Let's Call it Quits: Break‐Even Effects in the Decision to Stop Taking Risks

“Chasing” behavior, whereby individuals, driven by a desire to break even, continue a risky activity (RA) despite incurring large losses, is a commonly observed phenomenon. We examine whether the desire to break even plays a wider role in decisions to stop engaging in financially motivated RA in a naturalistic setting. We test hypotheses, motivated by this research question, using a large data set: 707,152 transactions of 5,379 individual financial market spread traders between September 2004 and April 2013. The results indicate strong effects of changes in wealth around the break‐even point on the decision to cease an RA. An important mediating factor was the individual's historical long‐term performance. Those with a more profitable trading history were less affected by a fall in cash balance below the break‐even point compared to those who had been less profitable. We observe that break‐even points play an important role in the decision of nonpathological risk takers to stop RAs. It is possible, therefore, that these nonpathological cognitive processes, when occurring in extrema, may result in pathological gambling behavior such as “chasing.” Our data set focuses on RAs in financial markets and, consequently, we discuss the implications for institutions and regulators in the effective management of risk taking in markets. We also suggest that there may be a need to consider carefully the nature and role of “break‐even points” associated with a broader range of nonfinancially‐focused risk‐taking activities, such as smoking and substance abuse.     

基于动态因子Copula模型的行业间系统性风险分析

国际金融市场间的相关关系以及系统性风险受到很多学者的重视,本文则以我国股市的行业指数作为研究对象进行实证研究。通过构建动态因子Copula模型,文章对行业的日收益率数据进行了动态相关性分析,并基于风险预期占比度量了我国行业之间系统性风险的溢出效应。本文分析了2006年1月4日至2016年7月1日的28个行业指数数据,基于GAS动态负荷因子的变化路径来刻画其相关关系,通过风险预期占比来研究行业间的风险溢出效应。研究表明,各个行业指数收益率之间存在较强的关联性。就单个行业来说,化工行业与其他行业关系最为不稳定。就金融与非金融行业而言,金融行业对非金融行业的影响较大且较为平稳。本文所得研究结果可以为投资者和风险管理者在进行决策时提供一定的指导。     

Product Introduction Strategies under Sequential Innovation for Durable Goods with Network Effects

When network effects are important and technology is rapidly improved, this study explores the relative optimality of five product introduction strategies of a durable goods manufacturer: (1) replacement, (2) skipping, (3) a delayed line, (4) shelving, and (5) line‐extension. Using a two‐period analytical model, we show how the type of compatibility—either full or backward compatibility—and the magnitude of the network effect influence the manufacturer's preference for the above strategies. Our analysis reveals that only the strategies (1)–(3) above can be optimal; and the optimal strategy varies with network strength. Further, the type of compatibility can dramatically change the profitability under each optimal strategy; for instance, while backward compatibility can increase the profitability of replacement under certain conditions, it always reduces the profitability of a delayed line. We also illustrate that if compatibility were a choice, although backward compatibility may be observed widely in practice, the parametric region for its optimality is relatively more restricted than that of full compatibility.     

A Framework for Analyzing the Economic Tradeoffs Between Urban Commerce and Security Against Terrorism

This article presents a framework for economic consequence analysis of terrorism countermeasures. It specifies major categories of direct and indirect costs, benefits, spillover effects, and transfer payments that must be estimated in a comprehensive assessment. It develops a spreadsheet tool for data collection, storage, and refinement, as well as estimation of the various components of the necessary economic accounts. It also illustrates the usefulness of the framework in the first assessment of the tradeoffs between enhanced security and changes in commercial activity in an urban area, with explicit attention to the role of spillover effects. The article also contributes a practical user interface to the model for emergency managers.     

美的静悟——视觉冲击力与经典工笔画辨析

经典的绘画作品感染并打动观众，是通过视觉这一感官体验来完成的。因此，在今天展览越来越多、展厅越来越大的情况下，有一些人从简单的视觉体验出发，使“视觉冲击力”这一曾经只运用于设计领域的词汇，在绘画中泛滥，进而波及工笔画领域。文章根据中国传统工笔画的品评标准，结合现代工笔画的绘画创作实践，分析视觉冲击力与经典的工笔画之间的矛盾与联系：经典的工笔画具有一定的视觉冲击，但是具有“视觉冲击力”的工笔画不一定就是经典的画作，真正的经典作品必须具有崇高的审美本质，在经过岁月的检验后，才能焕发出像珍珠一样夺目的光彩。     

论和平发展战略对台湾政党政治的影响

随着两岸关系和平发展的持续推进,这项战略已经产生了强大的溢出效应。影响所及,两岸关系结构、台湾民众对两岸关系的认知结构以及台湾岛内话语结构等都发生了根本性变化,这种局面对岛内政党政治的基本生态和未来发展趋势产生了较大影响,两个主要政党都针对环境的变化进行了一定的调整,以求适应台海局势的结构性变化,谋求未来更多的发展空间。     

A modified LGB method for detecting significant effects based on a half-normal probability plot

In analyzing data from unreplicated factorial designs, the half-normal probability plot is commonly used to screen for the ‘vital few’ effects. Recently, many formal methods have been proposed to overcome the subjectivity of this plot. Lawson (1998) (hereafter denoted as LGB) suggested a hybrid method based on the half-normal probability plot, which is a blend of Lenth (1989) and Loh (1992) method. The method consists of fitting a simple least squares line to the inliers, which are determined by the Lenth method. The effects exceeding the prediction limits based on the fitted line are candidates for the vital few effects. To improve the accuracy of partitioning the effects into inliers and outliers, we propose a modified LGB method (hereafter denoted as the Mod_LGB method), in which more outliers can be classified by using both the Carling’s modification of the box plot (Carling, 2000) and Lenth method. If no outlier exists or there is a wide range in the inliers as determined by the Lenth method, more outliers can be found by the Carling method. A simulation study is conducted in unreplicated $2^4$ designs with the number of active effects ranging from 1 to 6 to compare the efficiency of the Lenth method, original LGB methods, and the proposed modified version of the LGB method.     

我国商业信用的资源再配置效应与强制性特征——基于工业企业数据的实证检验

商业信用的资源再配置假说认为,商业信用可实现银行信贷资金的再配置,从而提高资源配置效率。以2004—2007年中国工业企业微观数据为基础,对我国商业信用的资源配置效应以及恶意拖欠基础上的强制性信用特征进行的检验结果表明,在我国,获取更多银行信贷的企业(包括国有企业)不仅未能提供更多商业信用,反而获取了更多商业信用,而市场势力的存在可能是导致这一配置结果的扭曲性因素;拥有更多应收账款的企业倾向于扩大应付账款规模,从而使企业间债务关系呈现出较强的"三角债"趋势。此外,与出口企业相比,产品内销企业在商业信用的供给中面临着更多的坏账损失风险。这说明我国商业信用的产生具有显著的恶意拖欠特征与违约风险。我国的商业信用不仅未能改善资源配置效率,反而增大了市场的交易费用和运行风险。     

中国沪深股市的开盘效应与收盘效应

股票市场的日历效应历来受到学者和投资者的广泛关注,研究发现股市存在节日效应、月份效应与周内效应,但是针对日内效应的研究不多见.利用沪深股指2004年~2016年的高频数据,实证检验中国沪深股市是否存在日内效应,结果表明:中国沪深股市整体上存在开盘效应与收盘效应,但在牛市、熊市期间的表现形式存在差异,股指收益在牛市期间表现出正向开盘效应,在熊市期间表现出负向开盘效应,股指波动在熊市期间的开盘效应更为明显.基于滚动窗口法的进一步研究发现:股指收益开盘效应和收盘效应的变化领先于股指走势的变化,股指收益和波动的开盘效应或收盘效应存在一定程度的替代现象.研究有助于投资者合理地制定投资策略,对监管部门维护市场秩序具有一定的参考价值.     

汇改后中国外汇市场与资本市场联动效应——基于集合经验模态分解法

以投资者预期收益变动逻辑起点,构建在不同预期收益下外汇市场与资本市场的联动机制理论模型,进而将2005-2014年按金融市场改革历程划分为4个阶段,通过集合经验模态分解法对中国外汇市场与资本市场的数据进行分解,过滤掉代表资本价格随机波动的短周期分量,提取最具代表联动性的长周期趋势分量。采用VAR-GARCH-BEKK模型对4个阶段两个市场的均值溢出效应和波动溢出效应进行分析,结果显示:受中国经济增长的方式以及外汇管制制度影响,不同阶段两个市场间的溢出效应呈现出不同的特点,虽然总体来看联动强度有一定程度的加强,但是两个市场间"资金价格"传导机制的脆弱性并未获得实质性的改变。因此,只有推进汇率市场化,循序渐进的加快资本项目可兑换,完善人民币汇率形成机制,才能够不断提高货币政策调控的主动性和有效性性,维护国家利益。