This book provides a thorough overview of the European real estate Market. It evaluates the performance difference between countries and sectors, and what implications this has for optimal investment strategy within real estate asset classes.

This book provides a complete analysis of the logistic market, with a special focus on performance and risk characteristics, demand and supply, and diversification strategy. The authors offer cutting-edge research and detailed case studies from countries in Europe, evaluating the market features of the logistic sector and its differences to alternative types of real estate assets. With its comprehensive overview of the logistic market, both academics and practitioners will find this an engaging study, as well as those generally wishing to gain knowledge about investing in this segment of the real estate industry.

This book is intended to guide researchers interested in the world of innovation in real estate finance linked to technology and provide new evidence on classifying and evaluating the performance of PropTech companies. Chapters will deal with the evolution of PropTech, possible business models, negotiation and property management tools, new property financing tools (p2p lending and crowdfunding), the market and the balance sheet analysis of PropTech companies in Europe.A valuable resource for researchers studying the real estate industry, this book is also relevant to those studying FinTech and the impact of technology on industry more broadly. It can also be of use to professionals in the real estate industry, looking for a cutting edge research-based study on PropTech.

This collection considers the financial crisis from a managerial perspective, focussing on the business implications for the financial industry. Topics examined include governance, information needs and strategy of financial intermediaries and investors. The contributions build on the existing literature and present some unique insights on governance, credit quality evaluation and performance measurement. In a fast growing or steady market, it is possible for even an inefficient financial system to satisfy investors' and firms' needs. However, the current financial crisis has brought into sharp relief the limits of the inefficient practices adopted by the market, and made clear the importance of developing more effective governance mechanisms, more detailed and complete information databases and new strategies. The crisis has also brought to the fore issues about the governance of financial intermediaries that had not been previously addressed. These include board diversity, internal monitoring procedures and the existence of interlocking directorates. More broadly, the financial crisis has radically altered the international framework, with an increasingly consolidated financial sector, and the rise of new markets (such as China) that now play a predominant role in the worldwide market. Studies on the competition and on the performance in this new scenario are essential in order to understand the implications of recent events.

This collection considers the financial crisis from a managerial perspective, focussing on the business implications for the financial industry. Topics examined include governance, information needs and strategy of financial intermediaries and investors. The contributions build on the existing literature and present some unique insights on governance, credit quality evaluation and performance measurement. In a fast growing or steady market, it is possible for even an inefficient financial system to satisfy investors' and firms' needs. However, the current financial crisis has brought into sharp relief the limits of the inefficient practices adopted by the market, and made clear the importance of developing more effective governance mechanisms, more detailed and complete information databases and new strategies. The crisis has also brought to the fore issues about the governance of financial intermediaries that had not been previously addressed. These include board diversity, internal monitoring procedures and the existence of interlocking directorates. More broadly, the financial crisis has radically altered the international framework, with an increasingly consolidated financial sector, and the rise of new markets (such as China) that now play a predominant role in the worldwide market. Studies on the competition and on the performance in this new scenario are essential in order to understand the implications of recent events.

"The Independence of Credit Rating Agencies" focuses on the institutional and regulatory dynamics of these agencies, asking whether their business models give them enough independence to make viable judgments without risking their own profitability.

Few have closely examined the analytical methods of credit rating agencies, even though their decisions can move markets, open or close the doors to capital, and bring down governments. The 2008 financial crisis highlighted their importance and their shortcomings, especially when they misjudged the structured financial products that precipitated the collapse of Bear Stearns and other companies.

This book examines the roles played by rating agencies during the financial crisis, illuminating the differences between U.S. and European rating markets, and also considers subjects such as the history of rating agencies and the roles played by smaller agencies to present a well-rounded portrait.
Reports on one of the key causes of the 2008 financial crisis: agencies that failed to understand how to analyze financial productsDescribes inherent business model and pricing conflicts that compromise the independence of credit rating agenciesReveals how rating agencies large and small, regulatory bodies, and vested interests interact in setting fees and policies