Effects of central bank independence reforms on inflation in different parts of the world

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of CBI-reforms on inflation in different parts of the world from a theoretical and empirical perspective. Compared to previous studies, this study focuses on whether CBI-reforms have different effects on reducing inflation in different parts of the world. The study is based on a 132 country data-set from 1980 to 2005 compiled by Daunfeldt et al. (2008). The result indicates that the reduction in inflation due to the CBI-reforms varies between 2.2 and 12.32 percentage points in Asia, Europe, South America and Oceania, supporting the claim that implementing CBI-reforms can be successful in reducing inflation in most of the parts of the world.

The use of capital budgeting and cost of capital estimation methods in Swedish listed companies

In this paper Swedish listed companies’ use of capital budgeting and cost of capital estimation methods in 2005 and 2008 are examined. The relation between company characteristics and choice of methods is investigated and both within-country longitudinal and cross-country comparisons are made. Larger companies seem to have used capital budgeting methods more frequently than smaller companies. When compared to U.S. and continental European companies, Swedish listed companies employed capital budgeting methods less frequently. In 2005 the most common method for establishing the cost of equity was by asking the investors what return they required. By 2008 CAPM was instead the most utilised method, which could indicate greater sophistication. The use of project risk when evaluating investments also seems to have gained in popularity, while the use of company risk declined. Overall, the use of sophisticated capital budgeting and cost of capital estimation methods seem to be rising and the use of less sophisticated methods declining.

What determines the use of capital budgeting methods? : Evidence from Swedish listed companies

Purpose: This paper aims to extend and contribute to prior research on the association between company characteristics and choice of capital budgeting methods (CBMs). Design/methodology/approach: A multivariate regression analysis on questionnaire data from 2005 and 2008 is used to study which factors determine the choice of CBMs in Swedish listed companies. Findings: Our results supported hypotheses that Swedish listed companies have become more sophisticated over the years (or at least less unsophisticated) which indicates a closing of the theory-practice gap; that companies with greater leverage used payback more often; and that companies with stricter debt targets and less management ownership employed accounting rate of return more frequent. Moreover, larger companies used CBMs more often. Originality/value: The paper contributes to prior research within this field by being the first Swedish study to examine the association between use of CBMs and as many as twelve independent variables, including changes over time, by using multivariate regression analysis. The results are compared to a US and a continental European study.

Money with Bank Networks

Rio de Janeiro

What happens after the central bank of Brazil increases the target interbank rate by 1%?

I start presenting an explicit solution to Taylorís (2001) model, in order to illustrate the link between the target interest rate and the overnight interest rate prevailing in the economy. Next, I use Vector Auto Regressions to shed some light on the evolution of key macroeconomic variables after the Central Bank of Brazil increases the target interest rate by 1%. Point estimates show a four-year accumulated output loss ranging from 0:04% (whole sample, 1980 : 1-2004 : 2; quarterly data) to 0:25% (Post-Real data only) with a Örst-year peak output response between 0:04% and 1:0%; respectively. Prices decline between 2% and 4% in a 4-year horizon. The accumulated output response is found to be between 3:5 and 6 times higher after the Real Plan than when the whole sample is considered. The 95% confidence bands obtained using bias-corrected bootstrap always include the null output response when the whole sample is used, but not when the data is restricted to the Post-Real period. Innovations to interest rates explain between 4:9% (whole sample) and 9:2% (post-Real sample) of the forecast error of GDP.

Os impactos dos investimentos estrangeiros diretos na evolução da balança comercial brasileira no período pós-real

The purpose of the present study is to discuss the eventual relationship between foreign direct investment in Brazil and trade balance, considering the period after the beginning of "Plano Real" on 1994, which presented a new currency regime and a new profile of Brazilian macroeconomy. It is important to state that there is a controversial debate around the question, since those investments are seen as positive to receiving countries by some authors and negative by other ones. Those who are favorable, argue that the recent attitude assumed by a lot of companies towards internalization is changing the modus operandi in some markets, providing a much more competitive framework. It is also remarkable - they also mention - the potential advantages brought by these new strategies. On the other hand, some authors defend that it increases the exposure of the country that receives such resources, since the subsidiaries of those companies operate under marketing strategies of profit maximization, considered the competitive environment they face. We will go over these opinions troughout the study, trying also to capture the reasons that usually motivate foreign companies to look for new markets and branches and also the effects on receiving country's Balance of Payments. Besides that point, the approach presented will try to answer if the increase of foreign capital stock in Brazil helps to explain some positive response from the country's trade balance, and more, on Balance of Payments. It is also important to mention that the considered period is extremely representative, mainly when considered the huge amounts involved and the increasing liberalization verified in brazilian's external policies since 1990. There is special concern, troughout the study, to define the pattern of such investments, and more, the impacts that those resources brought to public budget. The present study will focus on official data, published by Central Bank of Brazil, mainly those ones regarding Census of Foreign Capitals, as well as the referable to the evolution of Balance of Payments. Finally, based on statistical procedures, it will be provided multiple regressions on available data that will help the reader to capture the effects of some selected variables, which will bring a much more oriented analysis to the discussion.

Analysis of the restructuring of the Russian defence industry (by the example of aviation industry and knaapo) and the creation of United Aviation Construction Corporation

The present study is focused on the analysis of the three main governmental measures occurred in 2000-2006 in Russian defense industry: the creation of the holding structures, the establishing of the state monopoly in arms export, and creation of the United Aviation Construction Corporation (Ob¿edinennaya Aviastroitel¿naya Corporatziya), which was initiated by the President and Government of Russian Federation in 2006. The last project assumes the consolidation and joining of all producers of civil and military aviation into one united corporation in order to save the technological and productive potential of the sector after serious crisis in 1990-s. On the other hand, this project can be considered as one of the measures to establish state control and hierarchy in the defense industry. The current project tries to analyze the necessity and the possible impacts of restructuring processes. In order to perform such analysis, I need to observe the evolution of the sector, which involves the description of the restructuring and reforming of the industry since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The current situation in aviation sector was shaped by number of reforms performed by Government of Russian Federation, which I describe in phases: conversion, privatization, decentralization, followed by evident desire of the state to establish control over some companies. Later on, I am trying to understand the reasons lying behind all reforms of 2000-2006 and the integration of the industry. I also try to predict which impacts on the companies it will have. The last part presents the main conclusions of the paper.

Banrisul: do PROES ao IPO com governança corporativa

The scene prevalecente, in this work was to analyze the capacity of BANRISUL - Bank of the State of the Rio Grande Do Sul, as bank of public control, was assumen of the continued increase of the profitability of the Brazilian banking sector, remaining itself as a brought up to date financial institution tecnologicamente and managemental structuralized by mechanisms of brought up to date taking of decision and permanently revised in compatibility with the increasing instabilidades imposed for the incited competition of the banking sector in adequacy with the macroeconomic volatillidades. On the basis of the extremely positive performance in the analyzed period enters 1997 the 2007, the commercial strategy remains focada in the constant improvement of the rendering of services and in the growth of the credit average small the physical people and the e companies. The abrangência of the attendance points and the ample base of customers are aggregate advantages to an exclusive differential: the Banricompras, the biggest card of proper mark of Latin America. Stronger and income-producing, with an adequate and transparent management, the BANRISUL follows in propósito de to gain position of prominence in the national economic-financial scene.

O uso de informações contábeis como diferencial competitivo na redução dos riscos financeiros em pequenas empresas brasileiras

E ste estudo foi motivado pelo sentimento de que o alto custo tínanceiro que se verifica em várias pequenas empresas é, pelo menos em parte. relacionado com a precariedade dos controles administrativos e das infOlmaç õc s contábeis que deveriam suportar a tomada de decisões diárias de seus respectivos gestores. O objetivo desta dissertação é estudar as conseqüênc ias para as pequenas empresas brasileiras de uma má administração de reeursos financeiros, causadas principalmente pela informalidade do negócio e pela precariedade de informações contábeis uti lizadas na tomada de decisões. Partindo-se de pesquisas que mostram a elevada taxa de mortalidade em pequenos negóeios no Brasil e suas principais causas, faz-se nesta dissertação uma descrição sumária dos pri ncipais aspectos teóri cos que envolvem a administração financeira e o processo contábil de geração de informação, além de um estudo sobre as principais fontes de captação de recursos disponíveis para as pequenas empresas e o custo dessas operações.

Análise dos impactos do novo modelo de competitividade do sistema financeiro nacional no desempenho dos empregados dos Bancos Públicos de Varejo: o caso do BRC S/A

o estudo tem como principal foco apresentar uma referência de análise do comportamento individual dos empregados dos bancos de varejo diante da necessidade de adequação à estratégia utilizada para enfrentar o atual mercado competitivo. Mostra a importância da análise da dimensão simbólica para as organizações, os negócios e as relações entre os atores no contexto empresarial. Demonstra as principais mudanças recentes no Sistema Financeiro Nacional, que tem levado as organizações aí inseridas a buscar formas de adaptações, entre elas rever seus processos de gestão e de programas de treinamento e desenvolvimento de pessoas. Traça o perfil atual do Banco BRC SIA, fazendo um breve histórico e abordando os recursos humanos, a informatização, o projeto de saneamento fmanceiro e o desempenho operacional dos últimos anos. Conclui que as características culturais do Banco BRC SI A, em sua maIOrIa, reduzem a sua capacidade de adequar-se à forma de atuação dos bancos privados. Existem poucos traços culturais que favorecem a adaptabilidade do banco, entre os quais podemos citar o compromisso, a dedicação e a lealdade do pessoal ao banco (que já foram maiores no passado). Outros fatores também contribuem para dificultar a sua adaptabilidade, tais como o paternalismo, o formalismo, a impunidade, a postura de expectador, entre outras, características estas comuns às empresas brasileiras, conforme veremos no primeiro capítulo. Com relação a isto, será necessária uma forte dose de persistência e desejo de quebrar a inércia da organização, bem como uma constância de propósitos, para que as transformações aconteçam e o banco consiga se adaptar ao mercado. No caso, este deve ser o papel da liderança: ser persistente, perspicaz e flexível o suficiente para chamar o processo a si e conduzi-lo de forma eficaz. Ainda, contatou-se que existem resistências e dificuldades para a viabilização das transformações necessárias para que o banco atue como um banco privado. Algumas resistências são comuns e outras são específicas e próprias de cada situação observada.

Foreign activity effects on the capital structure of brazilian companies during 2004-2008

As empresas brasileiras com atividades internacionais (MNC) possuem uma estrutura de capital diferente das empresas domésticas (DC)? Se sim, é válida a hipótese upstream-downstream, com empresas internacionalizadas utilizando mais dívida do que as empresas domésticas? Encontramos que as MNCs brasileiras utilizam mais dívida devido à atividade internacional, com 9,6% mais alavancagem, dos quais 5,8% são oriundos de fontes de longo prazo. Nós ainda lançamos uma luz sobre uma explicação alternativa para o maior uso de dívida pelas empresas internacionalizadas. Esta dissertação testa se existe um vínculo entre a atividade internacional e o financiamento com dívida estrangeira. O acesso a dívida estrangeira ajuda a explicar porque MNCs utilizam mais dívida do que DCs? Nossos resultados revelam que a atividade internacional está positivamente relacionada ao uso de dívida estrangeira, sendo que MNCs médias carregam 12,7% mais dívida estrangeira em sua estrutura de capital. Nossa amostra consiste em 131 companhias no período 2004-2008, resultando em 538 observações.