Hardbound. This volume contains a broad range of papers examining contemporary managerial and public policy issues in finance and banking. Special emphasis is given to financial institutions, instruments, and markets. The volume includes papers examining prudential regulations and competition among banking institutions in different countries; the dynamics of stock returns along domestic and international dimensions; and the analysis of debt and equity issuance in the framework of the firm's financing decision. Other papers in the volume provide insight into such timely issues as the global integration of capital markets and the nature and impact of financial crisis at the household and economy-wide levels.

The second volume of the series contains a combination of theoretical and empirical studies of issues in financial economics, investments, and banking authored by leading researchers in the US and Europe. Specific topics examined include asset pricing, corporate governance, dividend policy, pricing of financial services, portfolio theory, interest rate risk, capital structure, diversification strategies, and credit risk modelling. In addition to theoretical and empirical papers included in the volume, two represent applied articles written from a regulatory perspective by practising regulators.

Theoretical and empirical research of these last decades is working on the positive and normative side in order to deepen its understanding of financial market dynamics and to tackle new and old challenges with the ambitious goal of limiting fragilities and inefficiencies. Contributions collected in this book represent a valuable and remarkable endeavour in this direction covering different topics. A first one is related to the aggregate relationship between development of financial markets and economic growth. A second topic covered is credit risk. A third important topic is related to the measure of risk in equity and bond markets. Finally, a fourth field covered is the one investigating behavior and efficiency of banking intermediaries. Overall, contributions collected in the book provide updated evidence and cover new theoretical issues arising in the field. Providing some new solutions but also highlighting new and emerging problems and creating new questions for further theoretical and empirical research
*Highlights new and emerging problems
*Provides up-to-date edvidence and solutions
*Serves as an invaluable reference for all those interested in financial market dynamics

This volume includes papers on topics related to efficiency issues in U.S. and European equity and options markets, as well as the productive efficiency of various types of depository financial institutions. In the capital market context, the book highlights the provisions of efficient trading services in the capital markets and the role of market size, concentration, quality, governance and automation of trading. In the banking perspectives, the volume presents topics related to market integration, dynamic models of bank production, regulatory closure rules for banking firms, risk based insurance premiums in banking, and the economics of the research and development in private firms.

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