a b s t r a c tIn this study, we address whether the degree of financial liberalization affects the aggregated total volatility of stock returns by considering the time-varying nature of financial liberalization. We also explore channels through which the degree of financial liberalization impacts aggregated total volatility. We document a negative relation to the degree of financial liberalization after controlling for size, liquidity, country, and crisis effects, especially for small and medium-sized markets. Moreover, the degree of financial liberalization transmits its negative impact on aggregated total volatility through aggregated idiosyncratic and local volatilities. Overall, our results provide evidence in favor of the view that the broadening of the investor base due to the increasing degree of financial liberalization causes a reduction in the total volatility of stock returns.

Abstract:The study tests whether strong rather than weak ties account for small business growth in Turkey. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire filled out by the owners of small firms operating in four cities. Growth is comprised of two main areas, production expansion and knowledge acquisition. Results show that strong ties are positively related to both types of growth. In contrast, loose ties have no effect on small business growth in either area. This finding is attributed to the influence of the collectivistic nature of the mainstream Turkish culture, where owners of small businesses are likely to rely on in-groups rather than out-groups for advice and for financial support. Implications of relative absence of weak ties for small business growth and innovation in emerging economies are discussed. The findings suggest that culture should be included as a contingency variable in future studies of network strength and growth relationship. The paper also discusses the possible moderating role of affective and cognition-based trust in the relation of strong and weak ties to small business growth.

Although there is a consensus about time variation in market betas, it is not clear how this variation should be captured. Several researchers continue to analyze different versions of the conditional CAPM. However, Ghysels (1998) shows that these conditional CAPM models fail to capture the dynamics of beta risk. In this study, we introduce a new model, threshold CAPM, which outperforms both the conditional and unconditional CAPMs by generating smaller pricing errors. We also show that the beta risk changes through time with the changes in the economic environment and the dynamics of time variation of beta differ across industries. These findings have important implications for asset allocation, portfolio selection, and hedging decisions.3

a b s t r a c tIn this study, we address whether the degree of financial liberalization affects the aggregated total volatility of stock returns by considering the time-varying nature of financial liberalization. We also explore channels through which the degree of financial liberalization impacts aggregated total volatility. We document a negative relation to the degree of financial liberalization after controlling for size, liquidity, country, and crisis effects, especially for small and medium-sized markets. Moreover, the degree of financial liberalization transmits its negative impact on aggregated total volatility through aggregated idiosyncratic and local volatilities. Overall, our results provide evidence in favor of the view that the broadening of the investor base due to the increasing degree of financial liberalization causes a reduction in the total volatility of stock returns.

In this research we use the projection method (reported by Judd) to find numerical solutions to the Euler equations of a stochastic dynamic growth model. The mode1 that we solve is Brock's asset pricing model for a variety of parameterizations of the production functions. Using simulated data from the model, conjectures (which are not analytically tractable) can be verified. We show that the market portfolio is mean-variance efficient in this dynamic context. We also show a result that is not available from the static CAPM theory: the efficient frontier shifts up and down over the business cycle.