either a performance or efficiency front with an attribution to these differences to the adoption of a religio-financial framework merging the principles of economics and finance with those of Shariah. However, these empirical estimations do not entirely capture the religio-financial framework since they use performance and efficiency measures that include both conventional and Shariah transactions. We address this gap in the literature by examining the dynamics influencing the holding behavior of Shariah assets by Islamic financial institutions (IFIs). Given that the a priori hypothecation of Shariah asset holding behavior is relatively nebulous, we draw extensively from the traditional macroeconomic and managerialist literature in building our econometric model. By exploiting a unique and proprietary dataset comprising 140 Islamic financial institutions operating in 16 different countries over the time period 2011–2015, we find that economic wealth, market liquidity and the institutional board size are robust and positive linear predictors of IFI Shariah assets' holding behavior, thus providing support for the traditional macroeconomic theory of asset demand and firm-based agency theory.     

产品生命周期与金融产品定价策略

一、引言产品生命周期是指一种产品从完成试制投放市场到最后被淘汰退出市场所经历的全过程,一般包括四个阶段:投入期、成长期、成熟期和衰退期。由于处于产品生命周期不同阶段的产品呈现出不同的市场特征,与之相应的产品定价策略也应随之做出相应调整。产品生命周期各阶段的主     

The effect of task-technology fit on purchase intention: The moderating role of perceived risks

Electronic commerce to date has experienced rapid growth, and online purchases have become very popular among online consumers. To successfully attract online consumers and benefit from doing so, e-tail product providers should learn about consumers’ purchase intention, its antecedents, and moderators. This study proposes a research model of purchase intention using perceived performance risk and perceived privacy risk as moderators based on a perspective of task-technology fit. In the proposed model, purchase intention is positively influenced by three antecedents: task-technology fit, perceived navigation, and perceived reputation. Each model path is moderated by perceived performance risk and perceived privacy risk, respectively. Empirically testing using a survey of 749 registered members (consumers) from the database of Taiwan’s largest e-learning commercial website confirms that task-technology fit, perceived navigation, and perceived reputation positively influence purchase intention. The relationship between task-technology fit, perceived navigation and purchase intention are significantly moderated by the perceived performance risk and perceived privacy risk. Finally, managerial implications and limitations of our findings are discussed.     

Understanding what drives the purchase decision in pension and investment products

The aims of this paper are to first seek an understanding of consumer decision-making when purchasing pension and investment products, and second to ascertain how this decision-making affects the consumer's choice of distribution route. The study employed both focus groups and postal questionnaire survey methods based on the framework of a classical decision-making model that investigated problem recognition, information search, evaluation tools used and post-purchase. The findings show that the decision-making process experience differed to a lesser or greater degree depending on the distribution route. The majority of respondents had recognised the need to make a purchase decision long before seeking information. Younger respondents on all incomes believed that they must make some pension provision for themselves as opposed to relying on the government's retirement provision. Many changed channels for information searches, but tended to settle with the Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). The two main evaluation tools for pension and investment were found to be the ‘charges’ and ‘historic fund performance’. The vast majority of respondents reiterated their worry that the outcomes would not be known until retirement. In terms of analysis by the level of ‘financial literacy’, respondents who scored in the upper quartile were more inclined to be on a higher income, less inclined to evaluate on charges and more proactive in discussing the investment strategy of their pension fund. Respondents who scored in the lower quartile had opposite results. One of the implications of these findings is that the younger respondents’ recognition of pension savings favours the government's intention to reverse the existing balance of pension distribution. The other main implication is that the findings will be of help to managers in appreciating the dominance of the IFA channel by providing an explanation of why consumers choose this route, and, additionally, can assist direct marketing managers in identifying customers who will be more likely to use multichannel or single-channel shoppers. It can also help the marketing manager increase the usage of different channels by addressing the factors driving the purchase decision and distribution choice.     

A shared boundary object: Financial innovation and engineering in Islamic financial institutions

This paper explores the way in which ethico-faith-based rules act as a boundary object in constraining the process of financial innovation and engineering (FIE) in Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs). The paper examines how this faith-based approach is enacted in the FIE process amid different social worlds and groups that cooperate without consensus within IFIs. We contribute to studies of governance in faith-based organizations, by identifying the plasticity of faith-based rules that act as boundary objects in the governance of the FIE process. The plasticity of ethico-faith based rules allows coordination among local and global actors with intersecting faith-based values, logics, and interests. IFIs ensure that the products of FIE become an integral part of and as compatible as possible with the logics of global financial markets.     

结构金融产品系列讲座(摘登)——意大利租赁资产证券化

意大利租赁资产证券化中的一些法律问题从某种意义上说,对法律框架的分析是任何证券评估的一个重要方面。自ABS被设计用于应对外部冲击及交易诸方破产以来,相关的法律风险的分析和认识一直处于至关重要的地位。下面,我们将分析与意大利租赁资产证券化有关的法律问题,并将参照包括评级机构在内的诸机构已披露的报告进行一系列的分析。     

论农业银行金融新产品开发

文章探讨农业银行金融新产品开发工作的基本思路。     

结构金融产品系列讲座(摘登)——汽车和消费者贷款证券化产品类型和基础资产特点

本文旨在考察汽车和消费者融资产品的最普通类型,这些产品提供给消费者而且通常已经包括在ABS中。接着我们探讨汽车和消费者贷款组合的基本特点并探讨分析它们的一般方法。产品类型提供给客户的汽车和消费者的贷款产品已经非常多元化;例如按照分期偿付结构(amortisation prfile),利息计算方法     

结构金融产品系列讲座(摘登)——穆迪对消费者贷款证券化的评估方法

穆迪所评估的消费者贷款包括个人贷款、汽车贷款和信用卡贷款。大多数个人贷款是未担保的、分期偿付的贷款。但用于为汽车购买融资的汽车贷款大多是有担保的。信用卡借款的特点是循环性、浮动利率和可变分期偿付。消费者贷款可能还包括对中小公司的融资租赁。租赁利率既可固定也可浮动,分期偿付模式固定,最后承租人按残值的期权价格买下设备。     

结构金融产品系列讲座(摘登)——存货证券化

存货证券化提供了一个较为可行的新的融资技术和多元化的投资机会。2001年,穆迪公司对两笔存货交易进行了评级。一笔是与蓝玫瑰公司(Rosy Blue Carat S.A.),该交易涉及比利时的一家钻石公司的蓝玫瑰钻石存货的证券化。另一笔是涉及法国D.B马丁集团(Croup Delbeck Bricout Matin)的香槟酒存货证券化。存货的成功证券化向资产支持证券投资者和证券发行机构预示了一个崭新的理念。     

结构性产品在国际金融衍生品市场上的发展及其启示

结构性产品市场是国际金融衍生品市场的重要组成部分,在欧洲、亚洲都有非常大的市场规模和繁多的产品种类。结构性产品增加了资本市场的完备性、深化了市场的风险配置功能,并对基础市场产生重要影响。我国的结构性产品首先以外币结构性存款的形式出现,并得到快速发展。借鉴国际经验,应在鼓励结构性产品发展的同时,关注监管、会计制度等方面的问题,加速金融衍生品交易所市场的发展,促进场内、场外市场的良性互动。     

Islamic and conventional banks' soundness during the 2007–2008 financial crisis

The recent global financial crisis has induced a series of failure of many conventional banks and led to an increased interest in the Islamic banking business model. This paper attempts to answer empirically the following question: What was the effect of the 2007–2008 financial crisis on the soundness of Islamic banks and their conventional peers? Using the Z-score as an indicator of bank stability, our regression analysis (covering a matched sample of 34 Islamic Banks (IBs) and 34 conventional banks (CBs) from 16 countries) shows that there is no significant difference in terms of the effect of the financial crisis on the soundness of IBs and CBs. This finding reveals that IBs are diverging from their theoretical business model which would have allowed them to keep the same level of soundness even during the crisis.     

Awareness of Islamic banking products among Muslims: The case of Australia

The purpose of this study is to examine the awareness of Muslim Australians of Islamic banking, particularly profit-and-loss sharing agreements. A sample of 300 Australian Muslims were surveyed utilising a short questionnaire containing specific questions relating to the willingness of respondents to purchase profit-and-loss sharing Islamic banking products. The results indicate that the majority of the respondents are interested in purchasing these products, but are not properly informed about how they function. It was common to find respondents who were keen to purchase Islamic banking products, but only if credit facilities were available. This is contrary to Islamic Shari'ah law, and suggests a lack of understanding of the principles of Islamic finance.     

后金融危机时代全球金融衍生品发展与趋势展望

由美国次贷危机引发的全球金融危机,引发了全球对于金融衍生产品的深刻反思。一方面,金融衍生品成为金融市场发展的重要驱动力;另一方面,金融衍生品监管缺位,亦会带来严重后果。同时,对于金融衍生品的认识,     

金融产品商业方法专利保护

2002年年底,国内新闻媒体披露,从1996年起,花旗银行已经不动声色地在中国申请了19项金融产品的“商业方法类”发明专利。花旗在中国申请的19项专利大部分是网上银行的构成要素。19项专利的说明书总计长达1401页,其中内容最多的是“销售处理支持系统和方法”,其说明书长达165页。这一消息的发表,在国内金融界引起了不小的震动,也引起社会各界对方法专利及相关知识产权问题的关注。什么是“商业方法”?什么是“商业方法专利”?花旗银行在中国申请的这19项金融产品的“商业方法类”发明专利能否获得授权?如果获得授权将会给国内金融业带来什么…