Description
The project should be at least 12-15 double-spaced pages, including graphs and tables, but not including a title page and works cited. Remember, this is 30% of your semester grade. Turn in a paper you are proud of. Be sure there are appropriate internal citations and that the paper is well edited.
Some Possible Project Topics:
a.) Choose several global companies and compare how they hedge currency risk.
b.) Which countries are the most competitive in the global economy? Which are the least competitive? How do countries at the bottom move up to the middle-ranking?
c.) What are the key indicators of a currency/sovereign debt/banking crisis? Which countries are most vulnerable to a crisis?
d.) What are the economic growth prospects for Africa?
e.) Will the new regulations affecting large global banks (Basel III) prevent another global financial crisis, or will they just drain banks of profits?
f.) Discuss the logic behind currency carry trades, and analyze a couple of current opportunities.
g.) Define the attributes of an Optimum Currency Area and determine if the Eurozone is one.
h.) Define and discuss the policies that fall under “dollarization.” Discuss some examples of countries that have dollarized. Has it been beneficial? Provide some examples of how specific companies have been affected. What are the mechanics of dollarization? Discuss the “de-dollarization” that is occurring in Peru.
i.) Compare capital structures of companies in the same global industry across countries. Pick a couple of industries and several companies from each industry.
j.) Discuss microfinance and how it might be used to diminish poverty in the developing world. Emphasize actual transactions and policies that have been implemented.
k.) The “shadow” banking system: its significance for global finance and the challenges faced by regulators.
l.) Analyze the effect of central bank easing during the Great Recession had on global equity markets. What does the unwinding of central bank balance sheets imply about equity markets for the coming year? Document the actual increases in central bank liquidity and the shrinking of balance sheets which is now underway in many countries.
m.) Analyze the effect of trade on real economic growth in both developed and emerging countries. Who are the winners and losers as trade volumes increase and decrease?
n.) Can cryptocurrencies be a socially useful financial tool, especially in developing countries that have little commercial banking infrastructure? What positive role can governments/central banks play as regulators of cryptos?
o.) Demographics and investing.