Stock Splits and Liquidity: The Case of the Nasdaq-100 Index Tracking Stock

In an attempt to disentangle the signaling effect from the liquidity effect of stock splits, I examine the liquidity changes following the two‐for‐one split of the Nasdaq‐100 Index Tracking Stock. Since there can be no signaling with an index stock split, any difference between pre‐ and postsplit trading may be driven by liquidity but not signaling effects. I find that though the postsplit relative bid‐ask spread is higher and daily turnover is unchanged, the frequency, share volume, and dollar‐volume of small trades all increased after the split, indicating that the split improved liquidity for small trade‐sizes.     

Commonality in Liquidity: Evidence from an Order-Driven Market Structure

Events such as the 1997 East Asian financial crisis indicate that individual firm liquidity is strongly influenced by marketwide factors. Previous market microstructure research, however, focuses almost exclusively on the firm‐specific attributes of liquidity. Our study follows the recent shift in emphasis toward commonality by examining systematic liquidity in an order‐driven market structure. Using data from the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, we show that commonality in liquidity includes both market and industry components, and is pervasive across size‐sorted portfolios. We also find a significant market and industry component in individual firms' order flow. In contrast to quote‐driven results, we do not find a positive relation between firm size and sensitivity to changes in marketwide bid‐ask spreads.     

全球国际收支失衡:中国视角

首先,我想讲一下:这是我的角度,而不能代表整个中国的角度. 对于全球失衡来说,我想失衡实际上是把两方面的问题合在一起了,一方面是美国的经常项目赤字,另一方面是亚洲的经常账户盈余.美国的经常项目赤字非常巨大,经常项目赤字的累积额也非常之大,这令人担忧.但是现在首要的问题不是我们要去战胜它,而是要问我们将来往哪儿走.     

Fundamental obstacles to the use of scientific information in public policy making

In contrast to the prevailing view that more effective use can be made of scientific information in public policy formation, several fundamental obstacles to the effective use of science are identified and described. It is argued that any effort to bring scientific information to bear on public policy must show how these obstacles have been removed.     

CONSUMPTION EXTERNALITIES, PREFERENCE CHANGES AND THE 'SAMARITAN'S DILEMMA'

This paper examines the desirability of an exogenously induced change in the preferences of individuals in an economy characterized by (i) asymmetrical, localized positive consumption externalities, (ii) private, non-market, negotiation-free transfers, and (iii) the ‘Samaritan's dilemma.’ A model is analysed in which a benefactor (individual 1) makes an unrestricted voluntary transfer to a beneficiary (individual 2) who ran use the transfer to increase 2's consumption of either a purely private good x or a good y that generates external benefits for 1. Once 1 makes a transfer to 2, 1 cannot control how 2 spends it. If 2 fails to take into account this externality, then good y is under consumed and a loss in social welfare results. When such externalities and their concomitant welfare losses arise, conventional solutions are frequently inappropriate, impractical or impossible. This power shows that exogenously inducing the adoption of new externality internalizing preferences by the benefactor and the beneficiary not only increases the benefactor's transfer and the beneficiary's consumption of good y but also produces a ‘socially superior’ state. The welfare improvement is measured in terms of a welfare criterion that is based on the initial and new preferences of each individual     

THE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF THE ELDERLY

Estimating the elderly's relative economic well-being is of policy importance, but the procedure poses several technical problems. We propose a methodology for such comparison and present results from its application. Household income of persons is adjusted for household size, underreporting of unearned income, and the annuitized value of assets. By this measure, the elderly are on average 124 percent as well off as the nonelderly. Their households are on average 183 percent as well off as those of children under 6. Inequality is greater than at any other age and increases further for those over 75.     

Capital Asset Pricing and Real Estate Valuation*

This paper examines the Capital Asset Pricing Model with respect to its implications for real estate investment analysis and appraisal. The derivation of the CAPM, and theoretical problems with it, are discussed, along with its empirical validation. The similarities and differences between real estate and securities markets are evaluated. Alternative models to the CAPM are presented, followed by the conclusions.