Financial Volatility and Real Economic Activity


Book Description

Published in 1999. The issue of financial volatility, especially since financial deregulation, has given rise to concerns regarding the effects of increased financial volatility on real economic activity. Two issues represent a substantial challenge to financial economists with respect to these concerns. The first relates to the identification of the causes of increased volatility in financial markets. Identification is a first step towards increasing both financial economists' and policy-makers' understanding of the interrelated causes of financial volatility. The second requires linking the effects of increased financial volatility to the real sector of the economy by examining the channels through which financial volatility influences fundamental economic variables. In order to address these two issues, the analysis initially develops and estimates a model which is capable of explaining the financial and business cycle determinates of movements in the conditional volatility of the Australian All Industrials stock market index. Evidence suggests that a significant linkage exists between the conditional volatility of the money supply. Models are then developed to examine how monetary volatility is transmitted to the volatility of financial asset prices, inflation and real output in an open economy. The results indicate that while financial volatility has increased to some extent since the late 1980s, this has been transferred non-uniformly towards increasing volatility of both real and financial activity.




The Cost of Capital


Book Description

Knowledge about the magnitude of the cost of capital invested in an asset and its determinants is essential for the analysis of corporate investment decisions and for assessing profitability. This book provides a clear conceptual understanding of the cost of capital, the characteristics of an asset that influence it, and a critical, comprehensive, and up-to-date evaluation of practical means for estimating its magnitude. It is intended primarily for use by professional managers, but will also be valuable to future managers in advanced capital budgeting courses. The focus of the discussion is on estimation methods that are theoretically sound and consistent with a corporate goal of value creation. Three methods are analyzed in depth: the discounted cash flow model, the capital asset pricing model, and arbitrage pricing theory. For each method, the basic theory is set out in a nontechnical manner and empirical evidence in support of the model is critically reviewed. The bulk of the discussion then focuses on practical means for implementing the methods for decision-making purposes. Later chapters focus on the effects of the debt-supporting characteristics of assets, on the valuation of options embedded in securities, and on the estimation of the cost of capital for evaluating international investments. The final chapter discusses certain aspects of the use of cost of capital in public utility regulation. Care is taken to separate out key issues from more peripheral material through a comprehensive set of supplementary notes.










Global Capital and National Governments


Book Description

Global Capital and National Governments suggests that international financial integration does not mean the end of social democratic welfare policies. Capital market openness allows participants to react swiftly and severely to government policy; but in the developed world, capital market participants consider only a few government policies when making decisions. Governments that conform to capital market pressures in macroeconomic areas remain relatively unconstrained in supply-side and micro-economic policy areas. Therefore, despite financial globalization, cross-national policy divergence among advanced democracies remains likely. Still, in the developing world, the influence of financial markets on government policy autonomy is more pronounced. The risk of default renders market participants willing to consider a range of government policies in investment decisions. This inference, however, must be tempered with awareness that governments retain choice. As evidence for its conclusions, Global Capital and National Governments draws on interviews with fund managers, quantitative analyses, and archival investment banking materials.




The C.F.A. Digest


Book Description