Dissertation Examples In Finance

Here are some dissertation example topics in finance, categorized for clarity, followed by general advice:

Corporate Finance

• The Impact of Capital Structure on Firm Performance: This common theme explores how a company’s debt-equity mix affects profitability, growth, and overall value. Specific angles might focus on industry variations, the influence of regulatory changes, or the role of managerial incentives. Data sources include company financial statements (Compustat), market data (CRSP), and potentially survey data.
• Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Shareholder Value: This examines whether M&A activity creates or destroys value for shareholders. Investigations often analyze the impact of deal characteristics (size, industry, payment method) on post-merger performance. Event study methodology is frequently employed.
• Corporate Governance and Financial Performance: This area investigates the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms (board composition, ownership structure, executive compensation) and a firm’s financial outcomes. Research might explore the impact of specific governance reforms or compare governance practices across different countries.
• Dividend Policy and Firm Value: Studies in this area analyze how a firm’s dividend payout decisions affect its stock price and investor sentiment. Research could investigate the signaling effect of dividends, the impact of dividend tax policies, or the role of investor preferences.
• Working Capital Management and Profitability: This assesses the influence of efficient management of current assets and liabilities on a firm’s short-term and long-term profitability. It involves analyzing inventory turnover, accounts receivable collection periods, and accounts payable payment terms.

Investments

• Market Efficiency and Anomalies: This explores deviations from the efficient market hypothesis, such as the January effect, momentum effect, or value premium. The research aims to identify patterns in stock returns that cannot be explained by risk factors.
• Portfolio Optimization and Risk Management: This focuses on developing and testing strategies for constructing optimal portfolios that maximize returns for a given level of risk. This might involve exploring different asset allocation models, hedging techniques, or risk management tools.
• The Impact of Behavioral Finance on Investment Decisions: This integrates psychological insights into financial decision-making, examining how cognitive biases and emotional factors affect investor behavior and market outcomes. Studies may focus on overconfidence, herding behavior, or loss aversion.
• Hedge Fund Performance and Strategies: This area analyzes the performance of hedge funds, evaluating their risk-adjusted returns and identifying the factors that contribute to their success or failure. Research may compare different hedge fund strategies or examine the impact of market conditions on hedge fund performance.
• The Role of Alternative Investments (Private Equity, Real Estate) in Portfolio Diversification: Examines the benefits and risks of incorporating alternative assets into traditional investment portfolios. Analysis often involves evaluating the correlation of alternative asset returns with traditional assets and assessing their impact on portfolio volatility.

Financial Institutions and Markets

• The Impact of Banking Regulation on Financial Stability: This investigates the effectiveness of banking regulations in promoting financial stability and preventing systemic risk. Research might analyze the impact of Basel III capital requirements or stress testing on bank behavior.
• The Efficiency of Financial Markets: This area assesses the informational efficiency of financial markets, examining how quickly and accurately prices reflect new information. Studies may focus on specific market segments, such as the stock market, bond market, or foreign exchange market.
• The Impact of Fintech on the Financial Industry: Explores the disruptive potential of financial technology (Fintech) on traditional financial institutions and markets. This can include analyzing the growth of peer-to-peer lending, the impact of mobile payments, or the role of blockchain technology.

General Advice:

* Choose a specific and manageable topic. Avoid overly broad topics. * Clearly define your research question. What problem are you trying to solve? * Conduct a thorough literature review. Understand what research has already been done and identify gaps in the literature. * Use appropriate methodology. Select the research methods that are best suited to address your research question (e.g., regression analysis, event study analysis, survey methods). * Have access to data. Make sure that you can access the data required for your analysis. * Discuss the implications of your findings. What are the practical implications of your research for investors, managers, or policymakers?