Managing political imperatives in war time: strategic responses of Philips in Australia, 1939–1945

The Australian subsidiary of Dutch multi-national enterprise Philips came under secret service surveillance and faced risk of government takeover as enemy property during World War II. It was also excluded from Australian government contracts for war-related communications equipment at a time when it was forced to reduce civilian production. These threats to its assets and operations required the firm to develop an adaptive corporate strategy in order to respond to the political imperatives it faced; not just minimising political risk, but also taking advantage of the opportunities that war-related production offered during the war years and after.     

Three discount methods for valuing projects and the required return on equity

In this paper we discuss the required return on equity for a simple project with a finite life. To determine a project’s cost of equity, it is quite common to use Modigliani and Miller’s Proposition II (1963). However, if the assumptions of MM do not hold, Proposition II will lead to wrong required returns and project values. This paper gives an example of how the cost of equity should be determined in order to obtain correct valuations. The methods we apply are the Adjusted Present Value method, the Cash Flow to Equity method and the WACC method.     

Product pricing and solvency capital requirements for long-term care insurance

This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of premiums, reserves and solvency capital requirements (SCRs) for long-term care (LTC) insurance policies using Activities of Daily Living and US data. We compare stand-alone policies, whole life insurance policies with LTC benefit riders (LTC insurance combined with whole life insurance), life care annuities (LTC insurance combined with annuities) and shared LTC insurance in terms of net premium cost and SCRs. Net premiums and best-estimate reserves for base LTC insurance policies are determined using Thiele’s differential equation. Product features such as the elimination period and the maximum benefit period are compared using a simulation-based model. We show how a maximum benefit period can reduce costs and risks for LTC insurance products. SCRs for longevity risk and disability risk are based on the Solvency II standard formula. We quantify the extent to which whole life insurance policies with LTC benefit riders and life care annuities provide lower SCRs than stand-alone LTC insurance policies.     

Loan price modelling for local governments using risk premium analysis

Previous studies have highlighted the question of government loan interest as one of great current importance. Government borrowing levels are high, and reducing interest payments would generate savings to meet other spending needs and/or to lower taxation, thus supporting the sustainability of public finances. However, no previous study has presented a method for a local government to calculate its own credit risk and thus be in a position to negotiate lower interest rates on its borrowing. This article defines a financial model that enables local governments to estimate the interest rate payable on a bank loan, based on their credit risk premium, in accordance with the Basel II rules and the findings of our empirical study of large local governments.     

Modelling Credit Risk for SMEs: Evidence from the U.S. Market

Considering the fundamental role played by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the economy of many countries and the considerable attention placed on SMEs in the new Basel Capital Accord, we develop a distress prediction model specifically for the SME sector and to analyse its effectiveness compared to a generic corporate model. The behaviour of financial measures for SMEs is analysed and the most significant variables in predicting the entities' credit worthiness are selected in order to construct a default prediction model. Using a logit regression technique on panel data of over 2,000 U.S. firms (with sales less than $65 million) over the period 1994–2002, we develop a one-year default prediction model. This model has an out-of-sample prediction power which is almost 30 per cent higher than a generic corporate model. An associated objective is to observe our model's ability to lower bank capital requirements considering the new Basel Capital Accord's rules for SMEs.     

SignalTap Ⅱ在FPGA系统调试中的应用

SingalTap Ⅱ逻辑分析仪是Ahera公司Quartus Ⅱ软件中内嵌的一种调试程序，通过把一段执行逻辑分析功能的代码和客户的设计组合在一起编译、布局布线，完成传统逻辑分析仪的功能，可以在调试过程中观察软硬件的交互作用。文章通过一个十进制计数器的设计实例，详细阐述用SignalTap Ⅱ对FPGA调试的具体方法和调试步骤。实验结果证明，该调试方法操作方便，实时性较高，可加快系统的开发过程。     

基于FPGA的DDS波形发生器

DDS广泛应用于电信与电子仪器领域,是实现设备全数字化的关键技术。文章应用Quartus II软件完成正弦波信号、三角波型号、调制信号的波形仿真,并以Altera的FPGA核心板EP2C35,完成DDS波形发生器的硬件设计与实现。     

Are Corporate Restructuring Events Driven by Common Factors? Implications for Takeover Prediction

Abstract:  The paper shows that variables commonly used in takeover prediction models also help to explain the likelihood of several other restructuring events, including divestitures, bankruptcies and significant employee layoffs. This finding helps to explain the larger misclassification errors in binomial takeover prediction models commonly used in prior research. The results show that modelling takeover prediction models in a binomial setting is likely to lead to misspecification in the parameter estimates and, further, result in erroneous conclusions about the determinants of takeover likelihood. The paper shows that controlling for other restructuring events by using a multinomial framework results in consistently lower misclassification errors in out-of-sample prediction tests, when compared to the benchmark of a typical binomial model.     

A Critique of Revised Basel II

This paper critiques the revised Basel II capital requirements for banks. To provide a framework for analysis, the XYZ theory of regulatory capital is formulated. Independent of the XYZ theory, we argue that the revised Basel II capital rule for credit risk is not a good approximation to the ideal rule. Based on this, and using the XYZ theory, we argue that: (1) the revised Basel II rules should not replace the existing approaches for determining minimal capital standards, but should be used in conjunction with them, and (2) that calibrating the capital rules to maintain aggregate market capital is a prudent procedure.     

二灰碎石基层在沈阳低等级公路中应用分析

为了研究二灰碎石基层在沈阳低等级公路中的功能和应用特点,二灰碎石进行了室内试验,并得出结论:不同配比二灰碎石最佳含水量、无侧限抗压强度随着石灰剂量增加粉煤灰剂量减小而逐步增大。因此道路基层施工建议采用二灰碎石基层配比为石灰:粉煤灰:碎石=10:20:70,可充分发挥二灰碎石的功能,提高资源利用率,最终提高施工质量和经济效益。