Search results

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the principal measures of performance used in property and other investment types. In particular, the briefing will explore the relationship of the expected IRR with the initial return, highlighting the role of growth in the investment dynamic.

This education briefing is an overview of investment growth models with worked examples.

The analysis of property growth models is akin to the Fisher and Gordon growth models used in other finance markets.

This comparison of the models can work for all forms of investment. Similarly, instead of looking at the overall return as the measure of comparison (expected vs required), it is possible to work backwards and deduce market expectations and compare these with the investors view on those variables.

This is a review of existing models.

The past two decades of economic activity in the U.S. have been characterized by both high inflation and interest rates in comparison to previous periods of stability. The importance of these two variables to our economic welfare and to the effectiveness of economic policy have led to renewed interest in the Fisher Effect. This is the hypothesis put forth by Irving Fisher describing the relationship between these two variables. It usually takes the form R = re + pe + repe (1) in which R is the nominal rate of interest, re is the expected real rate of interest, and pe is the expected rate of change of prices. The term repe is usually considered insignificant and is dropped, giving R = re + pe. (2) Although this equation can be readily quantified on an ex post basis using actual rather than expected values, the fact that expectation of r and p are not directly observable have always made it difficult to derive an ex ante measure of the real rate.

Reporting cash flows is a relatively recent development in college and university financial reporting. An examination of the purported usefulness of cash flow information to the users of college and university financial statements including an examination of the relationship between accrual-based change in net assets and cash provided by operations found private universities have implemented the cash flow reporting requirements with a relatively high level of compliance employing the indirect format for reporting operating cash flows. The principal areas of deficiency were the reporting of split-interest, restricted gift activities and the required disclosures of cash outflows related to interest and taxes. The discussion of the compliance deficiencies and display findings leads to needed disclosure guidance and future research.

The writer contends that the mini‐computer provides a very substantial potential area of application for the processing of information, management control and physical control of warehouse plant. Mini‐computers can be coupled with a whole range of peripheral input/output devices, from which can be developed configurations extending from very simple systems costing as little as £3,500.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework to examine the relationship between contextual factors, management accounting system (MAS) and managerial performance within the health care industry. In particular, it aims to uncover the contextual factors influencing the design of MAS that would enhance managerial performance in Egyptian hospitals.

The premise of contingency theory is utilized to identify the contextual factors that may influence the use of MAS; namely organizational strategy, technology, structure, external environment, and size. The mediating role of MAS on the impact of managerial performance is examined through the extent to which managers use the four information characteristics associated with the design of MAS: scope, timeliness, aggregated, and integrated.

This framework provides clarity in linking the perceived usefulness of MAS information characteristics to managerial performance that has been viewed as problematic by past studies.

The Egyptian hospital industry is chosen as the ideal setting to investigate the relationship between contextual factors, MAS and managerial performance because of its complexity and continuous inept administration despite years following its reform.

This framework helps practitioners develop new approaches in designing MAS within the health care sector.

This framework adds invaluable insights to the existing literature regarding performance implications of MAS design and functionality, especially within the health care sector.

Given the in creasing globalisation of economies, a growing number of marketing firms are expecting more of their profits to be derived from international sales. However, failure to account for or understand the effects of differences in consumers' cultural values on decision‐making will hinder a marketer's efforts to expand internationally. Using samples of Middle‐eastern and US consumers, the study found cultural values and consumer ethical beliefs to be significantly different between the two groups. In addition, these cultural values explained a significant part of the variation in consumer ethical beliefs in both cultures.

The aim of this Education Briefing is to comment upon the construction and role of the capitalisation rate in the valuation of property assets and how the implicit assumptions of growth are market derived and may be considered more robust than the use of growth explicit discounted cash flow (DCF) models where explicit growth assumptions can be questioned.

This Education Briefing will look at the role of analysing initial yields to derive market capitalisation rates, and it will look at component parts of the yield to isolate growth assumptions and compare property returns to the government bond market.

Looking at the Maltese market, the briefing shows that the valuer needs to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of implicit and explicit valuation models.

The choice of valuation model is dependent upon the availability of suitable comparable information and the appropriateness of the model for the market in question. More transparent markets can benefit from the use of explicit models but where information is less available, such as the Maltese market, implicit models may be considered more robust at estimating market value.

This is an Education Briefing discussing the construction and applicability of implicit valuation models using a market capitalisation rate.

Early theoretical work on equity valuation suggests that equity prices are determined by variables such as dividends and growth in dividends. However, these “traditional” views have been challenged by recent studies that seem to indicate that equity prices are determined by book value and discounted future abnormal earnings. This paper employs panel data methodology and equity prices from Athens Stock Exchange empirically to compare the performance of the traditional and the more recent models of equity valuation. The results show that the performance of the Ohlosn (1995) model is quite similar to that of the traditional models even though in some cases Ohlson’s model performance appears to be superior.

This study aims to provide an interest-free valuation methodology for Murabaha and Musharakah Moutanaquissah contracts. Indeed, In Islamic finance, Murabaha contracts are widely negotiated. Their yield depends mainly on the contracted profit margin. In the current practices, this latter is based on a reference interest rate, which is highly criticized in Islamic literature, just like Musharakah Moutanaquissah contracts. In this perspective, authors suggest a new valuation methodology with parameters related to the real economy.

The authors apply an indirect method to determine a lower bound of the profit margin of a Murabaha contract. Considering Musharakah Moutanaquissah as an equivalent contract, the new valuation methodology is based on participation and focuses on parameters from the real economy: the market rent and the rate of return used for an equivalent project.

The results show that the pricing of Musharakah Moutanaquissah contracts could be based on several parameters linked to the real economy. Consequently, an implied value of the profit margin could be computed. Also, the interest rate is no longer implicated in the pricing of neither Murabaha nor Musharakah Moutanaquissah contracts.

The valuation methodology is applicable only if the underlying asset’s financing can be made with Murabaha and Musharakah Moutanaquissah contracts.

This work will restore the link between Islamic contracts and the real economy. For Islamic banks in particular, the suggested model would reduce the exposure to reputational risk and enhance the compliance to the Sharia (Islamic Law).

Several studies have analyzed the dependence between Islamic contracts and interest rates. In general, these studies confirm this dependence and few of them have suggested alternatives. Thus, the authors contribute to the literature by providing a practical and applicable model to detach the valuation of Murabaha and Musharakah Moutanaquissah from the interest rate.

We examined 36,367 school district audit results from the Federal Audit Clearinghouse data base for the five-year period from 1998 to 2002. We found that school districts have a high level of internal control and grant compliance findings. School districts are slow in filing their financial reports and delayed financial reports are positively associated with larger district size, government auditors, sole practitioner auditors, and problems with internal controls and qualified reports. We found a negative association between audit delay and a low-risk classification. Continuing material weaknesses in financial reporting and grant compliance could result in funding losses for those districts not meeting proper financial reporting standards. Timelier reporting would identify problem areas sooner and promote remedial action and greater compliance.