Bridging the gap between foresight and market research: Integrating methods to assess the economic potential of nanotechnology

This paper discusses how to bridge the gap between foresight research oriented to the long-term, and traditional market research oriented to the medium to short term, when applied to an early stage of a technology's life cycle. It proposes using an integrating approach, i.e. a combination of methods and both foresight and traditional market research. A mix of complementary methods for the acquisition and analysis of data is presented in a case study. This helps to overcome the deficits of some qualitative foresight methods and quantitative methods often used in traditional market research and allows us to examine research results from the different methods applied both on their own and as a group. In the absence of a single fully-fledged and accepted economic approach, this paper argues that combined market research and foresight modules are the best possible approach for analyzing the economic potential of emerging technologies like nanotechnology. In the future, similar applications of such market foresight modules may be useful, for example, as elements of foresight. They will also be useful in studies of emerging technologies (e.g. converging technologies, cognitive science and Web 2.0) where traditional market research does not produce a realistic market assessment.     

Covariance breakdowns and connectedness of crude oil futures markets with non-synchronous data

ABSTRACT

This article identifies the breakdowns in the covariance of three benchmark crude oil futures markets (WTI, Brent and Dubai) and investigates the changes of market connectedness across the breakdown periods. As the crude oil futures are traded in different regions, this article eliminates the non-synchronous trading data by employing the Vector Moving Average structure and the Bayesian data augmentation approach, which keeps the integrity of original data without changing its properties. The results show that there are significant breaks in the covariance structure of crude oil futures markets. The breakdown periods are consistent with the periods when the market volatilities are at high level and the returns are volatile. The changes of market connectedness are independent of the covariance states, which supports the globalization hypothesis for the crude oil market. The results also suggest that there is more information flow out of the WTI than to the WTI during the sample period, particularly during the breakdown periods in 2008–2009.     

Forecasts of the managed futures market – an empirical analysis

Alternative investments, including managed futures, are primarily intended for institutional investors and for very wealthy individual investors. It therefore seems logical to assume, that the increase of wealth on a global scale can be a factor impacting the value of transactions in individual segments of the alternative-investment market. The purpose of this article is to indicate the factors affecting growth of managed futures transactions. Another research goal is to answer the question: Does the increase of wealth on a global scale affect the value of the managed futures transactions? The article will also present short-term forecasts of the transactions on the managed futures market for the years 2015–2017. The forecasts which will be constructed are meant to present possible scenarios of the market’s further development. Evolution of the alternative investment segment leads to development of those categories, which fulfil the expectations of market participants and meet the requirement and expiration of the remaining investments which do not attract investors and are no longer accepted by them.     

On measuring speculative and hedging activities in futures markets from volume and open interest data

This article provides a critical assessment of the line of research that measures speculative and hedging activities in futures markets from volume and open interest data. It makes several contributions. First, a detailed theoretical analysis of the measures proposed in the previous literature as proxies for speculative activity clarifies the circumstances in which they fail, as well as the assumptions that have to be made, when they are used as intended. Second, we propose a new way of combining the volume and the open interest figures, which provides additional information regarding the type of trading activity that takes place in the market on a given date. Finally, we analyse empirically the basic statistical properties of all the ratios when they are applied to real data for some of the stock index futures contracts most actively traded in the world. This empirical analysis shows the diverse behaviour of the ratios when they are applied to a common sample of real data, which confirms our previous theoretical findings. Our contributions should be taken into account when any of the measures is used as a proxy for the relative importance of speculative demand in empirical analyses.     

股指期货对股票市场效率的影响实证分析

通过分析香港恒生指数及其指数期货,研究发现,股指期货对现货价格具有价格发现作用。为防止伪回归问题对分析结果的影响,故采用协整检验和格兰杰（Granger）因果关系检验,就股指期货对市场效率的影响进行验证。研究结果显示,股指期货对现货指数确实存在价格发现功能。     

间接广泛利用期货市场:农民增收的有效途径

期货交易中套期保值和价格发现两大经济功能的有效利用,是解决"三农"问题、规避农产品价格风险、确保农民增收的重要途径之一.然而我国农业生产自身存在的局限性,导致农民直接利用期货市场和参与期货交易的可行性不大;而间接利用期货市场开展套期保值交易则是农户的最佳选择.     

平台型企业跨界经营中的跨市场网络效应与颠覆性创新

平台型企业跨界进入新领域并进行颠覆式创新成为互联网时代的一种新趋势。平台企业具有大规模用户资源、跨市场网络效应、先进创新模式等优势，因此其跨界创新行为与传统后发企业创新行为相比有特殊之处。通过建立数理模型进行实证分析，得到如下结论：与传统后发企业类似，在位企业拥有的用户安装基础和产品网络外部性仍是平台企业跨界经营与跨界创新的阻碍；与传统后发企业不同的是，除市场突破战略外，技术创新突破战略也对平台跨界经营和跨界创新具有推动作用；平台企业拥有的大规模用户资源、跨市场网络效应以及先进创新模式均有利于提高其跨界产品创新程度。     

Testing commodity futures market efficiency under time-varying risk premiums and heteroscedastic prices

We propose a novel test to measure market efficiency while estimating the time-varying risk premiums of commodity futures, given that the prices are heteroscedastic. The risk premium is estimated using a state-space model with a Kalman filter modified for heteroscedasticity. Using 79 commodity futures traded on 16 exchanges during the period 2000–2014 and a Monte Carlo simulation, we demonstrate that the proposal produces robust results compared with conventional approaches. The global financial crisis has improved the efficiency and affected the trading volumes of commodity futures, but it has had no effect on the average or the volatility of risk premiums.     

Testing the Efficient Markets Hypothesis with Futures Markets Data: Forecast Errors, Model Predictions and Live Cattle

At the forefront of empirical research into the examination of the efficiency of futures commodity markets, two fundamentally different testing techniques have been popularised – the 'forecast error' and 'model prediction' approaches. This paper assesses the relative strengths of these techniques by contrasting results obtained when both approaches are used to examine the efficiency of the Sydney live cattle futures market. While neither model provides evidence to suggest that this market is inefficient, it is clearly shown that the model prediction approach enjoys a number of distinct advantages over its rival. Indeed, the model prediction approach provides additional information that is important not only for those interested in testing the efficiency of futures markets, but is important for anyone interested in developing a greater understanding of the determination of prices and the behaviour of agents in futures markets.     

中国期货市场有效性研究

本文介绍了期货市场有效性理论，利用Johansen市场拟合检测方法分析国内两个主要农产品期货品种——大豆和小麦的期货价格和现货价格表现，结果显示大豆的期货价格和现货价格较长时间是一致的，大豆期货市场是有效的．但大豆期货市场仅仅短期有效，小麦期货市场则是无效的。     

股票市场量价关系分析——模型与实证

文章将行为金融学的分析方法引入到股票市场量价关系的研究中,在考虑市场参与者非理性行为———＂急于实现盈利＂同时＂不愿结算浮亏＂的前提下,首先通过供求分析,给出股票市场中的需求曲线与供给曲线,然后设定初始均衡,采用经济学中的比较静态分析方法,研究新信息到来时对初始均衡的影响,进而分析新信息的到来对成交量和价格的影响。模型的结论是＂成交量和成交价格的变动正相关＂、＂成交量和成交价格变动的绝对值正相关＂。使用计量经济学方法,基于中国A股市场的历史数据进行了实证检验,实证结果支持了模型的结论。通过进一步分析,文章最后还得出＂投资散户是股票市场的自动稳定器＂的结论。     

Exploring the future of ecological genomics: Integrating CTA with vision assessment

Interactive approaches to technology development provide opportunities for the development of innovative technologies which clearly connect with social practices and address the positive and negative effects as perceived by relevant actors. The challenge is to start an interactive approach early in the development of new technologies, when many options are still open for exploration and there are good possibilities for steering. Early involvement of societal actors is, however, challenged by the absence of concrete applications on which they can develop their own visions from the perspective of their own needs, interests, norms and values. Integrating Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA) with vision assessment is proposed as an approach to overcome this dilemma in the field of ecological genomics and bridge the knowledge gap between parties closely involved with ecogenomics research and other relevant actors. We present, evaluate and discuss the process of identifying guiding visions of the technology developers as a first step in this approach and end with some suggestions on how desirable futures for ecogenomics can subsequently be assessed from the perspectives of different actors.     

我国期货市场亟需期货投资基金

我国期货行业自进入21世纪以来取得了飞速发展,无论品种规模还是成交量都已位居世界前列,然而,在国外已经成为期货市场主力的期货投资基金在我国却难觅其踪。期货投资基金可以优化和改善投资组合,规避股市系统性风险,实现专家理财保护中小投资者利益。实际上,从市场规模、运作现状、风险控制、资金充裕度以及证券投资基金在我国发展的成功经验来看,我国已基本具备设立期货投资基金的基础。但期货投资基金毕竟是一个高风险的投资工具,国内对它的研究还比较薄弱,法律体系和监管机制仍待完善,产品的种类和活跃程度仍待加强,在基金公司的设立方式上仍需谨慎选择,对于期货投资基金亟需的高端综合型人才的培养都是我国急需解决的问题。     

小厂商与期货市场：基于分割定理的分析

本文对具有杠杆作用的金融模型在两个小企业中的应用做了详细说明。这个模型在使期货套头交易的实现过程中得以扩展，并且分割定理被用来表明最佳套头交易为零。无风险资产的假设是随意的，并且尽管这会导致违反分割定理，但如果期货市场有效、那么最佳套头交易为零的推论依然成立。结论是，如果资本市场有效，那么除非投机，小厂商对期货市场不会有什么兴趣。     

基于波动效应与价格发现的期指仿真交易研究

采用修正的GARCH模型和向量误差修正模型（VEC）将股指期货推出后现货市场波动性的变化和股指期货与现货市场的价格发现功能结合起来进行对比研究发现,期指仿真交易的推出对于现货市场效率的改进确实存在正面的影响。其引入在短期内加大了现货市场的波动,但这一波动正是市场信息流动加速的反映,因而提高了市场信息的传递效率。研究同时也表明,期货价格领先于现货价格,存在由期货市场到现货市场长期的单向因果关系,说明期货价格具有引导现货价格向均衡方向调整的功能,从而在经验上支持了股指期货市场的开放政策。     

期货市场与现货市场之间的价格研究--中国农产品市场的经验

本文借助于信息共享模型与波动溢出效应模型对我国大豆和小麦的期、现货市场之间的价格发现进行了多层次的实证研究,定量描述了期、现货市场在价格发现中作用的大小,深入刻画了我国农产品期、现货市场之间的动态关系.研究结果显示:大豆期、现货价格之间存在双向引导关系,小麦仅存在期货对现货的单向引导关系;期、现货市场均扮演着重要的价格发现角色,且期货市场在价格发现中处于主导地位;期、现货市场之间均存在双向波动溢出关系,但现货市场来自期货市场的波动溢出效应均强于期货市场来自现货市场的波动溢出效应;并且,随着期货市场的发展,期、现货市场之间的波动溢出程度均呈逐渐增强态势.     

中美白糖期货市场价格发现功能的比较研究——基于2006—2008年的时间序列数据

本文运用协整分析、Granger因果检验、误差修正模型、信息共享模型、方差分解模型和脉冲响应函数,对2006—2008年中美两国白糖期现货市场价格之间的长短期变动关系进行了计量分析与横向对比。研究发现,我国白糖期货市场价格发现功能已初步显现,但我国白糖期货市场中期货价格对现货价格的引导作用与美国的成熟市场还存在较大差距,我国白糖期货市场价格发现功能的发挥水平还有待提高。     

Futures Contracts in Water Leasing: An Experimental Analysis Using Basin Characteristics of the Rio Grande,NM

Providing for increased water demands during periods of persistent drought and climatic variability may require water managers, users and planners to think differently about how water resources are allocated. A water marketing institution that allows water rights holders to reallocate water on a temporary basis could overcome these challenges with minimal conflict. In this paper, a water marketing institution that allows for the temporary reallocation of water rights in a spot and futures market is investigated. The results provide insight into three key questions: (1) how does trading impact the physical system, (2) does the value of water differ by trading agents, (3) how is economic welfare redistributed as a result of trading? Results of experimental treatments display minor impacts to the physical system, that prices differ across the different type of trading agents and the addition of a futures market has the ability to decrease market prices while increasing economic welfare as a futures market allows users to hedge against future water uncertainty.     

Crude Oil Futures as an Indicator of Market Changes: A Graphical Analysis

This study investigates the changing relationship between price and volume traded of short- and long-maturity NYMEX light sweet crude oil futures contracts and major changes in the physical crude oil market during the last decade. Monthly series for the #1-month to 84-month out maturity contracts are generated from daily price and volume data for NYMEX West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures contracts for the period from January 2000 to the middle of 2009. 3-D graphical analysis of the futures prices, contract volumes, maturity dates, and time is used to demonstrate the changing trading volume pattern and evolution of the shape of futures price term structure across various contract maturities in different market regimes. The study observes the impacts of both May 2004, when excess production capacity reached nearly zero, and September 2006, when electronic trading was implemented on the NYMEX WTI futures markets. This analysis will be used to determine if futures contract information can provide an early indication of market regime shifts and improve short-run crude oil spot price forecast models.     

Information Transmission Between NSE50 Spot and Derivative Platforms in India: An Empirical Study

In this study, we examine the information transmission process between spot, futures and options segments for the NIFTY 50 index. The data is used from 2003 to 2013. Empirical results show that the spot market leads the price discovery process followed by the futures market and then the options market. The spot market again leads in the volatility spillover process while options dominate the futures contracts. There is a univariate skewness spillover from spot as well as futures to the options platform. Further, long term bidirectional kurtosis spillover is observed between spot and futures with former playing a more dominant role.