This work aims to initiate a reflection on the awareness of environmental, social, and corporate governance issues, summarized in the acronym ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), among Italian SMEs. The integration of ESG issues into business models has led to an expansion of the risk...

We examine novel data on the detailed investment decisions of professional value investors. We find evidence that value investors are not easily defined: they exploit traditional tangible asset valuation discrepancies such as buying high book-to-market stocks, but spend more time analyzing...

Evidence suggests that arbitragers exchange investment ideas. We analyze why and under what circumstances sharing occurs. Our model suggests that sharing ideas will lead to the following: more efficient asset prices, larger arbitrager profits, and correlated arbitrager returns. We predict that...

In this study, we show that using a common set of variables would partially resolve inconsistencies and the lack of comparability across rating providers that often confuse investors. Furthermore, we dissociate the impact of the rating agencies’ different focus on “E”, “S” or “G”...

In this study, we show that using a common set of variables would partially resolve inconsistencies and the lack of comparability across rating providers that often confuse investors. Furthermore, we dissociate the impact of the rating agencies’ different focus on “E”, “S” or “G”...

We propose a novel approach to cross-sectional equities sample selection, derived from best market practice in index construction and focused on investability. Using the U.K. market as a template, we first demonstrate how the popular Datastream dataset is plagued by data deficiencies that would...

We investigate if using a CPPI-style methodology it is possible to “improve” the distribution of portfolio returns from the point of view of an investor holding a balanced portfolio with different allocations in Equities, and whose concern is to avoid significant negative returns and in...

The theory of fair geometric returns, F theory for short, rejects the generally accepted notion that volatility is the risk of risky assets. Instead, it claims that capital market volatility, in turn, constitutes the maximum achievable geometric return. In order to get to the point, F theory, in...

The pecking order theory of capital structure is one of the most influential theories of corporate finance. The purpose of this study is to explore the most important factors on a firm’s capital structure by pecking-order theory. Hierarchical regression is used as the analysis model. This...

Evidence suggests that arbitragers exchange investment ideas. We analyze why and under what circumstances sharing occurs. Our model suggests that sharing ideas will lead to the following: more efficient asset prices, larger arbitrager profits, and correlated arbitrager returns. We predict that...