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Purpose This paper aims to examine the practical issues in the Musharakah Mutanaqisah (MM) financing and subsequently, recommends possible solutions to mitigate these issues and improve the current practice. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses the theory and current practices of MM offered by Islamic banks. Findings It is suggested that Islamic financial institutions consider revaluation of property’s value to its fair value, especially during termination of MM contract and annual or agreed periodic review of the market value of the assets to determine the “rental” payments by the customer. It is also recommended that Islamic financial institutions should share all associated costs in performing the contract. Research limitations/implications Research findings reported in this paper contribute to the body of knowledge on MM in general and to the Islamic finance practices in Malaysia and abroad. Indeed, the Malaysia Central Bank (i.e. Bank Negara Malaysia) should form a special committee to look into the issues highlighted in this paper and recommend strict guidelines for Islamic financial institutions to improve their practices. Practical implications Islamic banks should extend the use of MM contract in automobile and trade financing where rent or profit could be easily identified and value of the asset is more certain. The regulators and Islamic financial standard setting authorities need to oversee the Shari’ah board decisions on MM contracts and keep the gates in the interest of ensuring a more viable and authentic Islamic finance industry. Originality/value This paper briefly views the current mode of MM contracts, specifically for home financing, and highlights the incompliance to Shari’ah requirements in exercising these contracts in practice.

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Purpose This paper aims to explore the structure and underlying contracts of Islamic venture capital (IVC) and to evaluate its prospects. VC can be perceived as an investment vehicle possessing most of the desirable attributes of a Sharīʿah-compliant investment vehicle. There are certain issues involved in the formation, operations and exit strategies of these investments that are discussed in detail in this paper. Design/methodology/approach A detailed review of relevant literature is performed to identify how IVC investments can be made and how related issues may be resolved. Findings IVC investment has potential of incorporating Sharīʿah-compliant investment modes. Additionally, it may offer higher than average returns. These attributes can be desirable for Islamic finance industry that is currently in need of equity-based financing products. The major causes of lesser growth of IVC investments are lack of awareness among the investors and the absence of viable investment opportunities for small- and medium-scale investors. IVC may attract general public if established after extensive research aimed at introducing innovative products. Originality/value This paper provides an overview of a truly Sharīʿah-compliant investment vehicle, furnishes a synthesis of various suggestions made by industry and academia and suggests viable solutions for valuation, risk management and exit strategies.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to appraise the effectiveness of monetary policy actions in variant market conditions for Islamic stocks. These stocks offer ground for a natural experiment as they have restrictions on the line of business and their distinguished capital structure does not allow them to combat the liquidity crisis through the use of leverage. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses the quantile regression approach for a multi-country sample of Islamic stock indices to assess the impact of domestic as well as US expansionary monetary policy on stock returns of Islamic indices at various locations of distribution of returns. Findings It is found that, at lower return levels, an expansionary monetary policy has a negative effect on the returns. In other cases, there is no significant impact of policy rate change on index returns. Research limitations/implications It is more appropriate to use firm level data of Islamic stocks instead of stock indices. However, the information regarding index constituents is not publicly available. Practical implications The paper offers useful information to investors and policy makers. It shows that central banks should improve their credibility for monetary policy to be effective and their policies must be designed keeping in view the strong impact of US rate on global monetary environment. Originality/value This paper provides first empirical evidence of the impact of discount rates on the returns of Islamic stocks in different market conditions.