"Scientific research" Almanac

More titles

• 

  INFLUENCE OF FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES ON THE CAPITAL MARKET OF MAJOR EUROPEAN EXCHANGES

  There are still opinions in professional circles about the danger of financial derivatives and their blame for the current crisis. At the same time there are isolated studies regarding the specific effects of derivatives and they have a narrow focus – a separate tool, limited market and time. The current study looks for arguments about the actual ... There are still opinions in professional circles about the danger of financial derivatives and their blame for the current crisis. At the same time there are isolated studies regarding the specific effects of derivatives and they have a narrow focus – a separate tool, limited market and time. The current study looks for arguments about the actual influence of financial derivatives on the capital market in terms of studying the biggest West European exchanges with options and futures based on their instruments. An analysis is made of the most fundamental market indicators: exchange turnovers – in a premium value and number of contracts, open positions, movement of indexes, volatility, etc. The results of the correlative, comparative and traditional investment analyses lead to the fundamental findings: derivative trading improves market liquidity of the basic capital instruments and aids their risky management, the activity of derivative exchanges is more stable in years of crisis than that of the stock exchanges, which indicates a better risk-return correlation; an analogous analysis of the Russian markets for the same period corroborates some findings and shows some interesting differences in investment behaviour. In terms of methodology the parallel analysis between main indicators such as: exchange volumes, option rate and open positions enable the indication of fundamental changes in investment behaviour and of occurring financial and economic cataclysms.

• 

  REASONS FOR THE CHANGES IN THE VOLUME AND QUALITY OF INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMERS' LOANS PROVIDED BY COMMERCIAL BANKS IN BULGARIA

  The high credit activities of commercial banks in Bulgaria as regards citizens and households just before the consequences of the global economic crisis, as well as the efforts of local people to maintain a quality standard of living, are the main reasons which increase the burden of individual customers’ loans in the loan portfolio of bank ... The high credit activities of commercial banks in Bulgaria as regards citizens and households just before the consequences of the global economic crisis, as well as the efforts of local people to maintain a quality standard of living, are the main reasons which increase the burden of individual customers’ loans in the loan portfolio of bank institutions. The worsening of economic indicators in the country after the beginning of 2009 forces the banking institutions to change their behaviour on the credit market and to seek effective ways to limit the ever increasing non-performing loans among the population. The purpose of the current study is to trace the tendencies in the change of volume and quality of the banks’ overall consumer loan portfolio for the period December 2006 – June 2012, and to outline the main reasons of the worsened quality of loans extended to individuals for current needs by the local commercial banks.

• 

  SIGNAL PARAMETERS OF SHADOW ECONOMY IN BULGARIA

  The global financial and economic crisis at the beginning of this century resulted in certain cataclysms with destructive effects on the government's financial policy. In-creasing government budget deficits, strikingly inadequate social status and deteriora-tion of the basic macroeconomic indicators measuring the „pulse” of the national and world ... The global financial and economic crisis at the beginning of this century resulted in certain cataclysms with destructive effects on the government's financial policy. In-creasing government budget deficits, strikingly inadequate social status and deteriora-tion of the basic macroeconomic indicators measuring the „pulse” of the national and world economy once again brought forward the issue of the scale of shadow economy. The presence of shadow economy is an indicator for the lack of trust in govern-ment's financial policy and the inefficiency of the national economic policy. At the same time shadow economy practices affect negatively the economic growth, efficiency of labour, competitiveness and the economic and financial policy of the state. In this context, the main goal of the study is to analyze the extent of the shadow economy and the issues related thereto as well as to examine its actual manifestations in Bulgaria and propose measures to mitigate it.