Financial Integration and the Market for Short-Term Paper

The market for short-term paper continues to be somewhat fragmented and domestic in nature, owing primarily to different legal systems.

Debt Instruments and Eurosystem Eligible Assets — Some Developments from an Irish Perspective

Changing demands of market investors, combined with developments in risk management and have led to huge changes in the type and volume of debt instruments issued in recent years.

A Discussion of the Taylor Rule

This paper reviews the recent changes in monetary policy in the major economies relative to the Taylor rule.

Addressing Puzzles in Monetary Dynamics

This paper discusses some of the puzzles associated with monetary dynamics and proposes possible explanations, primarily the democratisation of financial markets and sounder money.

Gambling Preference and the New Year Effect of Assets with Lottery Features

This paper examines whether investors exhibit a New Year's gambling preference and whether such preference impacts prices and returns of assets with lottery features. In January, calls options have higher demand than put options, especially by small investors. In addition, relative to at-the-money calls, out-of-the-money calls are the most expensive and actively traded. In the equity markets, lottery-type stocks in the US outperform their counterparts mainly in January, but tend to underperform in other months. Lottery-type Chinese stocks outperform in the Chinese New Year month, but not in January. This New Year effect provides new insights into the broad phenomena related to the January effect.January effect, Gambling, Preference for skewness, Out-of-the-money options, China

Employee Stock Options And Diluted Earnings Per Share

At the time of this writing, SFAS No.123 (1995) prescribes GAAP in accounting for employee stock options.  It allows firms to choose either the intrinsic or fair value method in determining the amount of compensation expense recognized for employee stock options.  The choice of method affects the numerator of the earnings per share (EPS) calculation.   The FASB recently issued a revised SFAS No. 123 (2004) which will require uniform application of the fair value method.  GAAP also requires that the denominator for the diluted EPS calculation be increased for incremental shares under the treasury stock method.  SFAS 128 requires the treasury stock method be applied where the proceeds from the assumed exercise of options are used to acquire shares of the firm’s outstanding stock at the average market price for the period.  Previous to SFAS No. 128, APB Opinion No. 15 required that the higher of average or period ending stock price be used in determining the number of shares reacquired with the proceeds from the assumed exercise of stock options.  This paper develops a simple one period model that assumes a risk free environment with complete certainty conditions in testing the accuracy of EPS calculated under GAAP using the fair value method vs. the intrinsic value method.   The results indicate that EPS reported under the intrinsic value method are overstated, and further indicate that a combination of both the fair value method and the treasury stock method is needed in calculating diluted EPS.  This fair value and treasury stock method combination is shown to not “double count” the stock option’s impact upon EPS.  The results also indicate a slight misstatement of diluted EPS under the fair value method when applying the treasury stock method requirements of SFAS No. 128.  Correct EPS results when shares are assumed reacquired for the treasury at the higher year ending price, consistent with superseded APB 15.  However, the diluted EPS misstatement is so slight that the FASB’s rationale for always requiring the use of average period price seems likely to be justified.  The findings of this research support the requirements of SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004) and SFAS No. 128

Diluted Earnings Per Share Overstatement Bias: Including Unrecognized Employee Compensation In Proceeds From Assumed Exercise Of Employee Stock Options Under The Treasury Stock Method

Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) require firms to recognize compensation expense under the fair value method in the case of employee stock options. Straight line amortization of the options grant date fair value must be recognized as expense over the service period which decreases the earnings per share numerator. For diluted earnings per share (EPS), GAAP requires using the treasury stock method, where proceeds from assumed stock option exercise is used to purchase treasury shares at the average for the period price. Exercise proceeds include the exercise price plus unrecognized future employee compensation. For profitable firms, exercise is assumed if dilutive - more shares are assumed issued than are reacquired for the treasury which increases the diluted EPS denominator. These requirements are consistent across US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. This paper tests whether including unrecognized employee compensation in proceeds from the assumed exercise of employee stock options under the treasury stock method is appropriate. A simple multi period model that assumes a risk free environment with complete certainty is applied. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that future unrecognized employee compensation should not be included in proceeds from the assumed exercise of stock options under the treasury stock method. Doing so consistently causes diluted EPS overstatement, and in certain instances causes assumed exercise of in the money options to be antidilutive, which results in complete exclusion from the diluted EPS calculation. This research extends the employee stock option work of Doran (2005 and 2008) that found: 1) Compensation expense recognized over the employee service period should equal the periodic annuity amount that provides the options grant date fair value, and 2) Treasury shares should be assumed purchased at the higher end of period stock price