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Abstract - Foreign Direct Investment, Institutions and Economic Growth: Evidence from the MENA Region
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Abstract: Few scientific papers treat the role of institutions on the relationship between foreign direct investment (hereafter FDI) and economic growth. In the existing literature, the FDI effects on growth are not easy to understand. Mixed findings, both theoretical and empirical, have been provided on this issue by the academic research. The first contribution of this study is an analysis of how institutions quality affects FDI-growth nexus. The second contribution is the use of the Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) modeling because the nexus between FDI and economic growth is nonlinear and depends on specific national factors especially institutions quality. This method helps to account for a change of regime in the effects of FDI on economic growth. The major finding of this study is that the effect of FDI on economic growth is conditional to the development of institutions in MENA countries. Empirically, on a sample of 19 MENA countries over the period 1984-2011, we found that only countries with good institutions can exploit the advantages of FDI on growth. Keywords: Economic growth, FDI, institutions quality, PSTR, MENA countries.Download Full Article |
Abstract - A Comparative Analysis on Subsidy Policies of China’s Public Housing Programmes: Evidence Based on Micro Surveys in Baoji
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Abstract: To understand the effects of the public housing programme and measure the feasibility of subsidy policies, this study conducts a comparative analysis on the wealth effects of two of the main subsidy policies which are the sell-oriented policy1 (SOP) and rent-oriented policy2 (ROP), implemented in the city of Baoji, China. The data in this study come from a survey conducted in 2010 in Baoji. We apply a Cobb-Douglas utility function to measure the extra benefits for households that fall under the SOP and households that fall under the ROP. Our results indicate that the low-income SOP households have a stronger taste in terms of housing consumption, and although both policies offer benefits to households, ROP households benefit more than SOP households do. The main policy conclusions drawn from our findings are that the ROP should be adopted first, and restricting resale by the purchasers is the key to achieve policy efficiency. Keywords: Public housing, Sell-oriented policy, Rent-oriented policy.Download Full Article |
Abstract - Analyzing the Synchronization between the Financial and Business Cycles in Turkey
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Abstract: The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the financial and business cycles in Turkey. A quarterly dataset was used for the analysis that covers the period from 1998Q1 to 2014Q4. The cycles were obtained with a Hodrick-Prescott (HP) filter design. The concordance index values, cross-correlation values and Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) model were used to identify the characteristics of the relationships between the financial and business cycles. The empirical results revealed that the financial and business cycles are highly synchronized in Turkey. The results also indicate that while the credit volume cycle is the leading factor of the GDP cycle, the GDP cycle leads from the BIST 100 cycle in Turkey. The last significant conclusion is that the positive and high dynamic conditional correlations between the financial and business cycles experienced a break during the 2008 global crisis. Keywords: Business cycle, financial cycle, concordance index, DCC, Turkish economy.Download Full Article |
Abstract - Socially Responsible Investment: A Comparison between the Performance of Sustainable and Traditional Stock Indexes
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Abstract: The doubt about whether socially responsible investment is a viable strategy for investors seeking to maximize both social and financial returns is the central question of this paper. This is addressed by investigating whether portfolio selection based on sustainability criteria harms investor’s returns, or in contrast it can be a driver of superior financial benefits. With this purpose, daily prices and returns of 4 traditional and 10 sustainable stock indexes are analyzed from 2001 to 2011 and in the peaks and downs of both bull and bear markets. One of the major results of this study is that sustainable indexes outperform traditional stock indexes in all the periods under analysis; however the differences on average returns are not statistically significant. Through unit root tests we acknowledge that returns are stationary and levels are nonstationary. The short-run relationship analysis based on Granger causality test reveals a feedback effect between traditional and sustainable stock indexes returns. In contrast, long-run relationship, based on cointegration analysis, points that most of the stock indexes are not cointegrated, suggesting that sustainable and traditional stock indexes do not have a long-run linkage and thus can diverge without bound. Keywords: Socially responsible investment, Sustainable stock indexes, financial returns, Long run.Download Full Article |
Abstract - Financial Development, Investment and Economic Growth: Evidence from Nigeria
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Abstract: The paper evaluates the relationship among financial development, investment and economic growth in Nigeria. It also examines the role of investment in financial development and how it influences economic growth in Nigeria. The paper applies the standard Vector autoregression (VAR) framework of Johansen, the Inoue (1999) cointegration framework with endogenous structural break model and Johansen et al. (2000) cointegration test with exogenous structural breaks, respectively. After accounting for structural breaks in the series, the study establishes a long-run relationship among financial development, investment and economic growth. This indicates that failure to account for structural breaks in the series may lead to bias estimates and may mislead policy conclusion. It furtherreveals that investment is a critical channel that influences economic growth through financial development. Keywords: Financial development, Investment, Economic growth, Structural breaks. |