Algorithms and venture investment decisions: better, fairer or biased?

PurposeThis paper is a rejoinder to the work of Blohm, Antretter, and colleagues recently published in both Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and Harvard Business Review titled “It's a Peoples Game, Isn't It?! A Comparison Between the Investment Returns of Business Angels and Machine Learning Algorithms” and “Do Algorithms Make Better – and Fairer – Investments than Angel Investors?”, respectively.Design/methodology/approachWhile we agree with authors of prior scholarship on the importance of counteracting human biases, honing expert intuition and optimizing the odds of success in investment decision-making contexts, in the spirit of open academic discourse, this paper respectfully challenges some of the underlying assumptions concerning algorithmic bias on which prior work is based.FindingsInvesting remains part art and part science, and while algorithms may begin to play a more significant role in investment decision-making, human intuition remains hard to imitate. In both people and in algorithms, sources of bias remain both implicit and explicit and often have systemic roots, so more research continues to be needed to fully understand why algorithms produce potentially biased outcomes across a wide array of contexts.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to our collective understanding on the use of algorithms in making investment decisions, highlighting the fact that bias exists in humans and algorithms alike, even when the best of intentions are present.

Pengaruh Program Cash Wakaf Link Sukuk (CWLS) di Badan Wakaf Indonesia Terhadap Kesejahteraan Masyarakat

This study uses a descriptive qualitative method. Data collection comes from interviews with parties who are tied to the management of Cash Waqf Linked Sukuk (CWLS), especially the SW001 series at the Indonesian Waqf Board (BWI) as well as collecting data and reviewing various written sources related to CWLS practices at BWI). The results of this study indicate that: First, the practice of managing the CWLS SW001 program which involves stakeholders, one of which is the Indonesian Waqf Board as the sole nazhir wherein the nazhir invests the cash waqf using a mudharabah contract to issue SBSN by the ministry of finance in a private placement so as to channel the use of investment returns in the form of discounts. and compensation for the construction of the Achmad Wardi Eye Hospital in Banten. The results are collected and placed in CWLS for the purpose of developing new waqf assets (renovation and purchase of medical equipment, community services such as free cataract surgery and procurement of ambulances. Second, the influence of CWLS SW001 on community welfare is the achievement of CLWS in the form of health services (retinal devices and glaucoma). ) at the Achmad Wardi Eye Hospital is very helpful for the people around Banten. Given the very high cost of health operations and the returns obtained through CWLS as a form of financial recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic, CWLS has a significant effect on the welfare of the community.

INVESTMENT RETURNS ANALYSIS OF EDUCATION IN EAST JAVA

Education is one of the tools in human capital investment because it is considered important in producing an adequate return to schooling. At the East Java Province in 2015 and 2018 the highest education was marked by a difference in the number of each level of education, especially at the tertiary level, which was still relatively low. So, that will be affect return to schooling received by the workforce. This research uses cross section data sourced from SAKERNAS data in 2015 and 2018, with Ordinary Least Square (OLS). The results of OLS in 2015 and 2018 shown if the level of education, age, worked training, worked experience, sex, and location have a significant effect on income. The results of the OLS regression are then used to calculated return to education based on education level, sex, and location. The results shown if the education achieved produce a rate of return that is always increasing at every level of education while return to schooling based on gender is a difference in junior and university education, in rural areas return to schooling at the primary school is higher than in the urban area.Keywords: Gender, Education, Return To Education, LocationJEL: J24, I21

Investing for a Safe Climate?

Climate change is now widely recognised as a source of financial risk for institutional investors like superannuation funds, which may manifest as reduced asset values and investment returns. Investors are also facing increasing pressure to play a constructive role in society’s response to climate change by aligning portfolios to the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. This article presents an empirical study of current and emerging climate-related investment practices in Australia, underpinned by an analysis of the legal, regulatory and theoretical frameworks in which investment decision-making takes place. While the study confirms that approaches to climate risk assessment and management are rapidly evolving, it also suggests that integrating climate considerations into investment decision-making and adopting responsible investment practices to manage climate-related risks is not encouraged by existing legal frameworks and dominant, mainstream approaches to investment. There remain considerable legal and practical barriers to aligning investment decision-making with the Paris Agreement.

Investment returns from reputation investing: do good firms provide good returns?

PurposeThis study aims to examine whether a good corporate reputation leads to superior investment returns. Theory and empirics provide support for the idea that a good corporate reputation improves firm value, but much of the previous research fails to consider the risk of the companies they study and relies only on accounting measures of performance such as return on assets. A complete picture of the relationship between corporate reputation and shareholder value should include risk-adjusted returns and correlation with benchmark returns.Design/methodology/approachThe Harris Poll Reputation Quotient (RQ), based on the reputations of the 100 most visible companies, suggests that companies with a “solid reputation” are more likely to be attractive investments. The authors construct portfolios using deciles and the RQ categories, rebalancing annually as RQ rankings are updated. Returns are adjusted for risk using Jensen's alpha, the information ratio, the Sharpe ratio, Modigliani and Modigliani's M2 measure, and Muralidhar's M3 measure.FindingsThe results indicate that choosing a portfolio based on the highest RQ-ranked firms does outperform the market on a risk-adjusted basis, and that the relationship between rankings and time-weighted returns is roughly monotonic. The authors also observe that corporate reputation is persistent, and that the best and worst most-visible firms are more likely to be privately held.Originality/valueThis research adds to the literature by including both market-based return measures and risk in the examination of the relationship between corporate reputation and financial performance.

THE DETERMINANT FACTORS OF SOLVENCY ON SHARIA LIFE INSURANCE IN INDONESIA

ABSTRAKPenelitian bertujuan untuk menilai ada tidaknya pengaruh ukuran perusahaan, pertumbuhan kontribusi, hasil investasi, dan likuiditas terhadap solvabilitas yang diproksikan dengan Risk Based Capital pada Asuransi Jiwa Syariah di Indonesia secara parsial ataupun simultan. Penentuan sampel dengan metode purposive sampling dan ditemukan 10 perusahaan sampel. Dengan bantuan aplikasi Eviews9 melalui uji regresi data panel didapatkan persamaan RBC = -563.8638 + 44.05145 Ukuran + 1.922926 Kontribusi - 0.333289 Investasi + 0.911149 Likuiditas + e. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan keempat variabel bersama-sama memengaruhi solvabilitas. Ukuran perusahaan memiliki pengaruh positif signifikan sementara itu pertumbuhan kontribusi, hasil investasi, dan likuiditas menunjukkan tidak adanya pengaruh terhadap solvabilitas Asuransi Jiwa Syariah di Indonesia periode 2015-2019.Kata Kunci: Ukuran Perusahaan, Pertumbuhan Kontribusi, Hasil Investasi, Likuiditas, Solvabilitas, Asuransi Jiwa Syariah. ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study isto determine whether there is an effect of company size, premium growth, investment returns, and liquidity on solvency as proxied by Risk Based Capital on sharia life insurance in Indonesia partially or simultaneously. Determination of the sample by purposive sampling method found 10 sample companies. With the help of Eviews9 application through the panel data regression test, it is obtained the equation RBC = -563.8638 + 44.05145 Size + 1.922926 Contribution - 0.333289 Investment + 0.911149 Liquidity + e. The results showed that the four variables together affect solvency. Company size has a significant positive effect meanwhile the premium growth, investment returns, and liquidity shows no influence on the solvency of sharia life insurance in Indonesia period 2015-2019.Keywords: Company Size, Premium Growth, Investment Return, Liquidity, Solvency, Sharia Life Insurance.

Factors Affecting ESG towards Impact on Investment: A Structural Approach

Recent disasters have emphasized the need for further action to protect businesses and society from long-term sustainability threats. We believe that the crisis is hastening nascent ESG trends, and that the increased focus on a company’s environmental and social impact will last long after crises have passed. We refined three fundamental concepts that guide our thinking on investing based on environmental, social, and governance factors as our approach to sustainable investing has evolved. The ESG factor assessments are more of an inherent aspect of a sound investment process than a separate investment discipline. When ESG variables are considered, the focus is on long-term risk adjusted investment returns. Investors should choose the strategy that best matches with their goals and interests. ESG investing is not a simple yes or no answer. The research gap extracted from the previous studies is to determine the relationship among the influencing factors of ESG and its priority with their driving and dependence capabilities. We used an ISM Approach to uncover the interrelationships and influencing behavior among the elements for considering ESG in investment after conducting a thorough literature research and consulting with experts. Here interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was used to explore the links among such extracted factors and its interdependencies. There was also focus on the short-term and long-term factors to achieve our desired objective. Our research will assist businesses in attracting and obtaining finance. The results of this analysis will be helpful for leaders to understand the impact of ESG on the investment aspects of an organization.

The stock market as a casino: Associations between stock market trading frequency and problem gambling

Background and aims Personal investors decrease their stock market investment returns by trading frequently, which the behavioral finance literature has primarily explained via investors' overconfidence and low levels of financial literacy. This study investigates whether problem gambling can help account for frequent trading in a sample of active gambler/investors, as suggestive of frequent trading being in part driven by a behavioral addiction to gambling-like activities. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study of 795 US-based participants, who reported both being active gamblers and holding stock market investments. Recollected stock trading activity (typical portfolio size, purchases and sales of stocks) was compared with scores on the Problem Gambling Severity Index, a financial literacy scale, and a measure of overconfidence. Results Self-reported relative stock portfolio turnover was positively associated with problem gambling scores. This association was robust to controls for financial literacy, overconfidence, and demographics, and occurred equally among investors of all self-reported portfolio sizes. Discussion and conclusions This study provides support for the hypothesis that behavioral addiction to gambling-like activities is associated with frequent stock market trading. New investment products that increase the ease of trading may therefore be detrimental to some investors.