We present a geometric approach to discrete time multiperiod mean variance portfolio opti-mization that largely simplifies the mathematical analysis and the economic interpretation of such model settings. We show that multiperiod mean variance optimal policies can be decom-posed in an orthogonal...

Credit risk is an important issue in many nance areas, such as the determinationof cost of capital, the valuation of corporate bonds and pricing of credit derivatives.Credit risk has also been a cause and consequence of the current nancial crisis.Thus, methods for measuring credit risk, default...

Vor dem Hintergrund eines Wandels der Rahmenbedingungen im Finanzdienstleistungssektorgewinnt die systematische, ganzheitliche Steuerung der Aktiva undPassiva eines Unternehmens eine besondere Bedeutung. Diesem Zweck dient dassogenannte Asset Liability Management.Wir beschreiben die jeweiligen...

Es wird dargelegt, dass das im Rahmen des Asset-Liability-Managements häufiggewählte Immunisierungsverfahren des Durationsmatch unter Verwendung der traditionellen Yieldbeta-Methode nur dann sachgerecht eingesetzt werden kann, wenn das betrachtete Unternehmenkeinen sicheren realen und damit...

Since the mid-1990s, major Japanese banks have sold off a significant portion of their holdings of corporate equity. Using information on the identity of Japanese firms' top 10 shareholders, this paper explores the process of banks' equity disposal. There is some evidence that, after FY2001,...

Individual financial systems can be understood as very specific configurations of certain keyelements. Often these configurations remain unchanged for decades. We hypothesize that thereis a specific relationship between key elements, namely that of complementarity. Thus,complementarity seems to...

A large body of literature has shown that small firms experience difficulties in accessing the credit market due to informational asymmetries. Banks can overcome these asymmetries through relationship lending, or at least mitigate their effects by asking for collateral. Small firms, especially...

The paper argues that networked firms are likely to have an advantage in securing externalfinance in countries with weak legal and judicial institutions since it helps financial institutionsto minimize the underlying agency costs of lending. An analysis of recent BEEPS data fromfifteen Central...

Using a unique bank-level dataset on the Ugandan banking system over theperiod 1999 to 2005, we explore the factors behind consistently high interest rate spreadsand margins. While foreign banks charge lower interest rate spreads, we do not find arobust and economically significant relationship...

Although the world of banking and finance is becoming more integrated every day, in most aspects the world of financial regulation continues to be narrowly defined by national boundaries. The main players here are still national governments and governmental agencies. And until recently, they...