The impact of payout policy changes on firm value and short selling activities across different taxation regimes. Brealey et al (2011) assert that we don't know enough yet about how payout policy varies across firms. This project examines the information content of dividend changes and repurchase programs and the long-term market impact of these announcements, controlling for the substitution effect of repurchases/dividends in different institutional/tax regimes. This project also examines wheth ....The impact of payout policy changes on firm value and short selling activities across different taxation regimes. Brealey et al (2011) assert that we don't know enough yet about how payout policy varies across firms. This project examines the information content of dividend changes and repurchase programs and the long-term market impact of these announcements, controlling for the substitution effect of repurchases/dividends in different institutional/tax regimes. This project also examines whether short sellers manifest abnormal behaviour around the announcement of dividend changes and repurchase programs, and whether earnings are manipulated upwards to maintain the dividend or downwards prior to the announcement of repurchase programs. The findings will be of major interest to academics, managers, investors and regulators.Read moreRead less
An international study of seasoned equity offerings: long term returns, earnings management, liquidity, ownership structure, and financial crisis. This study will provide critical insights into the impact of alternative mechanisms for seasoned equity offerings on liquidity and firm value. Considering the lack of confidence in financial markets during the financial crisis, this study will have significant implications regarding the current use and regulation of seasoned equity offerings.
Ownership linkages and the functioning of inter-firm capital markets during the Global Financial Crisis. A firm's dependence on outside funding can lead to catastrophic consequences in the face of a crisis that severely curtails the functioning of external capital markets. This project investigates how ownership linkages between firms improve their fundraising and investment capabilities even when facing substantial shocks to the financial system.
Financial tunnelling: shareholder protection and wealth changes during two decades of capital management activities in Australia. Companies raise capital and distribute capital and profits through various mechanisms, often structured to benefit important shareholders such as institutions. This study examines the extent to which minority shareholders have had wealth destroyed through company capital management activities, and offers corporate governance solutions.
Venture capitalist networks and the financing of innovation. This project aims to understand why some venture capitalists (VCs) are more successful than others at financing start-ups. It studies the role of network connections between individual VCs, which are an important channel through which VCs accumulate specialised skills, exchange information and establish reputation. This project will analyse how these networks evolve, whether they explain an individual VC’s performance, and how network- ....Venture capitalist networks and the financing of innovation. This project aims to understand why some venture capitalists (VCs) are more successful than others at financing start-ups. It studies the role of network connections between individual VCs, which are an important channel through which VCs accumulate specialised skills, exchange information and establish reputation. This project will analyse how these networks evolve, whether they explain an individual VC’s performance, and how network-related human capital shapes the boundaries of a VC partnership. The expected outcomes will contribute insights into low capital allocation to venture capital funds the constrained formation of new venture capital partnerships by Australian institutional investors.Read moreRead less
Do wealth creating mergers and acquisitions really hurt acquirer shareholders? The purpose of this project is to investigate the benefit to the community of acquisitions, especially when the stock price of the acquirer falls on the announcement. This project is likely to show that acquiring shareholders still gain substantially in these circumstances. The outcome will be fewer failed bids with better regulatory outcomes.
Boundary Crossing Analysis for Random Processes with Applications to Risk Management. Effective management of environmental, financial and superannuation investment risks is vitally important for Australia. Results of the project will add to the theoretical foundations of risk management and provide new computational tools for specialists working in the areas of financial engineering, insurance, superannuation funds. These tools will assist in improving risk profile evaluation and developing new ....Boundary Crossing Analysis for Random Processes with Applications to Risk Management. Effective management of environmental, financial and superannuation investment risks is vitally important for Australia. Results of the project will add to the theoretical foundations of risk management and provide new computational tools for specialists working in the areas of financial engineering, insurance, superannuation funds. These tools will assist in improving risk profile evaluation and developing new statistical control charts for security monitoring of epidemics, networks intrusions and other potentially dangerous changes. The research will also give Australia a competitive advantage in the area of education related to stochastic processes, mathematical finance, control theory and their applications.Read moreRead less
Global Financial Crisis and financial stability: an investigation of the systemic risk for financial institutions. The aim of this project is to provide information about the systemic risk of major financial institutions around the world on a real time basis. The findings of this study will allow both financial markets and regulators to monitor in real time, on a daily and weekly basis, the financial risk of large financial institutions from around the world.
Illiquidity, momentum traders, incentives, and book to market: explaining and testing the factor drivers of stock market returns. I build on my new illiquidity explanation for the equity premium based on the realisation that government bonds turn over many times faster than equity and that trading is both voluntary and endogenous. By introducing these new theoretical developments and new factors such executive incentives I aim to enhance our knowledge of what drives returns in global stock marke ....Illiquidity, momentum traders, incentives, and book to market: explaining and testing the factor drivers of stock market returns. I build on my new illiquidity explanation for the equity premium based on the realisation that government bonds turn over many times faster than equity and that trading is both voluntary and endogenous. By introducing these new theoretical developments and new factors such executive incentives I aim to enhance our knowledge of what drives returns in global stock markets. As a result researchers will have a better understanding of, and controls for, market factors to enable sound empirical work and companies will be able to lower the cost of capital via greater liquidity and improve their corporate governance structures and performance.Read moreRead less
Pricing, Solvency and Capital Management in Insurance: New Perspectives from the Integration of Actuarial and Financial Economic Theory. This project will investigate the optimal level of capital, pricing and solvency for an insurance company in an equilibrium framework. It will include research on the impact of extreme events and dependence of risks on fair pricing and efficient use of capital. Billions of dollars of capital are under management in insurance companies in Australia alone. The co ....Pricing, Solvency and Capital Management in Insurance: New Perspectives from the Integration of Actuarial and Financial Economic Theory. This project will investigate the optimal level of capital, pricing and solvency for an insurance company in an equilibrium framework. It will include research on the impact of extreme events and dependence of risks on fair pricing and efficient use of capital. Billions of dollars of capital are under management in insurance companies in Australia alone. The convergence of insurance and financial markets and the recently highlighted importance of events such as the World Trade Centre Disaster on September 11, requires that these issues be addressed in an integrated research program combining actuarial and financial economic theory. New insights and understandings of optimal levels and types of capital and impacts on pricing will result. This is critical to the successful management and regulation of insurance and other financial service organisations.Read moreRead less