The macroeconomy and microfinance outreach: a panel data analysis

This study examines the effects of macroeconomic and institutional factors on microfinance institution (MFI) outreach. To capture the performance of the macroeconomy, we include proxies for institutional quality, economic growth, FDI inflow, unemployment rate, inflation and the prevalence of wage-earning jobs. Further, we examine effects on outreach along the dimensions of outreach depth and outreach breadth. Using data on 1526 MFIs from 99 countries over the period 2000 to 2015, our results suggest that environments characterised by high levels of economic performance and good institutions tend to hinder outreach performance. These results suggest that MFIs depend on a poor economy to thrive given the informal nature of microfinance.     

Empirical of the Taiwan stock index option price forecasting model – applied artificial neural network

This work presents a novel neural network model for forecasting option prices using past volatilities and other options market factors. Out of different approaches to estimating volatility in the option pricing model, this study uses backpropagation neural network to forecast prices for Taiwanese stock index options. The ability to develop accurate forecasts of grey prediction volatility enables practitioners to establish an appropriate hedging strategy at in-the-money option.     

Do women borrowers augment financial performance of MFIs?

There is some consensus that depth of outreach and financial performance of Microfinance Institutions (MFI) are positively correlated. A majority of microcredit borrowers are women and since the prevalence of female borrowers is even greater among the very poor, there should be a positive correlation between female borrowers and financial performance. Most of the MFIs target women as preferred borrowers. However, no study to date has investigated the relationship between targeting women and MFI’s sustainability with respect to profitability and yield. Utilizing a panel of 892 MFIs over a period of 10 years, this study shows that increased proportion of women borrowers has a statistically significant positive impact on yield and financial performance of MFIs. Consequently, this article also analyses the implication as to whether female borrowers have better repayment rate than male borrowers.     

Do microfinance institutions fulfil their promise? Evidence from cross-country data

The concept of microfinance promises poverty reduction and economic growth. We empirically challenge this economic and social promise in an attempt to prove its fulfilment. Our multivariate regressions of economic development variables such as per capita gross national income based on PPP converted to international dollars (GNI per capita PPP), GDP growth, as well as gross capital formation and labour participation rate against specific microfinance institutions’ (MFI) variables show that the success and performance of MFIs significantly influence economic development. Microfinance directly influences economic growth through the value that MFI performance adds to purchasing power. An indirect impact comes from an improvement in capital accumulation and employment rates. These insights are valuable as the interdependencies between microfinance and economic development that this article verifies offer new and progressive insights into purposeful action that can be taken to stimulate economic development and growth. Targeted development programmes as well as socially responsible investments can be applied in developing economies in order to strengthen their growth and alleviate poverty.     

新型农村金融机构支农目标及信贷行为解释--以山东省调查为例

摘要：本文利用山东省新型农村金融机构的调查数据,分析了三类新型农村金融机构支农行为的差异及支农目标的共同特征,并从信贷行为角度解释其支农目标的实现。新型农村金融机构支农目标主要体现为借款者数量增加。贷款余额的扩大、期限多样性的增加、审批效率的提高及涉农成本的降低有利于增加借款者数量。政府的支农政策应鼓励新型农村金融机构增加借款者数量,仅关注支农深度及涉农比例只会干扰新型农村金融机构的市场化运行或鼓励支农数据造假行为。信贷政策上,应鼓励新型农村金融机构扩大贷款规模、增加贷款期限弹性、提高贷款审批效率、降低涉农贷款成本,并通过新型农村金融机构信贷模式创新,更有效地完成支农目标。     

Outreach and performance of microfinance institutions: a panel analysis

Using a panel of 764 microfinance institutions (MFIs) from 87 countries, this study analyses the possible trade-off between outreach and performance and shows that greater depth of outreach has a positive impact on the financial performance of an MFI. The empirical results of this study should dispel the widely held apprehension that the recent emphasis on attainment of financial sustainability by the MFIs could seriously impair their outreach efforts and shows that outreach to the poor can actually bolster financial performance.     

商业性小额贷款公司能惠及三农和微小客户吗?

利用42家小额贷款公司的调查数据,剖析小额贷款公司的业务活动特征和影响小额贷款公司贷款覆盖深度的因素。通过描述统计和计量模型分析,研究发现:小额贷款公司倾向于服务微小企业和农村大户,其贷款以短期、非信用贷款为主,利率水平较高;采用的信贷技术、营业费用率、所在地区经济发展水平和金融市场的竞争程度对小额贷款公司的贷款覆盖深度有显著影响,而资产规模和资产回报率对小额贷款公司的贷款覆盖深度影响不显著。     

Art festival attendance: Who attends and why with implications on developing future festival attractiveness

Art festivals are an increasing part of a destination's event portfolio, asserted by destination marketing and management agencies to hopefully promote community engagement including attracting tourism, trade, and talent to the destination. With art festivals a common annual event feature at destinations, the competition for festival participation has increased, creating a greater need to isolate those festival attributes that are specifically appealing to targeted visitor segments. Examining participant profile and motives to attend the publically funded annually recurring Macau Arts Festival (MAF), the findings of this case study showed mostly community involvement with participants being mainly well educated, middle-aged, and female. While an aim of the festival, international participation in the festival was limited. A factor analysis on motives to attend the festival revealed that while there was common agreement with previous literature on reasons to attend, Macau's cultural background provided increased opportunity for the MAF to differentiate the event. Marketing implications also suggested investigating a communication strategy that could differ between attracting local and international audiences. With a significant cost to public finances, greater scrutiny on the appeal of the festival to specific local and international audiences was recommended to better present the cost to benefit argument for hosting.