Can Financial Literacy Explain Lack of Investment in Risky Assets in Japan?

Although household savings in Japan are among the highest in the world, investment in risky assets is still very low. This study examines whether financial literacy explains the lack of investment in risky assets in Japan. We use data from the Preference Parameter Study, a nationwide survey in Japan that has been conducted by Osaka University. We use investment in stocks, investment trusts, futures/options, Japanese government bonds, government bonds of foreign countries, and foreign currency deposits as a proxy for investment in risky assets. Our results show that investment in risky assets is higher among financially literate people. Moreover, financial literacy has a significantly positive association with investment in risky assets even after controlling the demographic, socio-economic, and psychological factors. We check the robustness of the association between financial literacy and investment in risky assets by segregating investment in risky assets into investment in equity securities and investment in bonds and foreign currencies. Financial literacy is found to be associated with both investment in equity securities and investment in bonds and foreign currencies. Our results are also robust in terms of the endogeneity issue. The results imply that investment in risky assets in financial markets could be increased by introducing financial literacy programs at a mass level.

Univariate and Multivariate GARCH Models Applied to Bitcoin Futures Option Pricing

In this paper, the Heston–Nandi futures option pricing model is applied to Bitcoin futures options. The model prices are compared to market prices to give an indication of the pricing performance. In addition, a multivariate Bitcoin futures option pricing methodology based on a multivatiate GARCH model is developed. The empirical results show that a symmetric model is a better fit when applied to Bitcoin futures returns, and also produces more accurate option prices compared to market prices for two out of three expiry dates considered.

Sharīʿah Evaluation of Financial Derivatives and Developing Sharīʿah Compliant Hedging Instruments

The use of financial derivatives have been controversial in Islamic Finance. However, the commonly held openion is such derivatives are not Sharīʿah compliant, so should not be used in Islamic Finance. The use of Islamic derivatives in some jurisdiction and not in others on the one hand and the lesser clarity regarding their Sharīʿah basis on the other hand have created uncertainity and thus hindrance for the Islamic financial institutions in properly managing the associated risks. This study is an effort to address the issue and analyze the forwards, futures, options and swaps contracts, from Sharīʿah perspective and to hunt Sharīʿah compliant alternatives to fill this viable gap so that Islamic financial institutions do not find themselves in an unfavorable position. The study adopts qualitative research method to clarify and understand the relevant issues. The analysis shows that, in principle, the current application of derivative instruments in Islamic finance is not Sharīʿah compliant due to a number of forbidden elements. Islamic contracts that can be used as the basis or building block for developing derivatives confirming to the Sharīʿah principles include BaiʿSalam, Murābahah, Wakalah and Wa’ad based arrangements. Based on these Sharīʿah concepts, alternative to Short Selling, FX Forward Contract, Profit Rate Swap and Cross Currency Swap have been examined which will minimize the gape and will help IFIs in development and careful implementation of these structured products as per fundamentals of Islamic Finance, otherwise, it will result a serious breakdown and all the hope of the emerging industry will be lost.

Commodities, Futures, Options, and Swaps, 1970–92

One of the most dynamic financial markets to appear after 1970 was the trading of derivatives. Prior to 1970 the fixed nature of both interest rates and exchange rates, because of government controls and central bank intervention, limited the need to cover risks in these areas. With the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system in the early 1970s both interest rates and exchange rates experienced rising volatility, forcing banks to turn to derivatives as one way to coping. Governments of countries also began relaxing the prohibition on the trading of futures contracts that had been introduced in the past as a way of coping with destabilizing speculation. The commodity exchanges responded to these opportunities by devising contracts that allowed users to cover risks in financial markets as had already been done for such products as wheat, copper, and, later, oil. Leading these developments were the Chicago commodity exchanges such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange but numerous contracts were also traded in the Over-the-Counter (OTC) market, directly between banks or through interdealer brokers.

Is Financial Literacy Associated with Investment in Financial Markets in the United States?

Lack of investment in financial markets is one of the enduring puzzles in empirical finance. Although recent studies ascribe the lack of investment in stocks to financial literacy, the association between financial literacy and investment in financial markets remains inconclusive. We examine whether financial literacy is associated with investment in financial markets in the United States. We use investment in stocks, futures/options, investment trusts, corporate bonds, foreign currency deposits, and government bonds of foreign currency as a proxy for investment in financial markets. Using data from the Preference Parameter Study, a nationwide panel survey conducted by Osaka University of Japan, we provide evidence that financial literacy has a significantly positive association with investment in financial markets even after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological factors. We check the robustness of our results by using an alternative proxy for investment in financial markets. Our study has far-reaching policy implications and we conclude by suggesting the introduction of financial literacy programs into the academic curriculum. Improving financial literacy could positively impact the mobilization of household funds and contribute to capital formation.

Analyzing trade and financial relations in Russia today

Subject. The article discusses trading and financial relations of today’s Russia. Objectives. The article is to determine requirements for trading and financial relations to progress in Russia today and evaluate how they influence the economic growth. Methods. The study is based on the systems approach and the statistical analysis. Results. Having analyzed trading and financial relations, I found what can give an impetus to the contemporary economy in Russia, i.e. oil prices, related risks. The article demonstrates that government bonds (federal loan bonds) cushion and set off an increase in the foreign exchange rate. The dynamics of the oil price and the issue of federal loan bonds shape the environment where trading and financial relations evolve in Russia today, i.e. export prices for natural resources outgrowing prices for some commodities; a stalling growth in the acquisition of financial assets, debt instruments and a growth in liabilities, equity and shares of mutual funds; a growing pace of long positions of forward, futures, options contracts due to a slow down in short positions; rising pace of official reserve assets. As long as the international trade slows down and the global recession begins, the existing trading and financial relations resulted in a palpable economic growth. Conclusions and Relevance. Opportunities for the development of trade and financial relations in contemporary Russia are conditioned by the changing world order, which determines the dynamics of economic growth. The findings expand the knowledge and create new competencies of governmental authorities when making managerial decisions to ensure the effective design of the Russian economy in terms of the current trading and financial policy.

CONIC CVA AND DVA FOR OPTION PORTFOLIOS

In this paper, we propose a framework for credit and debit valuation adjustments (CVA and DVA, respectively) for options and option portfolios which is based on conic finance, that is, where the positions are valued at their bid or ask prices depending on whether they are assets or liabilities. This can be achieved by transforming the pricing measure via appropriate distortion functions, depending on (at least) one parameter. We apply our methodology, which is based on the Wang transform, to portfolios of European commodity futures options, and we show that both CVA and DVA are significantly impacted by bid-ask spreads, when compared to their traditional risk-neutral counterparts. In particular, we show that DVA decreases when computed under conic finance settings, which is in line with the regulatory efforts to rein in DVA gains for financial institutions resulting from their own credit quality deterioration. Finally, we investigate the robustness of our approach with respect to the calibrated parameters, and we show that the calibrated distortion parameter is an excellent explanatory variable for the observed bid-ask spreads.

4 Trading Regulations

This chapter focuses on trading regulations. Derivative trading in financial instruments on organized exchanges consists largely of the following instruments: futures, options, options on futures, and swaps. Those transactions are differentiated from ‘cash’ transactions and ‘forward’ contracts. Forward and cash contracts are traded in over-the-counter (OTC) markets, which are generally subject to the day-to-day oversight of a government financial services regulator. Nevertheless, OTC cash and forward transactions may not entirely be free of governmental restrictions. For example, in the US, the anti-manipulation prohibitions in the Commodity Exchange of 1936 (CEA) may be applied to trading in cash and forward contracts where they are effected in order to create artificial prices. Particular OTC derivative transactions involving retail customers in foreign currency are also subject to regulation by US authorities, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and banking regulators. The purpose of those regulations is to protect unsophisticated retail customers from fraudulent business conduct and dealer failures. Meanwhile, the trading in OTC derivatives in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) is regulated under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) as amended by EMIR Refit.

Part II Islamic Law and Contracts in Practice, 8 Derivatives and Islamic Finance

This chapter studies how conventional derivatives—especially futures, options, and swaps—have been or may be based on bay’ salam, bay’ ʻurbun, and other traditional Islamic transaction structures. Bridging the gap between traditional Islamic transaction structures and conventional derivatives continues to be among the most urgent challenges facing the global Islamic finance industry, not least to provide Islamic financial institutions with a crucial tool for risk management. Salam and ʻurbun clearly illustrate the nature of the challenge to create Shari’a-compliant derivatives. Paradoxically, it is their deviation from the standard conditions for a valid sale contract that allow them to function to some extent as proxies for conventional derivatives. Among jurists, a consensus (ijma’) emerged as to the validity of salam, although special conditions were imposed not only to minimize gharar (uncertainty) and the kindred contractual defect of jahl (lack of knowledge), but also to reduce the possibility of riba (unlawful gain). There is still considerable debate among the various schools of law as to whether ʻurbun constitutes a valid sale contract under the Shari’a.