Market maker competition and price efficiency: Evidence from China

We test the relationship between market maker competition and stock price efficiency. Using the number of market makers as a proxy for competition, the results show a strong positive correlation between competition and stock price efficiency. Moreover, price efficiency is higher when competing market makers have higher research ability. We suggest that market maker competition increases price efficiency through two channels: 1) Competition decreases transaction costs, and 2) Uninformed market makers learn from orders submitted by informed market makers through competition. The latter happens only in the group of market makers with higher experiences. The results imply that the price efficiency can be improved by enhancing the competition of market makers with high research ability and experiences.     

Assessing efficiency and investment opportunities in commodities: A time series and portfolio simulations approach

This paper investigates the informational efficiency hypothesis in the short and long term for four major commodity markets (oil, gas, electricity, and coal) from January 1997 to January 2016. Unlike previous studies, we provide a more concise comparative analysis by focusing on different classes of commodities for a large sample, including 5 developed and 3 emerging regions and covering 46 countries. We apply different parametric and non-parametric econometric tests. Our study provides two interesting findings. First, we show that commodity markets are informationally inefficient in the short term. Our portfolio simulations highlight that commodities might provide “good” investment opportunities, but those opportunities vary according to commodity class and regions. Second, we show that most commodity markets become informationally efficient in the long term, thereby reducing investors' interest for the duration. Thus, commodity markets might be used to hedge investor’s portfolios, particularly for speculators and chartists in the short term, while these investments might not be appealing in these markets in the long term.     

Asymptotically optimal estimation of smooth functionals for interval censoring, part 2

Estimation in the interval censoring model is considered. A class of smooth functionals is introduced, of which the mean is an example. We consider case 2, with two observation times for each unobservable event time, in the situation that the observation times cannot become arbitrarily close to each other. It is proved that the nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator of the functional asymptotically reaches the information lower bound.     

On the Role of Weight Restrictions in Data Envelopment Analysis

This paper examines the role that weight restrictions play in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). It is argued that the decision to include a factor (input or output) in a DEA model represents an implicit judgement that the factor has a non-trivial weight. It therefore seems perverse to allow DEA to assign a trivial weight to that factor in assessing the efficiency of a unit. There is therefore a strong case for imposing restrictions on factor weights. However, many existing methods of weight restriction are in practice unwieldy. This paper proposes an alternative approach we term contingent weight restriction which is both practical and intellectually consistent with the DEA philosophy. The paper explores the implications of alternative methods of weight restriction using simulated data from a well known production process.     

Productive Efficiency of the Swine Industry in Hawaii: Stochastic Frontier vs. Data Envelopment Analysis

Improving productive efficiency is an increasingly important determinant of the future of the swine industry in Hawaii. This paper examines the productive efficiency of a sample of swine producers in Hawaii by estimating a stochastic frontier production function and the constant returns to scale (CRS) and variable returns to scale (VRS) output-oriented DEA models. The technical efficiency estimates obtained from the two frontier techniques are compared. The scale properties are also examined under the two approaches. The industry's potential for increasing production through improved efficiency is also discussed.     

社会主义市场经济条件下技术监督法律体系建设若干问题的思考

论述了在建立社会主义市场经济中技术监督法律体系的作用以及在立法和执法中应注意的问题。     

认证实验室与纯水

强调纯水对认证实验室的重要性，讲屯水制备方法及其相关要求。     

低碳化产业结构调整效率的成本收益分析

我国在加速工业化和城市化进程,但同时面临着较大的减排压力的背景下,低碳化产业结构调整是协调经济发展与生态环境保护的关键环节,而如何评价与改善低碳化产业结构调整效率已成为亟待解决的问题。文章采用DEA交叉模型,对中国1996~2012年各年度低碳化产业结构调整的效率进行成本收益分析,结果表明各年度低碳化产业结构调整效率有明显差异,且起伏较大;进一步分析宏观经济政策对低碳化产业结构调整效率的影响,从经济制度、产业政策、环保市场等宏观角度提出政策建议。     

经济增长的技术效率及其影响因素研究——以四川省为例

运用2000—2010年数据,基于对数型柯布—道格拉斯生产函数的随机前沿模型,对四川省区域经济增长效率及其影响因素进行研究。结果表明,四川省经济增长主要靠劳动力驱动,平均技术效率水平较低,经济处于规模报酬递减状态,且其区域差异有扩大的趋势。而基础设施建设和科研投入对经济增长效率具有促进作用,金融机构的贷款业务和政府财政支出对效率的提高具有抑制作用。     

Development of a national competitiveness index based on a structural equation model

In this paper, we propose a national competitiveness index using raw Institute of Management Development (IMD) data and try to overcome a shortcoming in the IMD's own ranking system. The IMD world competitiveness ranking considers 20 factors to define an index, but it does not consider the structural relationships among various factors. We utilise a structural equation model to derive a national competitiveness index that reflects such structural relationships. We then reveal new rankings of world competitiveness. In addition, we conducted a comparison analysis by economy level and identified improvement points in terms of measurement variables as well as latent variables. Our work is expected to promote a new era of national competitiveness rankings and indices.