HEC Montréal

About: HEC Montréal is a education organization based out in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Vehicle routing problem. The organization has 1221 authors who have published 5708 publications receiving 196862 citations. The organization is also known as: Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Montreal & HEC Montreal.

Volatility Components, Affine Restrictions and Non-Normal Innovations

Abstract: Recent work by Engle and Lee (1999) shows that allowing for long-run and short-run components greatly enhances a GARCH model's ability to fit daily equity return dynamics. Using the risk-neutralization in Duan (1995), we assess the option valuation performance of the Engle-Lee model and compare it to the standard one-component GARCH(1,1) model. We also compare these non-affine GARCH models to one- and two- component models from the class of affine GARCH models developed in Heston and Nandi (2000). Using the option pricing methodology in Duan (1999), we then compare the four conditionally normal GARCH models to four conditionally non-normal versions. As in Hsieh and Ritchken (2005), we find that non-affine models dominate affine models both in terms of fitting return and in terms of option valuation. For the affine models, we find strong evidence in favor of the component structure for both returns and options; for the non-affine models, the evidence is somewhat less convincing in option valuation. The evidence in favor of the non-normal GED models is strong when fitting daily returns, but the non-normal models do not provide much improvement when valuing options.

Some Properties of the Distance Laplacian Eigenvalues of a Graph

Abstract: The distance Laplacian of a connected graph G is defined by \(\mathcal{L} = Diag(Tr) - \mathcal{D}\), where \(\mathcal{D}\) is the distance matrix of G, and Diag(Tr) is the diagonal matrix whose main entries are the vertex transmissions in G. The spectrum of \(\mathcal{L}\) is called the distance Laplacian spectrum of G. In the present paper, we investigate some particular distance Laplacian eigenvalues. Among other results, we show that the complete graph is the unique graph with only two distinct distance Laplacian eigenvalues. We establish some properties of the distance Laplacian spectrum that enable us to derive the distance Laplacian characteristic polynomials for several classes of graphs.

The Impact of Profit Sharing on the Performance of Financial Services Firms

Abstract: Relying on macro theories (agency and organizational control) as well as micro theories (goal setting and expectancy), this study investigates the impact of profit-sharing plan (PSP) adoption on the value creation process of financial services firms. The study relies on a comprehensive methodological approach that is both quantitative, with a dual cross-sectional/longitudinal (pre-post) design that compares PSP adopters with a control group of PSP non-adopter firms, and qualitative through interviews with some adopting firms’ managing directors. Results show that firms adopting a PSP enhance their profitability in comparison to both their own prior performance and to firms that are not adopting a PSP. Results also show that the adoption of a PSP: (a) positively influences only profit drivers that are under employee control; and (b) is more likely to have a long term, positive impact on external profit drivers than on internal profit drivers. Qualitative data from field interviews corroborate and enrich these quantitative findings.