Is the 52 Week High Strategy as Pervasive as Momentum? Evidence from Arabic Market Indices

Existing studies find that momentum can be explained by a strategy based on the 52wk high prices of individual stock and is able to predict returns. This paper uses Arabic market indices data to investigate whether there is momentum and 52wk high strategies and to evaluate the performance of these strategies to achieve the optimal portfolio. We find the 52wk high strategy is unprofitable when applied to Arabic market indices, while the momentum strategy is economically profitable than the 52wk high strategy. The 52wk high effect is not as pervasive and reliable as the momentum effect. After modifying the 52wk high strategy with long-term contrarian using a double sorting procedure, the modified 52wk high strategy has positive profits for all holding periods. However, the momentum strategy is still more profitable than this modified 52wk high strategy. Keywords: Arabic market indices, long-term contrarian, two-factor model.

Financial Inclusion Indicators Affect Profitability of Jordanian Commercial Banks: Panel Data Analysis

Previous literature supports the view that the financial inclusion leads to economic growth and helps alleviate poverty; however, it is still unclear whether financial inclusion increases bank profitability. The study assumes that financial inclusion is significant in enhancing the economy and minimizing loan accounts, and along with this assumption, the deposit size decreases the Jordanian banks’ profitability despite the fact that the financial services and access to them have no significant influence upon such profitability. The major profitability drivers examined in this study comprised financial inclusion and financial leverage. In this study, 13 Jordanian banks’ data from 2009 to 2019 were examined to determine the above issue. The study applied fixed effects on a panel data regression model. The findings indicated that the number of loan accounts and size of deposits negatively and significantly impacted the profitability of the commercial banks in Jordan. However, the number of branches and ATMs had no significant effect on the bank’s profitability. In sum, both leverage and bank size were the top two determinants of commercial banks’ profitability in Jordan. Based on the findings, Jordanian policymakers can shift their focus to offering affordable financial services that support SMEs’ loans and start-ups

Trade Credit Management and Profitability of Jordanian Manufacturing Firms

The significant role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the growth of the economy has been well-documented in the past few decades. Studies in literature have focused on the reasons behind the trade credit offerings and acceptance of SMEs, but empirical findings revealing the positive relationship between trade credit itself and profitability is still limited. Thus, in this paper, the trade credit effect on the profitability of SMEs from the side of supply and demand is examined. The paper focused on 38 SMEs in Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) for the years from 2009 to 2021. The obtained findings showed a positive relationship between accounts payable and profitability, which indicates that SMEs should establish long-term relationships with their suppliers to maintain credit. However, no clear relationship was found between accounts receivable and profitability, represented by ROE and ROA. Furthermore, financial leverage and size were revealed to impact the profitability of SMEs