Portfolio Trading Strategies Essay Example for Free

Portfolio Trading Strategies Essay Profits in equity are a function of timing and costs. Trading strategies are essentially focused on maximizing profits through cost maximization which in turn is linked with transaction costs. Thus cost of trading in also a consideration for determining trading strategy. Transaction costs are said to include commissions, execution and opportunity costs. (Collins. Fabozzi : 1991). Commissions are most easy to define as these are fixed and relate to the fees paid for trading. However there is a problem of measuring execution and opportunity costs as these are neither fixed nor can be easily measured. While a number of approaches have been developed for measuring opportunity and trading costs, a method to suit all circumstances has not been evolved thus far. The complexities involved and since minor differentials make major variation in profits an effective strategy to constantly provide yield is difficult. Investment strategies thus attempt to rationalize trading to provide benefits from execution as well as opportunity costs. Since there is no uniform strategy that can assure trading profits it is very difficult to balance the large number of factors which affect trades. Timing in fact is a constant which affects both opportunity and execution costs. Opportunity Costs and execution costs are both a variable component of transaction costs. Thus profits in transaction are determined by opportunity and execution costs and the balance that will be maintained between these. Opportunity costs are the performance shortfall that arises from a failure to execute the desired trade at the desired time. These indicate the difference between actual investment and the performance of a desired investment. This is adjusted for fixed and execution costs. Thus opportunity cost is incurred for not being able to implement the desired trade. Since opportunity costs are missed investment opportunities, these could in some respects be called hypothetical costs and thus are difficult to calculate. (Collins. Fabozzi : 1991) Execution costs arise out of the demand for immediate execution and are said to reflect the demand for liquidity and the trading activity at the time and date of conducting trade. (Collins. Fabozzi: 1991). These vary with the investment style and trading demands of the investor. Both information motivated traders and information less traders could use strategies to benefit from execution costs. The information motivated trader acts in the belief that he has superior information to that available to the average dealer. Thus he executes the trade using this information for making profits. This style of trading has a large price impact. On the other hand the information less trader allocates wealth based on a price which has been factored in the trade. These have a lesser impact than information motivated traders. The problem measuring execution costs occurs as the difference in the price of the costs in absence of a trade is not observable. (Collins. Fabozzi: 1991) Execution costs are determined by market impact and market timing costs. Market impact costs are the bid/ask spread and a price concession that compensates the buyer or seller for the risk that the investor’s transaction is information motivated.   The Market timing costs arise due to the fact that at the time of execution of the trade the asset’s price moves for reasons which are not related to the transaction.   Market impact measurement is dependent on the pre trade measures, the post trade measures and also average measures which can be undertaken throughout the day. These approaches aim to define the fair value of the trade at a particular time. It is this that determines execution costs. Market making strategy thus attempts to balance opportunity and execution costs. Patient trading strategies may result in high execution costs while aggressive trading strategies could impact the other way. (Collins. Fabozzi: 1991). On the other hand the cost management methodology is designed to capture maximum elements of the transaction process. (Collins. Fabozzi: 1991). Execution costs are also shown to be higher in an automated trading process in Paris relative to the New York Stock Exchange with floor based trading with human intervention. The lower execution in floor based system suggests that there is benefit in human intervention in the trading process. This is possible as the NYSE specialist is able to maintain narrow spreads, can anticipate future order imbalances and also helps reduce the volatility of transitory movements in share prices. Thus as specialist and floor traders use the human intellect to make time preferred trades, execution costs in manual trading are considerably lower than those in automated trading. This is also supported by the role played by market makers in forming prices and providing liquidity in the securities market as per example gleaned from the trading behavior of market makers on the New York Stock Exchange. (Madhavan. Smidt: 1993).       Reference Madhavan, Ananth. Smidt, Seymour. (1993). `An Analysis of Changes in Specialist Inventories and Quotations`, Journal of Finance, Vol 48, 1993 2. Venkataraman, Kumar. `Automated Versus Floor Trading: An Analysis of Execution Costs on the Paris and New York Exchanges, Journal of Finance, Vol 56, No. 4 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Collins, Bruce M. Fabozzi, Frank. (1991).   `A Methodology for Measuring Transaction Costs`, Financial Analysts Journal, March/April 1991. Preferred language style: English(U.K.)

The Consumer and the Checking Account Fairness (CCAF) Act Essay

The Consumer and the Checking Account Fairness (CCAF) Act   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Near the end of 2004, the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (Check 21) went into effect, bringing with it mixed opinions on what consumers and bankers alike could expect. The now law dealt with the exchange of digitized checks opposed to physical checks, and decreased processing time drastically. The belief among many circles was that checks would begin to bounce en masse, and that the consumer would be impacted in a drastic way. This paper touches on the underlying subject of the â€Å"float† as well as subsequent legislation entitled the Consumer Checking Account Fairness Act (CCAF) that addresses imperfections in Check 21. We will offer information on both acts and show how we as the consumer can expect to be affected. The Float   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ventureline.com defines the term â€Å"float† as being â€Å"the time between the deposit of checks in a bank and when the amount is truly accessible† (2005). This term, although unfamiliar to some, represents a time honored practice that virtually everyone, of any age, has become familiar with. With respect to our personal finances, a float is used to buy the consumer time before funds must be withdrawn from an account. It is advantageous to use from the standpoint of cash flow, as funds might not be available immediately to cover a check, but are expected. This gives the consumer a small amount of leeway in writing checks, as the float may afford the consumer several days before they must cover a check. In a business setting, things are a bit different. There are still advantages that can be realized from a cash flow standpoint, however the float is more of a tool than a resource for the business, and corporate use of the float has revolved more ar ound profit than prevention.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In every business, or household for that matter, there will always be two separate balances for cash. The first refers to the actual recorded amount on the corporate books, while the second is represented by the balance that the bank shows. The difference between these figures, or the float, means that a business can take advantage of short term cash to use for other means. For example, if a company writes $1,000 worth of checks to vendors and receives $1,000 from customers, there would be no difference in what the ... ...ve known it, is on life support. Check 21 may not have been designed for the purpose of eliminating float time, but it most certainly has achieved this as a by-product. It remains a mystery as to how much longer it will be before banks are able to spend the money to fully integrate with what has come to be known as IRD’s, or image replacement documents. So in the meantime, depending upon whom you bank with, or the size of the check you write, may dictate whether or not your documents are electronically sent. One thing that is certain, the advantage has now swung in the direction of the banking center, and only time will tell whether or not there will be relief under CCAF. References Bankston, Karen, Still Got Float, Credit Union Management; Jan2005 Sisk, Michael, It's Time for a Reality Check on Check 21, Bank Technology News; Jan2005 Retrieved Apr 25, 2005 from www.ventureline.com/glossary Schneider, Ivan, Cut the Fee or Wait and See?, Bank Systems & Technology, 2005, CMP media LLC. Retrieved April 26, 2005 from: www.banktech.com Schneider, Ivan, The Flap Over The Float, Bank Systems & Technology, 2005, CMP media LLC. Retrieved April 26, 2005 from: www.banktech.com

Auerbach Enterprise Essay

â€Å"Auerbach Enterprises uses machine hours as the cost driver to assign overhead costs to the air conditioners. The company has used a company-wide predetermined overhead rate in past years, but the new controller, Bennie Leon, is considering the use of departmental overhead rates beginning with the next year. â€Å"(Schneider, 2012). One product is affected more than the other by use of departmental rates rather than companywide rate. â€Å"Companies can choose to use the accounting job order costing method when they have a single product line or numerous products to manufacture. However, it is less costly and less time-consuming if they elect to use process costing when calculating the manufacturing of a single product line. With similarities and differences, there are also pros and cons that come with these costing methods. Every company is unique and what may work well in a car repair shop, may not work in an automobile company. When we think about the similarities between job order costing and process costing we can agree that they both monitor three specific elements, which are direct material, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. In addition the flow of costs in each method is essentially the same when you look at both accounts. † (Huntington, 2013) Radiator Parts Fabrication equal Overhead Costs divided by Machine Hours $80,000 equal $8 per machine hour 10,000 Radiator Assembly, Weld, and Test equal $100,000 equal $5 per machine hour 20,000 Compressor Parts Fabrication equal $120,000 equal $24 per machine hour 5,000 Compressor Assembly and Test equal $180,000 equal $4 per machine hour 45,000. The department overhead rates included the compressor assembly and test department has the highest overhead costs with the most machine hours that total $4 per machine hour. The compressor parts fabrication department yields the highest cost per machine hour at $24. †Job order costing gives managers the advantage of being able to keep track of individuals’ and teams’ performance in terms of cost-control, efficiency and productivity. Process costing, on the other hand, gives managers the advantage of being able to ascertain the same qualities in entire departments and compare performance over time. (Ingram, D 2013) The next feasible objective for the company is to determine the company wide overhead rate using machine hours as the cost driver. Company Wide Overhead Rate equal Forecast Overhead divided by Expected Machine Hours Overhead Rate equal $480,000 equal $6 per machine hour 80,000. Company Wide Rate: Direct Material Costs x Batch Size plus Direct Labor Costs x Batch Size Maxiflow: Alaska: 135 x 20 equal 2700 110 x 20 equal 2200 75 x 20 equal 1500 95 x 20 equal 1900 equal $4200 per batch equal $4100 per batch Departmental Rate. Direct Materials Costs plus Direct Labor Costs divided by Each Department Hour Maxiflow: 135 plus 75 equal $210 Radiator Parts Fabrication: 210 divided by 28 equal $7. 50 per batch Radiator Assembly, Weld, and Test equal 210 divided by 30 equal $7 per batch Compressor Parts Fabrication: 210 divided by 32 equal $6. 60 per batch Compressor Assembly and Test: 210 divided by 26 equal $8. 10 per batch Alaska: 110 plus 95 equal 205 Radiator Parts Fabrication: 205 divided by 16 equal $12. 80 per batch Radiator Assembly, Weld, and Test: 205 divided by 74 equal $2. 0 per batch Compressor Parts Fabrication: 205 divided by 8 equal $25. 60 per batch Compressor Assembly and Test: 205 divided by 66 equal $3. 10 per batch. There was only a $100 difference between Maxiflow and Alaska when it came to company-wide rates per batch. On other hand, the departmental rates between Maxiflow and Alaska were significantly different. Maxiflow had the cheaper departmental costs per batch with an average of $7. 30 per batch compared to $11. 05 per batch with Alaska. to determine the companywide and departmental costs per unit of Maxiflow and Alaska. Company-Wide Rate: Total Cost per Unit equal direct material Costs plus Direct Labor Costs divided by Number of Units Maxiflow. Direct Materials equal Alaska: 135 Direct Labor Costs equal 75 210 $415 plus $480,000 divided by 40 equal $12,010. 38 per unit 110 plus 95 equal 205 210 plus 205 equal $415 Departmental Rate: Radiator Parts Fabrication: $80,000 plus $415 divided by 40 equal $2010. 38 per unit Radiator Assembly, Weld, and Test: $100,000 plus 415 divided by 40 equal $2510. 38. Compressor Parts Fabrication: $120,000 plus 415 divided by 40 equal $3010. 8 Compressor Assembly and Test: $180,000 plus 415 divided by 40 equal $4510. 38. So, it seems that the total costs per unit for the company-wide rate is slightly less per unit. The company-wide rate for total cost per unit is $12,010. 38, while the total cost per unit for each department is $12, 041. 52. â€Å"Auerbach Enterprises manufactures air conditioners for automobiles and trucks manufactured throughout North America. The company designs its products with flexibility to accommodate many makes and models of automobiles and trucks. The company’s two main products are MaxiFlow and Alaska. †(Schneider, 2012). The reduction of overhead expenses is one of the sparse areas of corporate cost control that receives few to no attention from management. However the savings and profit improvement can be surprising. Reviewing the data for Auerbach management would be better suited to continue using company-wide rates. The perception by managers of the relative importance of costs may be determined by the nature.

Environmental Factors Influencing the Internationalisation...

Environmental factors influencing the internationalisation of a new venture in the German pork industry: A case study By George ten Kate University of Groningen Faculty of Economics and Business June 2012 Gerbrand Bakkerstraat 51 9713 HC Groningen (06)58967820 sjorstenkate@hotmail.nl Student number 1565095 Abstract This paper offers exploratory insights into the ways in which environmental factors influence the internationalisation of a new low-technology firm, two topics that are largely understudied in the field of international entrepreneurship. By analysing data and literature, the influence of market conditions, industry characteristics and global niche market opportunities are examined, using a†¦show more content†¦518). Research Question Although a big part of German exports consist of low-technology products, almost all research about factors influencing internationalisation of new ventures, has been done focusing on companies that operate in the high-technology industry. The environment in which these firms operate is very different from the environment in which low-technology firms operate. High-technology firms face high RD costs, short product life cycles and mostly operate in niche markets (Knight Cavusgill, 2004). These conditions are very different for low-tech firms (Evers, 2010). Here, RD costs and product life cycles play no significant role. Since studies about new venture internationalisation are so heavily grounded in the high-tech sector, little is known about the factors that affect the internationalisation of firms in the low-tech sector. This raises the possibility that past findings do not generalize equally well to all economic sectors (Zahra George, 2002). Furthermore, little research has been done about how environmental factors influence new venture internationalisation, and more research is necessary to find out how these factors influence early internationalisation (Fernhaber, 2007). Environmental factors are factors that a firm cannot control, and that are part of the external environment they operate in (Zou and Stan, 1998). These factors can have a significant push and pull effect on new ventures to internationaliseShow MoreRelatedReed Supermarket Case32354 Words   |  130 PagesCompanion Website at www.pearsoned.co.uk/hollensen to find valuable student learning material including: Full versions of the video case studies Multiple choice questions to test your learning Annotated links to relevant sites on the web An online glossary to explain key terms Flashcards to test your knowledge of key terms and definitions Classic extra case studies that help take your learning further We work with leading authors to develop the strongest educational materials in marketing, bringing