This study analyzes the relationship between savings, investment, and economic growth in Nepal over 1975-2016. The structural breaks in the variables have been accounted for using the (Zivot and Andrews's, J Bus Econ Stat 10: 251-270 1992) unit root test along with (Gregory and Hansen's, Oxf Bull Econ Stat 58: 555-560, 1996) cointegration approach. The ARDL approach to cointegration in the presence of structural breaks has also been utilized to analyze the long-and short-run dynamics of savings, investment, and growth in Nepal. The results show structural breaks in the real GDP per capita during 2001 when the Royal Massacre and a state of emergency have taken place in Nepal. After allowing for this structural break, evidence of a cointegration relationship amongst savings, investment, and economic growth was identified. The estimates of the ARDL approach suggest that investment has a significant and positive impact on economic growth. However, gross domestic savings have a negative impact on growth in the long run. These results clearly show weaknesses of the economy in mobilizing savings into productive sectors.

This study surveys 436 college students to examine their financial literacy; the impact of demographic, educational and personality characteristics on financial literacy. Mean, ANOVA and logistic regression were used in carrying out analysis. Results show that most of the students have basic level of financial knowledge but they lack in understanding of credit, taxes, share market, financial statement and insurance. Students are highly influenced by their parents at home and they have positive attitude towards savings. The study further identified income, age, stream of education, types of college, and attitude of students as determinants of financial knowledge; and financial knowledge is unaffected by gender, university affiliation, financial behavior and influence. It is concluded that college students have basic level of financial knowledge. However, overall financial knowledge of the students is affected by some of their demographic, educational and personality characteristics.

This study examines the financial performance of Nepalese insurance companies. The dependent variables are return on assets and earnings per share while independent variables include insurance premium, firm size, current ratio and solvency ratio. Twenty-one insurance companies among them 8 are life insurance and 13 are non-life insurance companies with 105 observations for the period of 2070/71 to 2074/75, were selected for this study. The data were collected from insurance and financial statistics published by Beema Samiti and annual reports of the selected Nepalese insurance companies. The correlation coefficient and regression models were estimated to test the significance and importance of liquidity management on financial performance of Nepalese insurance companies. The results shows that insurance premium has positive impact on return on assets and earning per share. It means that increase in insurance premium leads to increase in return on assets and earnings per share. Likewise, firm size has positive impact on return on assets and earning per share. It indicates that increase in firm size leads to increase return on assets and earnings per share. Similarly, current ratio has negative impact on return on assets. It means that increase in current ratio leads to decrease in return on assets. Likewise, solvency ratio has negative impact on return on assets. It indicates that increase in solvency ratio leads to decrease in return on assets. Similarly, current ratio have positive impact on return on assets. It means that increase in current ratio leads to increase in earnings per share. Likewise, solvency ratio has positive impact on earnings per share. It indicates that higher solvency ratio, higher would be the earnings per share. The study also concludes that insurance premium followed by current ratio and firm size is the most influencing factor that explains liquidity management and financial performance of Nepalese insurance companies.

This study examines the factors affecting the share price of Nepalese non-life insurance companies. The knowledge of the factors and their possible impact on share prices is highly appreciable as it would help investors make wise investment decisions and enable firms to enhance their market value. This study is based on secondary data of 15 non-life insurance companies which are listed in Nepal stock exchange. The study covers seven years period from the fiscal year 2011/12 to 2017/18. The result shows that firm size is positively related to market price of share and price earnings ratio. It indicates that larger firm size leads to increase in market price of share and price earnings ratio. However, the study shows that inflation is negatively related to market price of share and price earnings ratio. The study also shows that dividend per share and return on assets are negatively related to the market price of share and price earnings ratio. Similarly, earnings per share have negative relationship with market price of share and price earnings ratio. The study concludes that the increase in return on assets and earnings per shares do not explain the variation in stock price in Nepalese non-life insurance companies. Nepal is one of the emerging economy; the determinants identified may provide knowledge to the potential investors about the key factors affecting share prices in the country and accordingly assist them in optimizing their investment strategy.

This paper investigated factors affecting repayment performance of MFI clients in the context of COVID-19. Business characteristics, borrowers’ characteristics and lenders’ behavior were identified and predictors of loan repayment. A telephone interview using a full-fledged questionnaire was conducted among randomly chosen 160 loan clients of various microfinance institutions in Mahalaxmi municipality of Lalitpur district during Covid 19 pandemic (June-July, 2020). The descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, binary logistic regression analysis analyzed the data and qualitative analysis is done to support the result of research. The finding of study reveals that age of the borrower, educational level of borrowers, types of the business and profit generated business influence the repayment of loan. However, family size, skills, age of business, work performance, transparent communication and clarity of MFI policy does not have any impact on repayment of loan. COVID-19 pandemic has affected all types of business and created poor cash flow in the market and due to lockdown, the source of income has been decreased which causes large number of delay repayment of monthly installment is decrease in profit due to decrease in revenue of the business.

The purpose of the study was to investigate influence of advertisement traits on attitude towards Ads on social media and intention to use them for purchase decision. The study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the relationship. The validity and reliability of the constructs were evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The EFA was conducted using Principal Component Analysis and Varimax Rotation Method. 7 factors explained 67% of variation. The result also showed sampling adequacy with Kaiser-Meyer-Olin (KMO) test and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity indicated that sample of 255 was appropriate for factor analysis. The result provided a justifiable range of construct reliability and discriminant validity. Consequently, structural model was developed. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted to test the goodness of the model. The result indicated that advertisement contents on social media with informative and entertaining were more likely to be used by the consumers. Similarly, favorable attitude towards Ads on social media had a positive intention to use the message for purchase decision. Key words: Marketing, Attitude, Ads on social media, Consumers, Factor analysis, Message

Personal financial planning is a tool that allows individuals to evaluate their current monetary situation, design strategies and implement them to achieve financial goals. This paper aims to analyse the determinants of financial planning of business graduates in Nepal. It examined the impact of financial attitude, financial awareness and financial knowledge on financial planning in the presence of gender, monthly income, family type, and marital status as control variables. A full-fledged questionnaire was used in the survey among 227 business graduates through email. Hierarchical multiple regression was used for the causal analysis. The findings revealed that financial attitude and financial awareness have significant impact on personal financial planning while financial knowledge does not. But surprisingly, none of the control variables were found significant in influencing personal financial planning. Hence, attitude and awareness towards the monetary aspects of life of business graduates are major determinants of their personal financial planning in Nepal.

Persistent deficit in trade balance is a common characteristic of developing countries in which low value agricultural exports may not offset the high value industrial imports. This article intends to explore the effect of inflation, exchange rate, GDP, FDI and GCE on trade balance of South Asian countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Data were obtained from, World Development Indicators from 2001 to 2019 published by World Bank. Initaly, the trend of all variables was monitored using graphs. Then, fixed effect model was applied as suggested by Hausman test in which only exchage rate was found significantly negatively related with trade balance. Due to serial correlation problem with fixed effect mode, data were further analysed through panel ARDL / PMG and found the evidences of long-run relationship among the variables. It was also found that inflation, exchange rate, and GDP had significant positive relationship with trade balance in long-run whereas GCE had significant negative impact on it. Interestingly, FDI did not have significant contribution on trade balance in long-run. None of variables were found to be significant in short run. However, all selected variables affected signifcantly to trade balance in short-run while testing cross-section wise. Finding of this research has an important implication to South Asian countries for making concensus in desiging common currency to fight against the growing concern of trade deficit in the region.