Feedforward networks have powerful approximation capabilities without the "explosion of parameters" problem faced by Fourier and polynomial expansions. This paper first introduces feedforward networks and describes their approximation capabilities, then we address several practical issues faced...

This dissertation studies hedge funds' characteristics, performance and risk, as well as their managerial incentives. In essay one, we find that similar to non-financial industries, there is a balanced allocation to business risk and financing risk in hedge funds. Empirically we find stylized...

To address the lack of attention to construct shift in IRT vertical scaling, a bifactor model is proposed to estimate the common dimension for all grades and the grade-specific dimensions. The bifactor model estimation accuracy is evaluated through a simulation study with manipulated factors of...

Drawing on the results of recent state-level debt management performance assessments (SN DeMPAs) in seven Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory, the paper highlights key institutional and capacity challenges in state debt management in the context of the Nigerian fiscal federalism...

We examine the impact of the optionality of performance fee on the risk-shifting behavior of hedge fund managers. Since performance fees earned by hedge fund managers have the characteristics of a call option, the moneyness of the option may have an impact on the risk-taking behavior of...

Using daily returns on a set of hedge fund indices, we study (i) the properties of the indices' conditional density functions, (ii) the presence of asymmetries in conditional correlations between hedge fund indices and other investments and between hedge indices themselves, and (iii) the...

With a new proxy for the compensation option to hedge funds management, we explore the managerial incentives and risk-taking behavior for an extended sample of hedge funds. We focus on the incentives in response to the compensation option as discussed in Goetzmann, Ingersoll, and Ross (2003),...

This study investigates the time series behavior of real estate company net asset value discount/premium (NAVDISC) in eight Asian-Pacific securitized real estate markets from 1995 to 2003. We postulate that if there is a stable NAVDISC for real estate companies in the long-run, then there should...

This paper examines pre-auction investments made by asymmetric agents that compete for a supply contract from a monopolist principal. Agents are privately aware of their managerial efficiencies which determine how well they can leverage fixed investments to reduce their variable costs for...