Observable Consequences of Trading Structure Differences: On the Use of Variance Ratios in Microstructure Studies

This paper examines the variance ratio tests in studies of transitory volatility and concludes that the variance ratio is an appropriate test of trading structure differences only under certain assumptions regarding the evolution of underlying stock prices and the autocorrelation structure of returns. This result raises caution as to the interpretation of results bases upon the 24-hour variance ratio methodologies in studies of transitory volatility and trading structure effects. A numerical example indicates that errors in inferences can be severe.     

The Global Determinants of Direct Office Real Estate Returns

We investigate the determinants of direct office real estate returns by analyzing rents, capital appraisals, and total returns. A recently compiled global database of major cities in Asia, Europe, and the United States provides a unique opportunity to give a macro-view on the effects of economic growth and supply and demand factors on nominal real estate returns. The global database provides quarterly observations from 1986 to 1999. To address the smoothness problem of appraisal-based price data and regulated rents, we employ the Generalized Method of Moments to estimate a dynamic panel-data model. The model allows us to combine the cross-sectional and time-series dimension in our quarterly data. We find that gross domestic product, inflation, unemployment, vacancy rate, and the available stock all have an effect on real estate returns.     

Option pricing in the presence of natural boundaries and a quadratic diffusion term

This paper uses a probabilistic change-of-numeraire technique to compute closed-form prices of European options to exchange one asset against another when the relative price of the underlying assets follows a diffusion process with natural boundaries and a quadratic diffusion coefficient. The paper shows in particular how to interpret the option price formula in terms of exercise probabilities which are calculated under the martingale measures associated with two specific numeraire portfolios. An application to the pricing of bond options and certain interest rate derivatives illustrates the main results.     

Litigation, School Finance Reform, and Aggregate Educational Spending

In the past two decades, litigation in many U.S. stateshas triggered educational reform movements designed to reducethe inequalities in educational expenditures across school districts.This paper uses a panel data set across all the states from 1970–1990to examine the role of litigation and educational finance reformin determining the level of education funding in a flexible,dynamic setting. An important finding of our work is that litigationand reform have differential effects across the states, in somecases leading to increases while in other cases decreases inpredicted spending.     

对完善我国金融监管体制的探讨

从1984年我国金融监管体制建立到2003年“一行三会”体制确立，经历了20年历史，四次大的变迁。目前虽然已构建起一行三会的监管框架，但运行中的矛盾和问题仍十分突出，专业化监管与综合化趋势矛盾冲突．央行与金融监管部门协调困难，必须按照统一、综合的原则进行梳理和改革。     

外汇高顺差形势下外汇统计监测应对策略探讨

在当前外汇收支统计监测中，资本项目和经常项目外汇收支相互融合，离岸外汇收支混入在岸外汇收支，个人跨境外汇收支流动增势迅猛。要加强外汇统计监测，就要加快设计和构建外汇信息统计监测体系，加强统计监测，建立各类监测分析的快捷反应机制。     

小国得益于货币联盟

本文回顾了适用于严格固定货币汇率的技术方法，并从对货币联盟通过货币汇率严格固定所获得的利益与付出的代价的研究中给出证明。事实上，丧失货币主权而付出的代价由于有效资本市场和劳动力市场的形成而降低了。本文还讨论了一个被忽略的实行严格货币固定的好处，即小国因此而事受到更好的货币政策。完善的货币政策得以形成是因为小国将其货币主权交托于大型机构（大国央行或是货币联盟央行）后，其货币政策将免受政治因素的影响；另外部分原因在于大型机构拥有更多的金融和人力资源去设计和执行最佳的货币政策。由于在联盟内部实行区内贸易和资本流动，因此即便太央行的货币政策出错。对于它所服务的成员国来说，造成的影响也较小。     

健全国有商业银行客户经理激励约束机制的思考

目前国有商业银行客户经理激励约束机制的现状呈现明哲保身、角色错位、越权操作、徇私舞弊这4大特征。其根本原因是授权机制尚不完善,角色定位出现错位,监督机制尚不健全,激励约束机制失效。针对这些问题,作者提出了完善国有商业银行客户经理激励约束机制的建议:在激励机制的选择上,要建立物质性激励模式、非物质性激励模式及因人而异的激励模式等多元化的激励组合;在约束机制的选择上,要从制度、技术、文化三个层面建立有效的约束组合;商业银行激励约束机制选择的最终目标是通过两者的最佳组合,建立一个合规、高效的激励环境,实现银行经营目标。     

我国个人所得税后续改革中必须考虑的若干问题

我国工资薪金个人所得税扣除额宜实行分地区浮动制度,而扣除额的调整必须与扣除方式的改革相结合才具有实质意义。从目前的征管实践来看,加强个人所得税管理、有效控制税源是确保改革目标实现的关键。此外,单纯追求个人所得税的公平功能而忽视其效率的作用,对我国社会政治经济的发展将产生不利的影响,也不符合改革的目标。