In this book, the relationship between risk, return and the cost of capital is contextualized by relating it to the needs of investors and borrowers, the historical evidence, and theories of choice and behavior. The text spans financial theory, its empirical tests and applications to real-world financial problems while keeping an entertaining easy-to-read style.

This volume examines the theoretical and empirical landscape of social entrepreneurship in both non-profit and profit sectors. It extends the traditional view of social entrepreneurship to include the environmental and institutional factors that affect the emergence of social entrepreneurship activities, such as formal laws, regulations, procedures and informal institutions. The editors aim to provide evidence and increased understanding of this growing phenomenon. Social Entrepreneurship is gaining recognition as a key element of economic and social development. It embraces a wide set of situations with a broad scope of activities in for-profit and non-profit organizations interested in social performance and/or in economically profitable performance, with an emphasis on achieving social aim. In the strict sense, social entrepreneurship corresponds to entrepreneurs whose main concern is to achieve social objectives rather than to obtain personal financial profits. However, there is still much to be learned about the dynamics and processes of social entrepreneurship. The current literature in the field has tended to focus on psychological experiences and personal characteristics, or on organizational perspectives such as resources, capabilities and leadership. This book intends to provide theoretical frameworks and empirical studies to this very new and broad field. Specifically, this book provides a collection of contemporary research in the following topics: How to create opportunity through social innovation How to detect entrepreneurial opportunity to meet social needs How to develop social entrepreneurship, while still seeking profits How to discover opportunities for different forms of social entrepreneurship Featuring contributions from around the world, this book is a valuable source for students, academics, researchers, policy makers, and professionals in the area of social entrepreneurship.

This book integrates corporate governance, corporate finance and accounting to formulate sound financial management strategies. It offers practical steps for managers using an integrated optimisation financial model to achieve good corporate governance practices which lead to lower risks and higher firm value.

Italian banks and financial intermediaries are subject to extensive regulation which has evolved throughout the country's history. There has also been much change to the country's financial regulation in recent years in response to the globalization of markets and intermediaries. The Italian administrative and regulatory system is often perceived as a major obstacle to economic productivity, and some causes of this ineffectiveness are deeply rooted and date back to the Italian unification and juridical culture. This book provides an overview of the Italian regulation of banking and financial activities, and tracks the evolution of its 'economic Constitution' and market trends. It explores a range of topics within Italian regulation, including the regulation of banking activities, investment services and collective portfolio management. It examines in detail the relationship between intermediaries and customers, public offerings of financial instruments and products, public takeover bids, listed companies, insurance and reinsurance business. Among other current topics the authors discuss the link between investor protection and confidence in the financial markets; and assess the financial markets as a source of financing for companies.

"Private Equity in Poland" focuses on the evolution of private equity in Poland. Poland represents the most developed private equity industry in Central and Eastern Europe and is one of the leaders in emerging markets worldwide. There is a growing interest in private equity in emerging markets around the world which has been fuelled by the extraordinary economic growth, attractive investment opportunities, exciting exit choices, and handsome returns; Poland is one of these markets. The development of private equity in Poland may serve as a blueprint for other emerging market countries like India and China.

This book focuses on modelling financial information flows and information-based asset pricing framework. After introducing the fundamental properties of the framework, it presents a short information-theoretic perspective with a view to quantifying the information content of financial signals, and links the present framework with the literature on asymmetric information and market microstructure by means of a dynamic, bipartite, heterogeneous agent network. Numerical and explicit analyses shed light on the effects of differential information and information acquisition on the allocation of profit and loss as well as the pace of fundamental price discovery. The dynamic programming method is used to seek an optimal strategy for utilizing superior information. Lastly, the book features an implementation of the present framework using real-world financial data.

This book is a simple and concise text on the subject of security analysis and portfolio management. It is targeted towards those who do not have prior background in finance, and hence the text veers away from rather complicated formulations and discussions. The course 'Security Analysis and Portfolio Management' is usually taught as an elective for students specialising in financial management, and the authors have an experience of teaching this course for more than two decades. The book contains real empirical evidence and examples in terms of returns, risk and price multiples from the Indian equity markets (over the past two decades) that are a result of the analysis undertaken by the authors themselves. This empirical evidence and analysis help the reader in understanding basic concepts through real data of the Indian stock market. To drive home concepts, each chapter has many illustrations and case-lets citing real-life examples and sections called 'points to ponder' to encourage independent thinking and critical examination. For practice, each chapter has many numericals, questions, and assignments

This book provides two important contributions to existing theories in the financial innovation literature. First, it extends the existing literature of innovation orientation to a completely new field and construct that is based on a religious imperative as a framework within which financial innovation is constrained. It explains how an innovation orientation in IFIs can be directed within religious rules, which indicates that innovation orientation in IFIs is a learning philosophy. Second, the book introduces and examines the plasticity of Shariah as a shared boundary object and its dynamic role in managing tension and conflicting values in the financial innovation process. Furthermore, building on the empirical results, the study illustrates the insights that each theoretical lens affords into practices of collaboration and develops a novel analytical framework for understanding religious orientation towards financial innovation. This practical contribution, of the developed framework, could form the basis for a standardised framework for the Islamic finance industry. The book concludes by noting the policy and managerial implications of its findings and provides directions for further research.

This tells the story of the development of the private equity industry in Germany. It is the first comprehensive history of the private equity industry for any country, revealing the vicissitudes of private equity investing, warts and all. It is an engaging chronicle for anyone interested in the industry or the modern German economy.

This book analyses several aspects on the efficient resource allocation in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis. The main focus of the volume is on recent European Union (EU) experience highlighting the interrelation between inherent structural rigidities and practical limitations in the conduct of sound economic policy. Special reference is made to Greece (evidencing unprecedented experience), the EU periphery countries and the US. This book will be of interest to academic and central bank researchers, business practitioners (in consultancy and finance) and graduate students, as it is a good example of how scholarly dialogue can contribute to contemporary high-quality policy debate on sound liquidity provision and financial stability in the Eurozone, as well as the effective ways to combat recession in the EU periphery countries.

The book presents arguments against the taxpayers'-funded bailing out of failed financial institutions, and puts forward suggestions to circumvent the TBTF problem, including some preventive measures. It ultimately argues that a failing financial institution should be allowed to fail without fearing an apocalyptic outcome.

A thorough analysis of insider trading requires the integration of law and finance, and this book presents a theoretical and empirical examination of insider trading by incorporating a synthesis of securities law with that of financial theory. The book begins with a conceptual framework that explores the theoretical roles of markets, firms and publicly held corporations, including a discussion of corporate governance to determine both who may have access to nonpublic information, and their legal rights and responsibilities. The book then examines different aspects of the securities laws, including the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and a critique of the SEC disclosure rules and their ramifications for market efficiency. This is followed by a detailed chronology of insider trading regulations enacted in the U.S. since 1934 and an overview of the existing empirical literature on insider trading. Empirical evidence is presented on insider trading activities and the merit of anti-insider trading laws is evaluated on theoretical arguments and recent empirical developments. The authors conclude by arguing that insider trading laws and enforcement activities have failed and propose the decriminalization of insider trading.

This book addresses the integration of the Internet and finance which recently has been one of the most notable topics of discussion in the media, the business community, academia, and among policymakers, both in China and worldwide. As a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the one of the fastest growing industries in China, the book covers all the most important areas and issues in the crowdfunding industry in China, including the definition, types, and history of crowdfunding, the scale of the crowdfunding market, the basic business models and risk analysis of crowdfunding, the characteristics of the typical crowdfunding platforms, case studies of the leading crowdfunding platforms in China, and the future development of the crowdfunding industry in China. The book combines theoretical analysis with conceptual discussions and best practices in the crowdfunding industry in China. It is of interest to a variety of readers around the globe, such as (1) existing and potential fund demanders; (2) existing and potential fund providers; (3) investors and professionals running crowdfunding platforms; (4) professionals and major shareholders of traditional financial institutions; (5) staff in regulatory government agencies; (6) academics; and (7) the general public.

This book provides an overview of the evolution of investment and risk, together with a synthesis of research on these developments. It explores how exposures can be modified by measuring and managing them and introduces readers to the latest strategies and trends in investment. Broad in scope, the book covers the most important aspects of investment risk management, including the time value of money, financial markets, equity markets, bond markets, and portfolio theory. Accordingly, it offers a valuable asset for advanced undergraduate and graduate finance students, investors and academics alike.

In a timely and important contribution to the management literature, Louis Nevaer and Steven Deck take a careful, critical look at the various forms of corporate restructurings prevalent today-alliances, mergers, and acquisitions-and at their long-term implications for the structure of corporate America. Taking issue with those who see the takeover frenzy as revitalizing American industry, the authors argue that instead the takeover business is weakening American industry and accelerating America's decline in the global economy. They analyze the opportunity costs being incurred by both individual firms and the entire nation through the wave of takeover activity in the 1980s, demonstrating that the large debts taken on by corporate America to either finance or fend off takeovers has hampered America's ability to compete effectively in world markets. The authors then identify the essential criteria for a truly successful alliance, merger, or acquisition and suggest models for such restructurings in the future.

Divided into five principal sections, the volume begins by examining the failure of current alliance, merger, and acquisition strategies. The authors discuss the economic effects of restructurings on stakeholders and employees and look at the post-acquisition financial performance of the new corporate entities. The next three sections present in-depth analyses of alliances, mergers, and acquisitions. For each type of restructuring, the authors identify and assess the management strategies commonly pursued and offer extended case-study examples of failed and successful strategies. In the final section, the authors point the way toward more effective strategic alliances. They explore selection strategies that can help ensure a successful alliance, discuss the critical area of market planning, and offer a model for the future based upon the real-world alliance between Vulcan Materials and Calizas Industriales del Carmen. Investment bankers, corporate executives, and mergers and acquisitions specialists will find this a balanced and constructive critique of the process of corporate restructuring that is today such an integral feature of the contemporary business scene.

"Written by leading academics, researchers and insurance industry experts, this book offers a diversified perspective on how the regulatory and supervisory framework for the insurance sector will develop over the coming years. It is supported by The Geneva Association, the world-leading insurance think-tank of the private industry"-- Provided by publisher.

Over $5 trillion will be spent on technology in the financial services sector in the next three years. While there are many books covering purely technical issues, this is one of the very few that look at the challenge of how to manage financial services technology in an area that under-pins almost every part of our global civilisation.

Die Verschmelzung als wirtschaftlich und rechtlich engste Form der Unternehmensverbindung stellt in einer dynamischen Wirtschaft ein nie an Aktualität einbüßendes Thema dar. Umfassend und fachübergreifend werden neben betriebswirtschaftlichen auch handels- und gesellschaftsrechtliche Aspekte sowie steuerliche Fragestellungen betrachtet. Dabei bildet die Darstellung des Verschmelzungsvorgangs in Handelsbilanzen von Überträgerin und Übernehmerin den Schwerpunkt der Analyse. Das Bewertungswahlrecht zwischen Buchwertverknüpfung und Anschaffungskostenansatz der Übernehmerin in § 24 UmwG wird ausführlich für verschiedene Gegenleistungen untersucht. Durch zahlreiche Beispiele, Tabellen und Abbildungen ist das Buch für Wissenschaft und Praxis gleichermaßen geeignet.

In this book, well-known corporate financial advisor Joel Stern moderates six roundtable discussions among distinguished investment bankers, corporate executives, and financial economists. Discussions focus on topics of strong current interest: mergers and acquisitions, executive compensation, corporate restructuring, capital structure, dividend policy, and investor relations.

In this book, well-known corporate financial advisor Joel Stern moderates six roundtable discussions among distinguished investment bankers, corporate executives, and financial economists. Discussions focus on topics of strong current interest: mergers and acquisitions, executive compensation, corporate restructuring, capital structure, dividend policy, and investor relations. The result is a lively, penetrating, and often heated exchange of ideas between theorists and practitioners. Readers will gain access to the thinking of some of America's most distinguished financial economists.

China is an increasingly influential emerging economy that is currently attracting the attention of academics, practitioners, and policy makers. The efficient allocation of financial resources is a key determinant of economic growth. Therefore, the development of a capital market is set to play a crucial role in China's ascension toward becoming one of the largest economies in the world. As a transitional economy with a unique institutional background, China also offers an interesting research setting providing new insights for finance and accounting literature. This book features cutting edge research on critical issues relating to the experiences and challenges of China's capital market development. The contributors include leading academics from the US, UK, Europe, and China. Topics covered include venture capital, executive remuneration, real estate market, information environment, institutional investors, banking, corporate governance, and financial media.

This book tells the story of how the convergence between corporate sustainability and sustainable investing is now becoming a major force driving systemic market changes. The idea and practice of corporate sustainability is no longer a niche movement. Investors are increasingly paying attention to sustainability factors in their analysis and decision-making, thus reinforcing market transformation. In this book, high-level practitioners and academic thought leaders, including contributions from John Ruggie, Fiona Reynolds, Johan Rockstroem, and Paul Polman, explain the forces behind these developments. The contributors highlight (a) that systemic market change is influenced by various contextual factors that impact how sustainable investing is perceived and practiced; (b) that the integration of ESG factors in investment decisions is impacting markets on a large scale and hence changes practices of major market players (e.g. pension funds); and (c) that technology and the increasing datafication of sustainability act as further accelerators of such change. The book goes beyond standard economic theory approaches to sustainable investing and emphasizes that capitalism founded on more real-world (complex) economics and cooperation can strengthen ESG integration. Aimed at both investment professionals and academics, this book gives the reader access to more practitioner-relevant information and it also discusses implementation issues. The reader will gain insights into how "mainstream" financial actors relate to sustainable investing.