An austerity-driven energy reform

In July 2013, the government approved a major overhaul of the Spanish electricity sector to correct existing imbalances that have led to an exponential increase of regulated electricity costs and a huge tariff deficit. The reform addresses the problem of financial sustainability of the sector, severely affected by weak demand and overcapacity. Previous regulation introduced in 2012 and early 2013, also aimed at restoring financial stability of the sector, failed to correct the tariff shortfall and new regulatory measures were needed to reduce the 4.5 billion euros forecasted deficit for 2013. The frequent change of the rules of the game in the sector has created regulatory uncertainty, more so as it is not clear that the present reform will be sufficient to eliminate the deficit. Moreover, the government has left the door open to new regulation that would deal with the price formation system. In general, short run financial criteria have prevailed, while efficiency principles and a long run perspective have little weight in the reform.

Laboral Kutxa: fusioa eta integrazio kulturala

[EU] “Fusioa enpresa-proiektu baten emaitza da, baita aliantza kooperatiboa eta aukera estrategikoa ere. Horri esker, bi entitateek Euskadin eta Nafarroan finantza- operadore gisa duten lehiatzeko kokapena indartu egingo dute. Era berean, bi entitateek eutsi egingo diete izaera kooperatiboari, tokiko sustraiei eta garapen ekonomikoarekiko konpromisari” (Euskadiko Kutxa/Caja Laboral, 2012ko Urteko Kontu Indibidualak). Baieztapen horretatik abiatuz, Gradu Amaierako Lan honen helburu nagusia Laboral Kutxa kreditu kooperatibaren sorrera eragin zuen Euskadiko Kutxa eta Ipar Kutxaren fusioa aztertzea da, Euskadiko Kutxaren ikuspegitik eta enpresa estrategia moduan. Kasu batean oinarritutako metodologia erabiliz egin da ikerketa, etorkizunean fusioa beste hainbat ikuspuntutatik analisatzeko bidea erraztuz. Lanak lau atal nagusi ditu: hasteko, sarrera, non gaiaren justifikazioa, erabilitako metodologiaren aurkezpena eta helburuak planteatzen diren. Bigarren atala ikerketa bibliografikoari dagokio, estrategia eta hazkunde bideen inguruko hurbilketa kontzeptuala egin da. Horren ondoren, kasu praktikoa landu da, fusioaren abantailak, desabantailak, ordaintzeko modua eta kooperatiba bien integrazio kulturalari buruzko ikerketa eginez. Azkenik, laugarren atalak ondorioak eta etorkizuneko ikerketa lerroak biltzen ditu.

SEAT S.A.ren analisi ekonomiko-finantzarioa

Lan honetan lehenik eta behin automobilgintza sektorearen analisi orokor bat burutzen da,eta ondoren, SEAT S.A enpresaren analisi ekonomiko-finantzariora joko da, enpresaren hazkundea, egonkortasun finantzarioa, likidezia, errentagarritasuna eta arriskua analizatuko dira, batik bat.

Fiscal Policy and Economic Stability: Does PIGS stand for Procyclicality In Government Spending?

The Financial Crisis has hit particularly hard countries like Ireland or Spain. Procyclical fiscal policy has contributed to a boom-bust cycle that undermined fiscal positions and deepened current account deficits during the boom. We set up an RBC model of a small open economy, following Mendoza (1991), and introduce the effect of fiscal policy decisions that change over the cycle. We calibrate the model on data for Ireland, and simulate the effect of different spending policies in response to supply shocks. Procyclical fiscal policy distorts intertemporal allocation decisions. Temporary spending boosts in booms spur investment, and hence the need for external finance, and so generates very volatile cycles in investment and the current account. This economic instability is also harmful for the steady state level of output. Our model is able to replicate the relation between the degree of cyclicality of fiscal policy, and the volatility of consumption, investment and the current account observed in OECD countries.

Linking Reduced Deforestation and a Global Carbon Market: Impacts on Costs, Financial Flows, and Technological Innovation

25 p.

Company financial performance: Does board size matter? Case of the EUROSTOXX50 index

[EN] This study analyzes the relationship between board size and economic-financial performance in a sample of European firms that constitute the EUROSTOXX50 Index. Based on previous literature, resource dependency and agency theories, and considering regulation developed by the OECD and European Union on the normative of corporate governance for each country in the sample, the authors propose the hypotheses of both positive linear and quadratic relationships between the researched parameters. Using ROA as a benchmark of financial performance and the number of members of the board as measurement of the board size, two OLS estimations are performed. To confirm the robustness of the results the empirical study is tested with two other similar financial ratios, ROE and Tobin s Q. Due to the absence of significant results, an additional factor, firm size, is employed in order to check if it affects firm performance. Delving further into the nature of this relationship, it is revealed that there exists a strong and negative relation between firm size and financial performance. Consequently, it can be asseverated that the generic recommendation one size fits all cannot be applied in this case; which conforms to the Recommendations of the European Union that dissuade using generic models for all countries.