Matching Items (17)
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- All Subjects: Finance
- Creators: Budolfson, Arthur
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Status: Published
Description
This paper intends to inform the reader about the current state of crowdfunding, also known as crowdsourced funding, as of early May 2014. Crowdfunding has proven to be an interesting alternate to other more common financing vehicles with its ability to unite people over common ideas and projects without requiring the contribution of large amounts of capital. Further, the changing legal landscape invites a new era of deregulation that makes crowdfunding easier than ever before. This paper contains explanations of the different types of crowdfunding, platforms (websites), and the international landscape particularly of the US and Europe as well as statistics regarding the predicted future growth of the industry.
ContributorsMurphy, Kevin Edward (Author) / Budolfson, Arthur (Thesis director) / Schein, Stephen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
This paper takes a look at developing a technological start up revolving around the world of health and fitness. The entire process is documented, starting from the ideation phase, and continuing on to product testing and market research. The research done focuses on identifying a target market for a 24/7 fitness service that connects clients with personal trainers. It is a good study on the steps needed in creating a business, and serves as a learning tool for how to bring a product to market.
ContributorsHeck, Kyle (Co-author) / Mitchell, Jake (Co-author) / Korczynski, Brian (Co-author) / Peck, Sidnee (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The goal of this thesis is to motivate college students to be financially aware and drive them toward attainable financial goals and freedom through budgeting. By providing a foundation of financial knowledge, they can begin to make intelligent decisions about their purchases. After they learn about their current spending habits, students can soundly determine what they have monetarily and then how to allocate that money appropriately. The paper outlines different categories these students should focus on fiscally, like rent and housing as the largest expenses and entertainment expenses as a common pitfall in a college student's budget. Constant financial awareness is reiterated throughout, indicating this is a day-to-day skill to develop. The thesis finally ties up with discussing financing options for college and life in general, with student loans, credit cards, and savings.
ContributorsSchachte, Jessica Linn (Author) / Budolfson, Arthur (Thesis director) / Hoffman, David (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2013-12
Description
This paper investigates whether measures of investor sentiment can be used to predict future total returns of the S&P 500 index. Rolling regressions and other statistical techniques are used to determine which indicators contain the most predictive information and which time horizons' returns are "easiest" to predict in a three year data set. The five "most predictive" indicators are used to predict 180 calendar day future returns of the market and simulated investment of hypothetical accounts is conducted in an independent six year data set based on the rolling regression future return predictions. Some indicators, most notably the VIX index, appear to contain predictive information which led to out-performance of the accounts that invested based on the rolling regression model's predictions.
ContributorsDundas, Matthew William (Author) / Boggess, May (Thesis director) / Budolfson, Arthur (Committee member) / Hedegaard, Esben (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2013-12
Description
Women’s financial literacy and its translation into financial capability is becoming a pressing issue as women are living longer than men, while experiencing shorter employment periods, and lower incomes and benefits (Weir & Willis, 2000). More alarming is the lack of access to credible and trustworthy educational resources for women. Through a detailed analysis of the players in the women’s financial wellness sphere, many resource gaps were found to be present. Across prominent platforms, these issues were found (1) content was incorrectly conveyed to viewers, (2) presentation of the information was complex and/or confusing, and (3) the content was not visually appealing nor engaging.
In an environment of increasing connectivity due to the advent of 3G and 4G networks, and the increase in the number of users subscribing to social media platforms, it is an opportune time to utilize social media as an educational platform. With that being said, the goal of this project, the Sisterhood of Money (SOM), is to inform and educate women about essential financial topics. Using a variety of social media platforms such as Instagram, SOM intends to educate viewers with the help of aesthetically pleasing content that is engaging, informative, and easily digestible.
In an environment of increasing connectivity due to the advent of 3G and 4G networks, and the increase in the number of users subscribing to social media platforms, it is an opportune time to utilize social media as an educational platform. With that being said, the goal of this project, the Sisterhood of Money (SOM), is to inform and educate women about essential financial topics. Using a variety of social media platforms such as Instagram, SOM intends to educate viewers with the help of aesthetically pleasing content that is engaging, informative, and easily digestible.
ContributorsDeGravina, Gabrielle (Author) / Michael, Mokwa (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The intent of this paper is inform and educate people on micro-investing, so they can better understand this new and growing category of investing. Given that micro-investing is a relatively new phenomenon, people naturally have many questions about it. What is micro-investing, and what makes it different from traditional investing? What are the origins of this growing segment of financial technology? What features and characteristics do micro-investing platforms have in common and what differentiates them from each other? Is micro-investing viable and cost effective, and if so, is it right for you? What is the future of micro-investing, and is it here to stay? This paper seeks to answer these questions and additional questions that the reader may have.
Contributorsde la Vara, Nicholas (Author) / Budolfson, Arthur (Thesis director) / Hoffman, David (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Every year, major companies buy Super Bowl advertisements (‘ads’) to fuel growth through the creation of brand awareness among a large, diverse audience. Although measuring the effectiveness of these marketing tactics is difficult, evaluating the abnormal returns (‘alpha’) of company stocks in the five days following the Super Bowl is effective because it provides insight into how actual returns compare to expected returns (calculated using data from the preceding 250 days). Analysis of a comprehensive sample, which includes all Super Bowl ads for public companies between the years 2015 and 2019, accurately demonstrates the relationship between these returns, illustrating the effectiveness of this type of marketing. To account for variation resulting from different inputs in different financial models, it is important to evaluate alpha based on several, reputable models of expected return to best capture the result. In this study, alpha will be analyzed using the Capital Asset Pricing Model (‘CAPM’) and the Fama and French 3 and 5 factor models. Although the ideology that increased marketing improves stock returns through brand awareness suggests a positive alpha, these models all indicate a statistically significant negative alpha for large, public companies who bought Super Bowl ads over the past five years. Therefore, actual returns, on average, are lower than projected returns for the evaluated five-day window following the Super Bowl. In examining alpha and statistical significance according to these financial models, this thesis will explore different market factors that may explain this counterintuitive result, primarily focusing on the investors’ opinions about this type of marketing. Therefore, in researching various discrepancies contributing to the negative alpha result, this study will accurately assess the effectiveness of Super Bowl advertising in terms of stock performance.
ContributorsWynne, Shannon Elizabeth (Author) / Budolfson, Arthur (Thesis director) / Smith, Geoffrey (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Elon Musk is known for making controversial tweets, which often lead to lawsuits. Our thesis focuses on analyzing the effect that these individual tweets have on stock prices. Our hypothesis focuses on the idea that when Elon Musk makes a controversial tweet, the volatility of Tesla stock will increase, while the price of Tesla stock will on average decrease. The thirteen tweets that we are examining are the tweets that we deemed to be most important, which are measured by the amount of press coverage that they have received. We also evaluated the effect that two different lawsuits that stemmed from Musk’s reckless tweets had on Tesla stock. After evaluating the effect that Elon Musk’s tweets had on the stock volume and price, we will then determine whether or not Elon Musk and other CEO’s alike should be able to tweet in a similar manner. In order to analyze stock movement, volume, and significance we imported statistical data from Yahoo Finance and Nasdaq into Excel. From there, We added charts to model the volatility and the direction of price data. Additionally, we created separate indexes to compare stock moves and test for abnormal returns. From these returns we were able to calculate the alpha and beta for Tesla, its peers and competitors. To analyze Musk’s tweets, we collected close to 7,000 tweets and ordered them chronologically in Excel. With the combination of the stock and tweet data, we were in an excellent spot to analyze the data and come to a conclusion.
ContributorsDe Roo, Gilles (Co-author) / Lueck, Elliott (Co-author) / Budolfson, Arthur (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The landscape of professional sporting venues within the United States is changing. From 1990-2018, within the four main American professional sports leagues, 20 new NHL arenas, 24 new NBA arenas, 22 new NFL stadiums, and 26 new MLB stadiums were built. As the industry morphs, a handful of new initiatives are being worked into the construct of these venues including increased commercial areas for shopping and restaurants and sharing of the venues between two organizations in an attempt to increase the overall utilization of the spaces. Additionally, in Detroit, San Francisco and Atlanta, where new stadiums and arenas were just recently introduced, the municipalities are using the venues to catalyze further growth and development within the city. However, these trends, while innovative, are tethered to high prices.
This thesis seeks to analyze the changes in how current stadiums are being funded, the public’s reaction to and perception of those financing plans and what the future might hold. Research showed that tax dollars are increasingly unpopular and teams are moving away from using public money to fund sports venues. Gathered for this report, survey data of 815 Arizona State University students supported anecdotal evidence that people within a community are relatively unhappy with the idea of their money being used to partially subsidize wealthy sports organizations’ infrastructure. Altogether, recent evidence suggests that multi-use facilities funded in majority by private wealth are more popular and generate greater economic impact for the municipality than earlier in history, when heavily subsidized venues allowed teams to take advantage of local government and created fan mistrust.
This thesis seeks to analyze the changes in how current stadiums are being funded, the public’s reaction to and perception of those financing plans and what the future might hold. Research showed that tax dollars are increasingly unpopular and teams are moving away from using public money to fund sports venues. Gathered for this report, survey data of 815 Arizona State University students supported anecdotal evidence that people within a community are relatively unhappy with the idea of their money being used to partially subsidize wealthy sports organizations’ infrastructure. Altogether, recent evidence suggests that multi-use facilities funded in majority by private wealth are more popular and generate greater economic impact for the municipality than earlier in history, when heavily subsidized venues allowed teams to take advantage of local government and created fan mistrust.
ContributorsKleen, Brendon (Co-author) / Cwiakala, Alec (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This research project examines the craft brewing industry and its position in the North American market. Specifically, this research will highlight the most important aspects of the product market, cost structure, market trends, as well as an assessment of the viability of several modes of entry. The data and analysis provided indicates that the industry is promising and poised to grow in comparison to many other sectors within the alcoholic beverages industry, as demand for differentiated craft beer products is relatively strong. The continued existence of craft brewing would not be made possible without the devotion and dedication of individuals simply interested in brewing recipes at home. Although the process of brewing remains relatively traditional, the paper will discuss the possibilities to diversify as a successful craft brewing brand due to consumers' willingness and curiosity to try new beverages. Production details and supply chain processes will be discussed to fully understand the fruitful beginnings of a local brewer to a large scale company that distributes nationwide. Nonetheless, prominent risks include extensive regulatory hurdles ranging from local to federal levels and threats from significant established competitors. These competitors and their business activities will be heavily discussed as it pertains to the question of whether entering the market is a smart business decision. The purpose of this research is to provide potential business owners and investors the strength and knowledge to engage in the craft brewing industry. In essence, the business decision to participate in the craft brewing industry is met with encouragement from an avid consumer base, collaboration with competitors, and an undying passion to brew quality beer for consumption.
ContributorsKnapp, Kurt (Co-author) / Wu, Katherine (Co-author) / Nguyen, Kelley (Co-author) / Budolfson, Arthur (Thesis director) / Bhattacharya, Anand (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12