Safety-first portfolio optimization is concerned with maximizing the expected portfolio return subject to a safety-first constraint, which is defined as the probability of failing to achieve a specified target. Commonly the target is assumed to be fixed, which, however, leads to significant...

The need for monitoring countries’ overall performance in sustainable development (SD) is widely recognized, but the methods for aggregating vast amounts of empirical data remain rather crude. This paper examines the so-called ‘benefit of doubt’ weighting method as a tool for identifying...

This paper analyzes the safety-first portfolio model under two different target assumptions, the fixed target, which is commonly assumed in the literature, and the random target, which has played only a minor role so far. As both targets can be easily motivated, the open question is, which...

Prospective payment arrangements are now the main form of hospital funding in most developed countries. An essential component of such arrangements is the classification system used to differentiate patients according to their expected resource requirements. In this article we describe the...

Die Lissabon-Agenda sieht eine Steigerung der Ausgaben für Forschung und Entwicklung bis zum Jahr 2010 auf drei Prozent des Bruttoinlandsprodukts vor. Europa will damit zu einem der wettbewerbsfähigsten und dynamischsten Wirtschaftsräume werden. Wesentlich für die Zukunftsfähigkeit eines...

Suppose a fund manager uses predictors in changing port-folio allocations over time. How does predictability translate into portfolio decisions? To answer this question we derive a new model within the Bayesian framework, where managers are assumed to modulate the systematic risk in part by...

This paper analyses the problem of price discrimination in a market where consumers have heterogeneous preferences both over a horizontal parameter (brand) and a vertical one (quality). Discriminatory contracts are characterised for different market structures. It is shown that price dispersion,...