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This study aims to examine idle funds in mosques in Mataram City and analyze the intentions of the mosque chairman to place mosque funds in Sharia banks. Six variables are used to analyze the intention; attitudes, subjective norms, behavioral control, sharia financial literacy, sharia banking knowledge and the responsibility of the management for the trust of the society.

This research consists of two studies; descriptive research examining idle funds of mosques and correlational research analyzing the intentions of mosque directors to place mosque funds in Sharia banks. Intentions will be analyzed using the theory of planned behavior approach, developed through the PLS-SEM method, and the data obtained from questionnaires through surveys were processed using the SmartPLS 3 application.

This study found that the average surplus between income and expenditure reaches IDR2.7m monthly. Also, 75% of mosques have placed their funds in Islamic banks. This study shows a positive relationship between the level of Islamic financial literacy, knowledge of Islamic banking, responsibility for public trust, attitudes toward Islamic banking, subjective norms and behavioral control in influencing the intentions to place mosque funds in Islamic banks. However, only behavioral control is accepted as it significantly influences intentions. Behavioral control means that to maximize intentions, Islamic banks need to make it easier for mosque administrators to place funds.

This research signifies a pioneering effort in examining idle funds within mosques, particularly those equipped with comprehensive financial reports within Mataram City. Furthermore, it spearheads an inquiry into the intentions of mosques to channel their funds into Sharia banks, underpinned by rigorous quantitative methodologies.

This paper aims to investigate not only the performance of Portuguese mutual funds investing in domestic and international equities but also which fund characteristics, such as age, size, family size, expense ratios and flows, influence future performance.

Fund performance is evaluated over the 2005–2022 period by a robust six-factor model, while the impact of fund characteristics on performance is assessed by a set of fixed-effects panel data regressions with two-way cluster-robust standard errors.

The results show that, while funds investing in domestic equities predominantly exhibit neutral performance, most international equity funds have significantly negative alphas. The authors document a negative and statistically significant relationship between fund age and performance for all fund categories. Total expense ratios have an inverse relationship with domestic equity fund performance but do not impact the performance of international equity funds significantly. Though fund flows have a neutral effect on performance across the overall period, they are important determinants of both domestic and international funds’ performance in more recent years.

The authors contribute to the literature by carrying out a comprehensive analysis, based on recent and robust methodologies, of the impact of mutual fund characteristics on the future performance of Portuguese equity funds. The research findings serve as a premise for advising investors on how to choose the top-performing funds.

This study aims to determine whether the stock holdings of equity mutual funds are informative for predicting future stock performance in the Chinese market. It is a puzzle that actively managed mutual funds underperform passive benchmarks, whereas retail investors still delegate investment decisions to the fund managers. The present study sheds light on whether mutual fund managers possess security selection skills in their top ten holdings.

By regression analysis and portfolio sorting, this study focuses on 830 Chinese A-share stocks in the industry research reports from the Guotai Junan Securities Company. It collects mutual fund's top ten holdings data from the Wind Financial Terminal between 2019Q1 and 2021Q1. As robustness checks, the result holds for the fixed-effect model, an additional measure of ranks in the top ten holdings, the predictability test based on the confusion matrix and two stage least square (2SLS) regression.

The authors find that the top ten holdings by equity mutual funds are informative for predicting stock performance and can provide valuable information for investors to support their decision-making.

The findings of this study provide insightful guidance for retail investors in making investment decisions and support the hypothesis that active fund management adds value.

Firstly, the authors find that the top ten holdings of Chinese mutual funds show significantly positive signals for future stock excess returns, indicating the selection skills of fund managers. Secondly, the above positive relationship exhibits a diminishing marginal effect with more funds holding this stock. Thirdly, the authors find that the predictability horizon of the number of overweighing funds is up to three quarters and then diminishes in the fourth quarter. Finally, investors have a 59% prediction accuracy for the whole stock sample and an 85% precision conditional on the predicted positive subsample to outperform the market. The authors also address the endogeneity and reverse causality issues.

This paper investigates the relationship between the sustainable finance disclosure regulation (SFDR) and the performance of unlisted real estate funds.

While existing literature has primarily focused on the impact of voluntary sustainability disclosure, such as certifications or reporting standards, this study addresses a significant research gap by constructing and analyzing the financial J-Curve of 40 funds under the SFDR. The authors employ a panel regression analysis to examine the effects of different SFDR categories on fund performance.

The findings reveal that funds categorized under Article 8 of the SFDR do not exhibit significantly poorer performance compared to funds categorized under Article 6 during the initial phase after launch. On average, Article 8 funds even demonstrate positive returns earlier than their peers. However, the panel regression analysis suggests that Article 8 funds slightly underperform when compared to Article 6 funds over time.

While investors may not anticipate lower initial returns when opting for higher SFDR categories, they should nevertheless be aware of the limitations inherent in the existing SFDR labeling system within the unlisted real estate sector.

To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first quantitative examination of unlisted real estate fund performance under the SFDR. By providing unique insights into the J-Curves of funds, our research contributes to the existing body of knowledge on the impact of sustainability regulations in the financial sector.

This paper evaluates the risk-adjusted returns, selectivity, market timing skills and persistence of the performance of Nigerian pension funds.

Annual return data of 23 pension funds that operated in Nigeria between 2018 and 2022 were obtained from the National Pension Commission (PenCom). Risk-adjusted return was appraised using the Treynor ratio, Sharpe ratio and Jensen alpha, while the Treynor–Mazuy and Henriksson–Merton multiple regression models were applied to decompose selective and timing skills. Performance persistence was assessed using the contingency table and rank correlation models.

Evidence shows that pension funds deliver excess risk-adjusted returns and exhibit selective skills. However, the evidence does not support the presence of timing skills, and there is overwhelming evidence that good (bad) performance does not repeat.

An evaluation of the investment performance of pension funds is crucial for ensuring the financial stability of retirees, maintaining economic stability and making informed investment decisions. It serves the interests of pensioners, pension fund managers, regulators and the broader economy. Our evidence that pension funds generate positive excess returns is a departure from most of the literature on managed funds. We recommend that more Nigerians should leverage the pension fund industry to grow their wealth and prepare for retirement.

This study, to our knowledge, is the first to appraise all the key facets of the investment performance of pension funds in the Nigerian context.

Due to the high rate of failure of most crowdfunding projects, knowing the most essential factor to obtain funding success on the crowdfunding platform is of great importance for fund seekers on the crowdfunding platform. The purpose of this study is to explore crowdfunding success factors to know the most essential success factor for stakeholders of the crowdfunding platform to make the best decision when seeking funds on the crowdfunding platform. This study identified and ranked crowdfunding success factors for stakeholders of crowdfunding platforms. Sixteen factors were identified and categorized under five broad headings. These were; project ideas, target capital, track records, geographical proximity and equity.

To rank the identified crowdfunding success factors and subfactors, this study used the Multi-Objective Optimization Based on Ratio Analysis (MULTIMOORA) integrated with the Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solutions (EDAS).

Target capital ranked first among the five categories—while duration involved in raising funds ranked first among the sixteen subfactors. An approach for analyzing how each success factor enhances a crowdfunding campaign was developed in this study. This study provides valuable insight to fund seekers on the crowdfunding platform on how funding success can be achieved by knowing which factor to consider essential when seeking funds on the crowdfunding platform.

This is the first study to explore crowdfunding success factors using the MULTIMOORA-EDAS method. The use of this method will help fund seekers on the crowdfunding platform to know which crowdfunding success factor is essential, thereby aiding fund seekers to make the best decision when seeking funds on the crowdfunding platform. Also, this study is particularly helpful for business owners, platform operators and policymakers when deciding how to allocate resources, plan campaigns and implement regulations.

Stirred by scant regard for market phases in portfolio performance assessments, the current paper investigates the active versus passive investment strategies under the bull and bear market conditions in emerging markets focusing on South Africa as a case study.

Methodologically, the measures of Jensen's alpha and Treynor index are applied to the monthly returns of 20 funds from January 2010 to June 2022.

The results are enlightening; though they contradict developed market evidence, they are consistent with emerging market trends. The findings show that actively managed funds outperform the market benchmark and passive investing style under bear and normal market conditions. Passive investment strategy outperforms both market benchmark and actively investing style under bull market conditions.

In the face of improved market efficiency, increased liquidity and recent technological impact, the findings of this study have practical application. The study outcomes should inform and update global investors, especially asset managers interested in emerging markets; however, the limitations of the study should also be considered.

While limited studies consider market conditions when comparing and contrasting the performance of passive versus active investing, such consideration is lacking in emerging markets. The current study corrects this literature imbalance.

The purpose of the study is to emphasise the urgent need for pension policy reform within Indonesia’s social security system.

The methodology employed in this research includes qualitative techniques such as in-depth interviews and thematic content analysis.

The findings suggest various measures for pension reform, including revising eligibility criteria, adjusting benefit designs to cover housing and transportation costs, promoting Defined Benefit Plans, enforcing compliance, addressing insufficient contributions, advocating for transparency, and aligning social assistance programs with pension system enhancements. However, there is a trade-off between the adequacy of pension benefits and the amount of resources required.

This study is limited by the need for more individuals knowledgeable about pension issues in Indonesia, primarily due to their high-ranking positions, making access challenging and potentially compromising the small sample size in research.

The research underscores the importance of maintaining policy consistency. It proposes a gradual increase in pension contributions as a pivotal strategy to ensure sustained financial security for retirees, particularly in the face of fiscal constraints. Also, the government should undertake comprehensive reforms, encompassing the revision of eligibility criteria, adjustment of minimum benefit designs, encouragement of employer contributions and effective management of compliance issues.

Social implications emphasise the importance of enhancing the financial security of retirees within Indonesia’s ageing population.

The originality and value of the research lie in guiding pension reform from the viewpoint of key policymakers involved in Indonesia’s pension system.

This study aims to explain the justification behind the current weak waqf reporting practices in waqf institutions in Malaysia and also investigates the factors affecting the good waqf reporting practices.

A series of interviews with four waqf officers who are involved with waqf reporting process from four different waqf institutions in Malaysia were conducted.

The findings show a number of reasons for the current weak waqf reporting practices including the absence of standardised waqf reporting standards, no reporting or disclosure awareness by the waqf management, limited reporting channels from the state authorities to the national authorities, diversification in the governance structure and reluctance of waqf administration to disclose waqf reporting. The findings also identified several factors contributing to good waqf reporting practices. This includes leadership, good cultural setting within the institution, political will as a push factor, limited qualified personnel as well as sustainability issues and finally, the visibility of the waqf report itself.

The study findings and recommendations are useful for the State Islamic Religious Councils and waqf institutions in Malaysia to enhance the waqf reporting practices in Malaysia.

This study is among the few studies that identify the reasons and factors affecting the good waqf reporting practices in Malaysia.

The cost of residential building maintenance can harmfully affect low-income earners' expenditure if not checked. A customised maintenance concept via a framework will ensure efficient and proper building maintenance operations. The outcome may keep the life cycle cost down. Studies concerning the low-cost housing (LCH) maintenance concept through a framework are scarce in Malaysia. Thus, the study aims to investigate the state of LCH and develop a framework to improve LCH maintenance practices in Malaysia.

The study adopted a soft system methodology (SSM) to comprehend Malaysia's LCH building maintenance practices. The SSM allowed an alternative approach to improve LCH maintenance practices via a developed framework. Virtual interviews were conducted with experts, and findings were presented. It was in line with the SSM seven steps.

The findings show that apart from the poor state of LCH maintenance, there is the absence of a framework to improve maintenance practices, especially in LCH across Malaysia's cities. The findings developed a framework that would reposition the joint management body and management corporation in collaboration with the proposed maintenance agency for better service delivery via substantive, technical and administrative aspects.

This study's data collection is restricted to Pulau Pinang, Kuala Lumpur and Johor through a qualitative research design approach. Future research is needed to consider more extensive coverage and validate the developed framework from this study via a quantitative research design.

Apart from the conceptual model that was developed, the suggested framework can be employed by Malaysia's maintenance practitioners and policymakers as a guideline to improve LCH building maintenance practices across the cities.

This study examined Malaysia's LCH maintenance practices via SSM to identify the state of the houses, identify the information required and propose a suitable framework to improve Malaysia's LCH maintenance practices.