Judging by the sheer number of papers reviewed in this Handbook, the empirical analysis of firms' financing and investment decisions-empirical corporate finance-has become a dominant field in financial economics. The growing interest in everything "corporate" is fueled by a healthy combination of fundamental theoretical developments and recent widespread access to large transactional data bases. A less scientific-but nevertheless important-source of inspiration is a growing awareness of the important social implications of corporate behavior and governance. This Handbook takes stock of the main empirical findings to date across an unprecedented spectrum of corporate finance issues, ranging from econometric methodology, to raising capital and capital structure choice, and to managerial incentives and corporate investment behavior. The surveys are written by leading empirical researchers that remain active in their respective areas of interest. With few exceptions, the writing style makes the chapters accessible to industry practitioners. For doctoral students and seasoned academics, the surveys offer dense roadmaps into the empirical research landscape and provide suggestions for future work.
*The Handbooks in Finance series offers a broad group of outstanding volumes in various areas of finance
*Each individual volume in the series should present an accurate self-contained survey of a sub-field of finance
*The series is international in scope with contributions from field leaders the world over

Solid guidance for selecting the correct strategic basis for mergers and acquisitions

Examining how M&A fits in corporate growth strategies, "Maximizing Corporate Value through Mergers and Acquisitions" covers the various strategic reasons for companies entering mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with a look at those that are based on sound strategy, and those that are not.Helps companies decide whether M&As should be used for growth and increased corporate valueExplores why M&A deals often fail to deliver what their proponents have represented they wouldExplains which types of M&A work best and which to avoid

With insider guidance on what boards of directors should be aware of when evaluating proposed deals, "Maximizing Corporate Value through Mergers and Acquisitions" provides a sound foundation for understanding the risks involved in any mergers and acquisitions deal, before it's too late.

The present work examines the economics and legal doctrine of private equity. After a consideration of private equity's origins, the book will explore the evolution of private equity in the United States and Europe. The reference economic model then will be reconstructed, with particular attention to financial flows to and from private equity firms and funds. This reconstruction will be instrumental for the subsequent analysis of remunerative policies and practices of private equity firms and the illustration of recommendations to improve them, especially following the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. The book concludes with critical points for operators, legislators, and regulatory authorities in the light of the results of the economic analysis of private equity and of comparative regulatory analysis.

Praise For "The Retirement Plan Solution"

"Short, clear, complete, and always interesting. Best book on DC plans and what we should do-now."
--Charles D. Ellis, author, "Winning the Loser's Game"

"At a time when the world is in turmoil, along with retirement expectations, the authors have hit a home run. After reading this book, I have a plan. Read it for your path to retirement security."
--Dallas Salisbury, President and CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute

""The Retirement Plan Solution" offers a refreshing and provocative perspective on how to assess retirement needs, save to meet these needs, and manage the retirement payout process. In this time of financial turmoil, employees, plan sponsors, and financial advisors will find this highly practical resource volume both useful and humorous."
--Olivia S. Mitchell, Director, Pension Research Council, Wharton School

""The Retirement Plan Solution" is a map to the future of 401(k) retirement plans. But it is not just a theoretical view of what could be. Instead, the authors describe the needs and trends that are already here, and then describe the changes that are developing to meet those needs. It is about the tomorrow that is happening today."
--Fred Reish, Managing Director, Reish Luftman Reicher & Cohen

"The respected authors have created a readable, timely, and very helpful book on all aspects of retirement planning. The suggestions are practical, the information is concise, and the book is highly recommended for anyone that is interested in sound financial planning."
--Moshe A. Milevsky, PhD, Finance Professor, York University, Toronto, Canada

"This is a must-read for people working in the retirement industry, as well as those who simply care about how to improve their chance of reaching a financially secure retirement. In a clear and simple fashion, the authors deliver one of the best books to date on inefficiencies in the current DC plan and potential improvements."
--Peng Chen, President, Ibbotson Associates

Financial distress in corporations is a frequent phenomenon, particularly during times of national and international economic crises; but this can be used as an opportunity and incentive to implement a systematic process of reorganization and revitalization of a business. These plans for recovery can lead to future successes and sustainability rather than just a fix to ensure survival of the business. Crises, if managed promptly from a strategic point of view, can lead to pragmatic changes and bring new value to the company, avoiding market foreclosure and the negative social consequences. Corporate Financial Distress, Restructuring and Turnaround identifies a recovery plan, monitoring, deployment and provides tools to direct economic crises towards financial success in the future and financial stability in the short term. An analysis scheme has been developed and is provided to help measure economic, financial and strategic performance with the why, how and what in relation to the recovery plan. A model for the detection and evaluation of the economic-financial performance implemented by an execution of a recovery plan and a set of indicators for evaluating the variables activated by the process of strategic change are identified. Tron uses alert analysis perspective to examine crises and recovery in business to outline discontinuity with the past in order to address strategic organizational changes and lead the financial process of rehabilitation towards success.

Poverty is one of the top problems the Muslim community faces today. A scholastic approach towards a solution based on the values and cultural contexts of the Muslim community holds great importance and significance to the Islamic civilizations and modern economic and cultural applications in the world. Challenges and Impacts of Religious Endowments on Global Economics and Finance is a pivotal reference source that examines the role of waqf and similar endowments in Islamic financial systems and how these religious endowments impact global economics and finance. While highlighting topics such as Islamic finance, risk management, and economic development, this publication explores adopting Islamic approaches to contemporary socio-economic issues and the methods of content analysis and meta-analysis methods. This book is ideally designed for professionals, economist regulators, financial analysts, academics, researchers, and postgraduate students seeking current research on modernized Islamic economic models in order to tackle the problem of fiscal deficiency.

In a stock market environment dominated by professional investors, "A Few Good Eggs in One Basket" o ers a plain-talk approach to pro tability by selecting and managing an investment portfolio of common stocks for an individual.

Author Richard L. Gunderson, who has been an investor for more than forty years, outlines an enduring framework that improves the odds for the individual investor to exceed the performance of the market over the long term by buying good companies at bargain prices. He outlines what constitutes a "good" company and how to determine when a price meets the test of being a "bargain." "A Few Good Eggs in One Basket" also helps individual investors by discussing
what to look for; where to look; when to buy; when to sell; and how many stocks to own.

"A Few Good Eggs in One Basket" presents a prescription designed to take advantage of opportunities created by market overreaction to bad news and disappointing results. Gunderson believes there are always bargains at any time and in any market. The challenge is to consistently apply a disciplined approach to identifying the unusual and favorable opportunities and concentrating a portfolio on those stocks representing the best combination of overall quality and intrinsic value.

Financial institutions are facing unprecedented challenges brought on by the coronavirus Pandemic, less than a decade after recovering from the Global Financial Crisis and the Eurozone debt crisis. The causes of these challenges differ greatly from the previous crises that financial institutions, to a large extent, had contributed to. The current challenges were exogenous and unpredictable, and their consequences will reshape the financial system architecture around the world. Fintech, once dismissed as no more than a novel approach to servicing the segment of the population often overlooked by established financial intermediaries, is now challenging the traditional models of commercial and investment banking. The inevitable future introduction of digital currencies that could replace national currencies in many business transactions has the potential to fundamentally change the business models of financial institutions and how the financial system functions. Volume 22, Fintech, Pandemic, and the Financial System, examines systemic challenges faced by a wide range of financial market participants and the continued disruptions introduced by financial innovations (Fintech). International Finance Review publishes theme-oriented volumes on various issues in international finance, such as international business finance, international investment and capital markets, global risk management, international corporate governance and institution, currency markets, emerging market finance, international economic integration, and related issues.

In recent years there has been an enormous amount of research into the way companies raise finance from stock markets. There are many reasons for this interest in 'initial public offerings' (IPOs). "Going Public" is the first book to investigate the issues in a non-technical manner, drawing upon international evidence from private sector companies and privatizations. Building on the success of the first edition, this second edition of "Going Public" has been comprehensively revised and updated throughout.

With advancing technologies like distributed ledgers, smart contracts, and digital payment platforms, financial services must be innovative in order to remain relevant in the modern era. The adoption of financial technology affects the whole Islamic financial industry as well as the economic stability of a globalized world. There is a need for research that seeks to understand financial technology and the regulatory technology necessary to ensure financial security and stability. Impact of Financial Technology (FinTech) on Islamic Finance and Financial Stability is an essential publication that examines both the theory and application of newly-available financial services and discusses the impact of FinTech on the Islamic financial service industry. Featuring research on topics such as cryptocurrency, peer-to-peer transferring, and digital wallets, this book is ideally designed for researchers, bank managers, economists, analysts, market professionals, managers, executives, computer scientists, business practitioners, academicians, and students seeking coverage on how the latest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain technology will redesign Islamic finance.

This contributed volume provides new approaches, fresh ideas, valuable insights, and latest research in leadership-from strategic business (model) innovation to system design and humanity-and is a knowledge source and inspirational guide for scientists and practitioners alike.A key theme is the provision of an integrated perspective on leadership in strategy and communication which allow (senior) leaders, managing di-rectors, project managers, and individuals to (1) better link strategic busi-ness innovation and leadership and (2) shift to the new human self-lead-ership paradigm and in particularly leadership advances that consider ideas from multiple disciplines and transgenerational views. That includes a new understanding about knowledge, learning and change and how leaders re-discover and develop their human abilities, which include intui-tion/strength, balance and clarity, projection-reflection, and wisdom.This volume also makes an important contribution to the evolving aca-demic domain by providing the latest insights on trauma research, DNA healing, system (re)design, and growth & abundance mindset in the ad-vanced co-creation age.

In light of the Sustainable Development Goals, sustainability is a factor to consider for understanding the changes that are coming in the business world and in different areas of management. Companies must reorient their business objectives towards sustainable and responsible production for the environment and society. In this context of change, it is important to open the debate and obtain more thorough knowledge on how companies should change their leaderships strategies and carry out their financial planning, as well as analyze the risk of their clients and innovative projects that respect the environment. Financial Management and Risk Analysis Strategies for Business Sustainability proposes a series of practical and theoretical perspectives on how the business world has to evolve to adapt to the new situation the world has reached due to undeniable climate change forcing businesses to redefine their productive processes and internal organization. Topics highlighted include financial management procedures, corporate social responsibility, risk analysis, financial literacy, and innovation in sustainability and sustainable development. This book is a useful reference source for managers, executives, engineers, business professionals, financial analysts, researchers, academicians, and students in the areas of management, human resources, accounting and finance, taxation, environmental economics, and some engineering areas.

This book explores current thinking on corporate governance by way of an empirical examination of the governance practices of fourteen Japanese companies. The analysis is structured around four principal themes, namely the role of shareholders, the role of the main bank, the role of employees, and the role of senior management in the governance of these companies. The book suggests that a system of reciprocal responsibilities, obligations, and trust within and between companies acts as an important means by which most Japanese companies are governed.

Based on theoretical foundations and evidence-based case studies, this book identifies the fundamental motivations underpinning corporate fraud in both developing and developed countries. The book offers practical solutions in terms of monitoring and potentially preventing future corporate fraud activity. It is expected that uncovered corporate fraud negatively affects the public reputation, and financial performance of fraudulent firms. However, what is of more importance for fraudulent firms is how to regain the trust of customers, investors, and other stakeholders, as this impacts the long-term sustainability of businesses. Operational strategies, including reform, provide an effective channel for a fraudulent firm's business sustainability yet this notion remains unexplored in the literature. This authored research book argues that the choice of appropriate operational strategies is critical as they serve as an effective channel for fraudulent firms to re-gain the trust from customers and markets, re-establish their reputation, and enhance the firm's long-term value. The authors posit that there is no 'one-size fits-all' approach because the choice of effective operational strategies is needed to acknowledge the significance of context such as industry type, economic conditions, legal frameworks as well as the firm's fraudulent characteristics.

Now in its 8th edition, Finance for Executives provides a comprehensive overview of the financial practice professionals at executive level are likely to encounter. With its clear and accessible writing style, the text underpins theory with numerous real-world examples from a range of international companies explaining financial management in a modern business environment.

In this 8th edition, the authors reiterate their belief that managers should manage their firm’s resources ethically with the objective of increasing their firm’s value with a new chapter on sustainability and corporate finance.

This book discusses the ways in which characteristics of innovative firms and innovative talents with core competence in Japanese, Korean, German, and American contexts are developed and nurtured, and compares innovative firms with a long history of business operations from these four countries. Firstly, the book examines innovation practices of long-lived Japanese firms and compares them with those of German, American and Korean firms. Based on extensive interviews with executives and field studies, it identifies the essential qualities of each country in which these innovative firms and innovative talents are found. It then focuses on theoretical and practical aspects, using the theoretical framework to define organizational and technological factors for long-term innovation success. Further, the book provides recommendations based on organizational practices for developing innovative talents in Japanese, German, American and Korean contexts. Intended for academics, students and practitioners in the areas of organizational theory and strategic management, this book clarifies the critical practices of long-lived innovative firms and organizational innovators.

This book seeks to examine the relationship between corporate law rules and economic performance. Contributors examine the design of the two main systems of corporate governance to ascertain which bundle of rules is likely to support the emergence of a strong system of governance. They seek to show that the performance of companies is linked to different patterns of shareholding, legal rules, and non-legal relationships.

As the world is entering possibly the deepest recession since the 1980s, many organizations realize they should have prepared better for tough times. Thus, there is increased interest in the concept of the high-performance organization (HPO). The HPO is defined as "an organization that achieves financial and non-financial results that are exceedingly better than those of its peer group over a period of five years or more, by focusing in a disciplined way on that what really matters to the organization." Core to the HPO idea is to create such a strong internal organization that it can easily and flexibly deal with both threats and opportunities presented by the outside world. This can only be effectively achieved when all parts of the organization contribute to creating and sustaining the HPO. This means that all departments, functions, business units, and divisions must transform themselves into high-performance entities. Among the most important support functions of every organization is the finance function. The term "finance function" refers to all financial processes in an organization. The professionals responsible for financial processes usually work in the finance department but can also operate in other parts of the organization, for instance as business unit controllers. The finance function can be regarded as the spider in the organizational web, as it has relations with every part of the organization and is also represented on the executive board. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that this function takes the lead by quickly transforming itself into a high-performance finance function (HPFF), serving as a role model for other functions in the organization. An HPFF is defined as "a function that supports the organization to become and remain an HPO by ensuring that its people, processes, and systems are of the highest quality." The key question however is how an HPFF can be created. This book not only describes the development of the HPFF framework (which is based on a large literature review of current trends in finance functions and a survey among financial professionals) but also explores the experiences, lessons learned and results achieved by finance functions that have transformed themselves into "HPFFs" or high performance finance functions using the HPFF framework. The book's experiences will be abundantly illustrated by real-life case studies from finance functions from multinational and other profit companies, and governmental organizations. With this book finance professionals have a roadmap to convince the organization of the importance of becoming an HPFF. The main audience for this book is the financial professional who wants to think about and build - together with fellow financial professionals - a high performance financial function. So a financial professional who dares to dream of a better financial function, and who wants to contribute to the further development of that function. A financial person who feels that ""control"" and ""compliance"" alone are not sufficient to excel - that more must be done for that.