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For the past three decades, Eastern European countries overall, but not uniformly, have exhibited a noticeable decline in their share of the industrial production sector. At the same time, trade liberalization and integration in international production networks were intensified, bringing different levels of economic development of countries in this region. The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of the real effective exchange rate (REER) on the deindustrialization or reindustrialization process in 25 post-communist Eastern European countries. The paper employs heterogeneous panel common factor approach for the period 1995-2018 to exploit the effect of diverse levels of export complexity, stage of economic development, and intensity of participation in global value chains on REER- industrial production relationship. The results establish a heterogeneous yet significant negative relationship between REER and industrial production. Our findings indicate that higher economic complexity and participation in global value chain reduces the effect of depreciation on industry development.https://www.textfixer.com/tools/remove-line-breaks.php

Israel, a small country in Asia, transitioned from a labor-intensive economy to become a nation with the second largest startup ecosystem in the world. What have propelled this extraordinary growth that made the state of Israel one of the most important entrepreneurial and technology-driven economies? This paper provides some background on the Israeli economy and a detailed analysis of the main drivers for this marvel transformation. It describes the impacts of change in population due to immigration, large capital injections, and economic transition from basic production of growing citrus and polishing diamonds to current state of the art technologies.

In this paper we investigate the impact of regional trade agreements (RTAs) and bilateral investment treaties (BITs) on intra-regional foreign direct investment (FDI) across Latin American countries from 1995 to 2012. We use an augmented gravity model in which we control for cross-country heterogeneity, multilateral resistances and endogeneity of RTAs/BITs. This study empirically reveals that belonging to a well-established RTAs, such as MERCOSUR, is significantly more effective than the enforcement of BITs in fostering intra-regional FDI. We observe heterogeneous impacts within the bloc: BITs exert a positive but small effect, with an estimated increase in FDI stocks between 4-7.25%, for middle income countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and Uruguay. However, we observe a non-significant effect on middle-low income countries as Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Paraguay. Our results suggest that political risk and the level of institutional development in the host country act as strong determinants of BITs effectiveness. Furthermore, we find that the main determinants affecting intra-bloc FDI are factor endowments and market potential. These findings shed clarity into the current debate on the effectiveness of BITs versus RTAs as an adequate mechanism to attract foreign investment.

This paper assesses the reactions of the United States and the twelve economies of the European Monetary Union (EMU) to the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The rapidly spreading financial and economic contagion uncovered structural problems of each member of the EMU that impacted their relative competitiveness. Furthermore, the crisis highlights the scale and scope of interdependences in the world economy. It unveiled economic and institutional flaws in the EMU, the European Union (EU) and the U.S. Additionally, in the U.S., the crisis brought to light institutional and industry conflicts of interest, as well as glaring regulatory failures.

Financial markets have experienced unprecedented transformations, signs of which have emerged since the late 1970s. In recent years substantial consolidation occurred. In response to changes in macroeconomic variables, such as GDP, industrial production, inflation and the political business cycle, the institutional structure of stock exchanges has evolved in terms of economic performance. This paper compares the performances of financial markets and presents comparisons of the leading five stock exchanges by studying the evolution of the unitized risk values for real rates of return during the 1950-2012 time-period.

This study examines value implications of remedial actions of the Securities Exchange Commission during the year 2011 that culminated in delisting a number of Chinese companies from the U.S public exchanges. To achieve that we examine the institutional characteristics and performance of Specified Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) used as a financing tool and gateway to the U.S. capital markets by Chinese companies in period 2004-2011. The overall evidence presented shows that SPACs merging with companies from China are not inferior corporate structure in respect to the other SPACs. While their institutional characteristics are similar, the performance tests show that these Chinese SPACs lost value around SEC decision dates but in overall they outperform other SPACs listed in the U.S. capital markets.

This paper explores the impacts of the Federal Funds Rate (FFR), a significant money market indicator, on the prime lending rates offered by commercial banks. Prior to 1994, the FFR had lagged effects on prime rates, but since the second quarter of 1994, the Federal Reserve Bank has implemented monetary policy which explicitly and publicly target the FFR. Commercial banks have since relied on the FFR to promptly modify the prime rate in response to changing policies. The results of the study signify that transparency in monetary policy targeting can facilitate desired effects, thereby increasing efficiency.

The paper discusses the differences among countries of the Eurozone which impede growth. The paper offers solutions aimed at encouraging economic convergence to a higher level of standard of living. Economic disparity throughout the region has increased due to the global financial crisis. A common currency is insufficient for economic growth. Sectoral policies need to be considered aimed at increasing equality among country members. The authors explore how the European Union may consider stimulating specific sectors in order to achieve real convergence and spur socioeconomic development in the Eurozone countries.

This study documents the changes in the corporate design of modern Specified Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) for the years 2003 to 2012. Do institutional characteristics of SPACs determine the success of their merger outcomes? The paper finds that SPACs significantly redesigned their structure in the period under observation. In addition, the probability of a merger for SPACs increases if they are able to announce the deal soon after the Initial Public Offering (IPO), if the deal focuses on China and when their IPO is underwritten by EarlyBirdCapital.

This paper shows, using a simple model, that wasteful innovations may result in a loss-loss situation where no country experiences an increase in welfare. If some countries introduce innovations that result in harmful effects on other countries, it may cause the adversely affected countries to retaliate by imposing impediments to international trade. In a globalized and integrated World economy, such policies can only harm the countries involved. Thus, it is in both countries' best interest to encourage sustainable coordination between policies in order to better their own citizens, as well as the World's aggregate welfare.

This paper explores the impact of volatility estimation methods on theoretical option values based upon the Black-Scholes-Merton (BSM) model. Volatility is the only input used in the BSM model that cannot be observed in the market or a priori determined in a contract. Thus, properly calculating volatility is crucial. Two approaches to estimate volatility are implied volatility and historical prices. Iterative techniques are applied, based on daily S&P index options. Additionally, using option data on S&P 500 Index listed on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, historical volatility can be estimated.

From 1980-2009 the Polish economy experienced structural dislocation. The growth and success of the Solidarity movement represented the shift in manufacturing from Soviet bloc trade to membership in the European Union. This paper examines four independent metrics that measure the changing “sophistication” of trade patterns during this modal shift. The common theme underlying the analysis of these indices is that the Polish economy is resilient and adaptable. Poland is expected to compete effectively in its new economic environment after a period of adjustment and progress.

What can economists learn from dynamic partial control of chemical reactors? Both chemical reactors and the economy involve many variables that are difficult to fully predict or control. Thus, this paper suggests the use of partial control, which involves indentifying only the key variables that monitor the system. This idea of observing relatively few variables and enabling policy makers to better control the economy is in line with the contributions of Sargent and Sims, who use a limited number of variables to study monetary and fiscal policies. This approach enables a better distinction between cause and effect in the macroeconomy.

The European Union was created to promote economic, cultural, and regional prosperity. However, the Global Financial Crisis demonstrates that its economic institutions are flawed. While each sovereign state in the Eurozone forfeits the control of its money supply, the lack of a common fiscal institution allows individual countries to pursue their own political and financial agendas. The on-going economic hardship emphasizes the critical role of economic and political institution ions. This paper analyzes both beneficial and perverse incentives of joining the European Union, discusses the consequences of deficient economic institutions and provides potential solutions towards the alleviation of the crisis.

This paper uses the structure of institutional economics to provide an explanation of the recent U.S. financial crisis. Institutional theory suggests that a county’s political, legal, social, and cultural institutions determine and characterize its economy. An institutional perspective of financial crises therefore incorporates unquantifiable aspects of the real world. Different institutions interacted to ignite and fuel the global crisis. A thorough understanding of all of the legal, political, and cultural institution that encompass a society, as well as their role in the market, is needed to explain and avoid the reoccurrences of financial crises.

This paper examines the where, when and why of first round entrepreneurial investment activity in the United States from the first quarter of 1995 until the second quarter of 2010. The paper analyzes these venture capital investments taking into consideration the role of macroeconomic variables, region, and industry. Additionally, trends in regional and industrial investments are evaluated using statistical and graphical analyses. By studying these findings, we are able to understand the impact of different periods of economic growth on venture capital investments. Lastly, the shock of the dot.com bubble and recent financial crisis are integrated into the findings.

This paper analyzes the theoretical foundations of Giffen goods and details the difficulty with which prior studies have encountered limited empirical proof of Giffenity. Subsequently, a discussion of the economic overview of Russia during the early 1990s is provided. The paper then applies Giffenity to the newly established free market system of post-Soviet Union Russia while acknowledging changes in the prices for goods, specifically, for inferior food commodities. The paper concludes by advocating for the need to incorporate Giffenity into current economic theory to make it more comprehensive.

Spain has experienced many financial crises through its history. These financial crises have varied origins. However, they do have common threads. The current recession and subsequent debt crisis follow the same pattern. The fiscal and monetary policies of the Spanish government have played a role in creating and prolonging the boom and bust cycles. Government spending, government regulation, credit institutions, budget deficits, the political climate, and international trade are discussed to illuminate the causes and effects of these business cycles. The Spanish government can take action to improve the economy and to lessen the effects of its financial crises.

Economic Geography maintains that economic activities are not randomly distributed across space. This paper examines the impact of industrial and regional characteristics on venture capital activities in the United States from 1995 until 2009. The unique database allows for stratifications into seventeen industries within nineteen regions of the United States. This study affirms the significance of both location and industry in venture capital investment. Both statistical and graphical methods are employed in order to better ascertain the dynamic nature of the data.

Development economists agree that increasing export diversification is a concomitant to economic development. An accepted explanation for Africa’s export stagnation is its dependence on monoculture, and on small number of commodities. Recently a large body of literature focuses on the relationship between economic growth and export specialization. However, there does not exist one generally acceptable measure or index for the concept of “Specialization in International Trade”. This paper suggest one such measure for specialization and its theoretical and conceptual framework are developed and applied to Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Tunisia and Morocco, during the years of their take offs.

What are the effects of macroeconomic variables on venture-backed capital investment in environmentally friendly industries in the United States? What is the significance of location in determining both the number of deals and amount of investment by venture capital in the Clean-tech industry? The Clean-tech sector encompasses those firms that actively incorporate environmental concerns into their products and services. The sector contains environmentally progressive companies from many different traditional, functionality-based industries such as software, energy, telecommunications, etc. This paper ascertains the effects of macroeconomic variables and the location on venture-capital backed investment in the Clean-tech industry in the United States.

The examination of U.S. crises reveals that the current financial crisis follows past patterns. An investment bubble creates excess demand for new financing instruments. During the railroad bubbles of the nineteenth century loans were issued at a pace higher than many companies could pay back. The current housing bubble originated from issuing sub-prime mortgages that assume that housing prices would only rise. The increased demand for credit induces financial innovations and instruments that circumvent existing regulations. Inevitably, the bubble bursts. The history of financial crises teaches that policy reforms and new regulations cannot prevent future financial crises.

The economic history of the United States is riddled with financial crises and banking panics. During the nineteenth-century, eight major such episodes occurred. In the period following World War II, some believed that these crises would no longer happen, and that the U.S. had reached a time of everlasting financial stability and sustainable growth. The Savings and Loans Crisis of the 1980s, the 2001 dot-com bust and the 2007 housing bubble that led to the current global financial crises demonstrate that these phenomena are still reoccurring. Regulators and policy makers should keep aware of the recurrence of such crises.

As our trading world becomes more globalized, who benefits and who gets hurt? This paper relies on the Ricardian model to explore the effects of technological improvements in underdeveloped countries on the welfare of developed countries. For example, trading between the United States and China, which has undergone a technological improvement in commodities which China imports and exports, may lead to different welfare implications for both countries. The paper models several scenarios to indicate and demonstrate the arguments for and against globalization. The findings suggest that certain policies should be implemented to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of developed countries.

The State of Qatar is driven mainly by hydrocarbon revenues, which are estimated to support this tiny country for hundreds of years. The Qatari economy is becoming diversified with industries such as manufacturing, banking, social services, and tourism. Additionally, government financed health and educational services have increased rapidly. However, the Qatari government is not able to establish necessary laws and procedures which business requires. Despite recent changes, Qatari laws and regulations are not always friendly towards business ventures or foreign investment, hindering economic growth. Furthermore, enforcement of existing business regulations and rules are occasionally lacking.

This paper examines venture capital investment activity in the United States during the period 1995 to the first quarter 2009, taking into consideration both location and industry sector. The research question is whether industry and region are important factors in determining venture capital investment. Furthermore, the paper explores the effects of macroeconomic variables on investment activity. Consequently, the venture capital data are augmented by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Federal Funds Rate, three, five and ten year interest rates. By examining long term trends, the effect of the current economic crisis on venture capital investment may be better understood.

Economic geography receives limited consideration in the venture capital literature. This study utilizes thirty years of data concerning companies that initially were backed by venture capital. These firms are located in Entrepreneurial Focal Points in the United States, namely: California, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. How well do these companies operate once they go public? Do the scrutiny measures, expertise and financial backing that firms gain from the venture capitalists increase their annual and cumulative returns? The results show that returns on investment are adequate given their substantial risk.

The Sultanate of Oman has a diversified economy, unlike many of its neighboring nations that rely almost entirely on oil revenues. Natural gas and several non-energy business sectors, such as tourism, fishing, light manufacturing, and agriculture are expanding rapidly. The Omani economy is one of the freest in its region. A relatively stable government and low taxes make Oman a desirable location for entrepreneurial ventures. Furthermore, foreign direct investment is welcomed. Tourism is the most attractive area for international entrepreneurs. Oil revenues, coupled with increasing foreign investment are likely to both diversify the Omani economic base and strengthen it.

As current trends of Chinese economic growth and motorization continue, its demand for higher efficiency fuels (oil, gas, and electric power) will increase. This, coupled with China's limited domestic production, can translate into a massive demand for energy imports. To predict China's energy demand into 2020, an econometric model of the Chinese energy economy is constructed based on its energy balance. This paper suggests that China's increase demand for energy imports will be most sensitive to increases in motorization rather than economic growth. It can be partially offset by increasing domestic energy production or energy efficiency.

This paper utilizes Vector Auto Regression (VAR) models to analyze the interdependence among exchange rates of twelve Asian-Pacific nations, Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The daily data span from 1995 to 2004. It finds strong regional foreign exchange dependency, varying from 32 to 73 percent. This network of markets is highly correlated, with shocks to one reverberating throughout the region. Despite the linkages of the Chinese exchange rate to the United States dollar, the Chinese foreign exchange is not as independent with respect to its South-Asian neighbors as previously thought.

Do certain regions inherently enjoy an advantage in venture capital investment decisions? And how do industry characteristics affect venture capital activity? These questions fall under the reemerging study of economic geography, which suggests the importance of industrial location to economic decision making. Through the lens of economic geography, this paper examines the impact of industrial and regional characteristics on venture capital activities from 1996 to 2005. Analyzing venture capital data with nineteen regions and seventeen industries, this study affirms the significance of geography and industry to investment trends in venture capital.

Given a world consisting of two countries, two commodities, and two consumers, this paper analyzes the potential effects of the current global trend of shifting world productions with regards to consumer goods. When technological improvements occur in a developing country, would terms of trade remain favorable for a developed country? Would both countries benefit? Instances where one or both countries benefit are feasible. However the developed country may lose as a result of an improvement in the production of the good that previously had been exported by the developed country.

This paper attempts to compare the economic success of immigrants and natives in Germany. Employing data from German Socioeconomic Panel, the paper investigates the factors affecting self-employment as well as compares the income of self-employed and employed workers among four groups - West Germans, East Germans, guest workers and ethnic immigrants. Increasing age, higher education and self-employed parents increases probability of an individual's self-employment, with the last two applying only to West Germans. The self-employed earn more than their salaried counterparts, except for East Germans. Despite self-employed immigrants having the highest earnings of all groups, self-employment rates remain low among immigrants.

This paper addresses a central issue to migration, the role of immigrants in entrepreneurial activity. In particular, the paper focuses on the determinants of the decision to become an entrepreneur for Turks living in Germany. The paper provides some important benchmarks, including the self-employment behavior of natives. The paper utilizes a comprehensive and reliable data base, the German Socioeconomic Panel to undertake systematic econometric analyses using appropriate statistical methods. The findings are that observable characteristics play different roles in the self-employment choice of immigrants and natives, whereas age-earnings profiles are similar for native and immigrant entrepreneurs.

The economic and financial development are examined in Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, representing the Middle East and North Africa region. Lengthy bureaucratic procedures, unclear regulations, corruption, and heavy reliance on oil exports pose major obstacles to economic development and integration into global markets. These controlled economies directly affect foreign and domestic investments that are measured by five factors: Starting a Business, Hiring and Firing Workers, Enforcing Contracts, Getting Credit, and Closing a Business. This paper demonstrates that improvements in the standard of living will only be attained with fiscal and political reforms.

Over the past two decades the venture capital industry became a major focus for the financial media. With potential for high rates of return, this industry attracts entrepreneurs looking for opportunities to invest. While some investments are successful and highly publicized, many are not. This paper gives insight about the role financing in different stages plays in determining the success of an investment. It compares data on the rates of return of 2,678 venture-backed public companies during multiple stages of financing. Additionally, this paper evaluates how the rates of return of these companies have changed between the 1980s and 1990s.

This paper explores several theories regarding how China has become highly successful in capturing world export markets. The paper concludes that increased competitiveness is dependant on, but not limited to several factors discussed in detail including, exchange rate undervaluation, low wage rates and excess labor resources. Direct foreign investment which enabled China to produce products that meet world market specifications, brought new technology and foreign management, played a key factor. Reasons for China's advantage over other East Asian countries are explored. The merits and methods of various measures of China's competitiveness and comparative competitiveness are also discussed.

The incredible profits of Initial Public Offerings have often been emphasized in the media as a popular investment for the public. This paper takes a few steps towards refuting such an assertion by investigating the performance of 2,895 venture capital backed IPOs between 1968 and September 1998. The paper finds that it is incorrect to assume that investors demand very high annualized and cumulative rates of return to compensate for the risks they are taking by financing ventures in different sectors of the economy. The mean rates of return are found to be, in practice, very moderate, and often, negative.

Incredible profits from Initial Public Offerings have been highly emphasized. This paper refutes these profits as being standard and supports the market's return to normalcy by stratifying annual and cumulative returns for different industries: Biotechnology; Communications; Computer Related companies; Medical, Health and Life Science industries; Non-High-Technology companies; and Semiconductor and Other Electronics Industries. This paper tests whether an entrepreneur has greater potential for success in continually promising fields or whether one should slug it out in a risky but potentially very rewarding industry. A comparison of success is made between already competitive businesses and those, which are young and growing.

This paper compares the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) 25 Index (TA25) to the S&P 500 Index with respect to the extent that the Technical Analysis method of moving average can beat the buy-and-hold policy. Previous research on the S&P 500 Index is inconclusive, while TA25 has never been tested in this respect. For 1,500 daily observations, our test results imply weak-form efficiency of the S&P 500 Index. For TA25, no market efficiency is found for relatively short moving averages. The results imply that market efficiency is higher in developed financial markets than in an emerging capital market, such as the TASE.

The recent political developments in the Middle East have prompted increased scrutiny of the economies of the nations lying in this region. Over the past few months, the financial markets of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been affected by the speculations that existed before the war in Iraq as well as its subsequent repercussions. Factors such as lagging domestic, political reforms, government interference, and inflexible monetary and fiscal policies remain obstacles to privatization, globalization, and foreign investment in MENA economies. As the economies enter the post-war recovery phase, reform of financial markets seems necessary to accelerate economic growth.

As South Africa emerges from its Apartheid period, the evolution of its international trade is vital to the growth of the economy. This paper evaluates South Africa's trade performance in three essential markets, namely United States, Europe and Japan. It examines the nation's flexibility in the face of fluctuations in relative exchange rates in its markets. Using the Constant Market Share (CMS) model of international trade and the "Rising Stars" model, the particular areas of industrial structure in which South Africa is positioned to succeed are identified on the market as well as the product levels.