This paper analyses how Swedish fine-art oil paintings sold at auctions has performed as a monetary investment during the period autumn 1985 until spring 2006. An average price technique as well as a hedonic regression technique, applied to a sample of 19 213 auction sales, is used to construct price indices. The indices show somewhat different results, which is explained by the inability of the average price model to adjust for relative differences in quality between periods. The hedonic regression model on the other hand captures this effect, why the hedonic index is applied in a financial return model. By adjusting for transaction cost, the financial return of an average investment in paintings is calculated.

This paper investigates whether the traditional accrual based trading strategy first documented by Sloan (1996) can be refined using fundamental analysis. Specifically, this is done by implementing the composite signal F_SCORE introduced by Piotroski (2000) to identify financially strong or weak firms. We find that by applying both investment models simultaneously, in a model we call P_KOMB, the mean market-adjusted return earned by an investor exploiting the accrual anomaly can be increased by 14.8% annually. This is achieved by taking a long position in strong firms (as defined by the composite signal) in the lowest accrual portfolio, while an offsetting short position is taken in weak firms in the highest accrual portfolio, repeated annually between 1997 and 2007. Consistent with prior studies, positive market-adjusted returns can be attained through assessment of accruals as well as key value drivers found in historical financial data.

We acknowledge the lack of empirical studies of the performance of analyst target prices in the Swedish stock market by examining the profitability of target prices for stocks publicly traded on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. We use consensus target prices issued between 2006-2010 and create two different strategies to observe the abnormal returns generated during this period. Going long in the top decile stocks with the best target prices and going short in the bottom decile stocks with the worst target prices generates a statistically significant abnormal buy-and-hold return of 8.9%. An active strategy with daily portfolio rebalancing and a timely response to target price changes generates a less significant monthly alpha of 1.4% against CAPM. The results show to be robust against the size effect discovered by Fama and French.

The thesis main objective is to establish the determinants for granting executive stock options and to examine their impact on performance for firms listed on OMXS30. The analysis is based on accounting data gathered from annual reports and Thomson Datastream. The empirical results display that firms grant stock options to mitigate the principal-agent problem. Furthermore, risk proves to be positively significant with executive stock options, implying that either executives increase the level of risk after being granted stock options or influence the decision of the remuneration towards stock options when the firm increase the level of risk, in purpose to boost the expected value of their options. No relation between executive stock options and firm performance could be established..

The insurance industryis challengedby major changesthrough internationalizationand thusgrowingcompetitionwithmore optionsand greater availabilityfor customers.Solvency II, a new regulatoryframework and anew standard forinsurance companies,is therefore implemented in a steptowardsa more competitive Europeaninsurancemarket. Solvency II will result in extensive structural changes for many insurance companies. Newstandards andinternal models must also be implemented by the companies. Solvency IIhasa tightening effect on thesolvency capital requirements forinsurance companies. At the same time it also leads tomajor changesandincreased demandon risk management andinternal control, alongside with demands fordisclosure of informationto the market.

Uppsatsen handlar om användningen av pedagogisk dokumentation i förskolan. Vi har problematiserat dess betydelse för relationen mellan förskollärare och föräldrar. Syftet med uppsatsen är därför att undersöka pedagogisk dokumentation i förskolan och dess betydelse för föräldrasamarbete. Vi vill genom vår undersökning studera hur förskollärare använder pedagogisk dokumentation i relation till föräldrar samt hur föräldrar upplever den dokumentation de tar del av.Dagens förståelse av pedagogisk dokumentation i förskolan placerar vi i ett sammanhang genom att beskriva dokumentationens rötter i utvecklingspsykologiska observationer. Vi presenterar Reggio Emilia som en inspirationskälla till dagens dokumentationsarbete samt presenterar portfolio som ett arbetssätt.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to clarify and evaluate the concept of scenario planning.Methodology: Our research methodology has a qualitative approach and uses deductive reasoning. The theoretical field of strategy formulation has been reviewed and in specific the concept scenario planning was unravelled and mapped. Thereafter, our model was tested in a case study where the empirical data was collected through personal interviews. Theoretical field: Literature and articles from the strategic management field have been reviewed with a focus on strategy formulation, scenario planning and Williamson?s theory for the creation of a portfolio for strategic options.Empirical base: Personal interviews and secondary sources such as financial reports, articles mainly from industry media and articles found in the databases ELIN and Affärsdata.Analysis: The analysis work constitutes the testing of our model for scenario planning, integrated into Williamson?s portfolio of strategic options for the future.Result: The work has resulted in a clarified model of scenario planning with links to strategic management schools.

Syftet med examensarbetet är att tillföra ny kunskap inom den svenska earnings management forskningen genom att undersöka kapitalstrukturens eventuella korrelation med earnings management. Uppsatsen har en kvantitativ metodansats, paneldata regressionsanalys används för att genomföra studien. Arbetet grundar sig i tidigare forskning på earnings management området. Vidare prövas Debt-to-Equity teorin mot den svenska marknaden. Den empiriska undersökningen utgår från 231 företag listade på den svenska börsen under tidsperioden 2003-2007 och en negativ korrelation konstateras mellan earnings management och kapitalstruktur.

Syftet med denna studie är att jämföra hur förekomsten av resultatmanipulering ser ut i företag med olika ägarstrukturer noterade på de svenska börslistorna under åren 2005-2008. Vi har valt att definiera tre grupper av företag: familjeägda företag, företag ägda av investmentbolag och övriga företag. För att identifiera skillnader i resultatmanipulering väljer vi att jämföra medelvärden på godtyckliga periodiseringar hos de olika företagsgrupperna genom ett oberoende t-test, sedan utförs regressioner för att försöka förklara potentiella skillnader. Studiens resultat visar i likhet med tidigare forskning att förekomsten av resultatmanipulering är lägre i familjeföretag i jämförelse med övriga företag. Vårt resultat tyder även på att det inte existerar någon signifikant skillnad mellan företag ägda av investmentbolag och övriga företag vad gäller förekomsten av resultatmanipulering..

Asset management in insurance companies differs from conventional asset management to the extent that respect has to be taken to both assets and the commitments the insurance company has towards its customers. A model that has proven to fit well regarding the matching of assets and liabilities is the Asset Liability Management Model (ALM model). In addition to the matching in the balance sheet, the ALM model can be used in a company's work with strategic portfolio allocation by applying it as a basis for analyzing investment strategies with expected risk and return. From this, the ALM model also becomes relevant for calculating key figures according to the legal framework Solvens II which includes laws and regulations regarding the demands on economical strength (solvens) of insurance companies.Hence, the goal of this masters thesis has been to, on behalf of Bliwa Livförsäkring, create an ALM model to support the asset management department of Bliwa in their work with defining a credible way of analyzing the future risk and return of Bliwa's asset portfolio and insurance undertakings.The ALM model generally consist of four submodels, the scenario model, the liability model, the asset model and the company model, where the scenario model often is named as the core of the ALM model. The course of action has been to develop these submodels individually, with focus on the scenario model.

The purpose of this essay is to outline the aspects of the rule of law that can be applied to credibility assessment in the asylum procedure, and more specifically what factors influence the assessment of credibility in practice. To evaluate this procedure, a multidisciplinary method has been used. Secondary data has been collected from previous academic research and from legal documents such as the Swedish Aliens Act. Since the area of study lacks a reflection on how credibility issues are dealt with in practice, primary research in the form of qualitative interviews has been conducted.Key findings suggest that the Swedish asylum system does offer a fairly inclusive refugee law and rights protection relating to the rule of law. However, the study also suggests that the decision maker's own subjectivity, lack of training relating to trauma and torture victims as well as a rigid system of regulations contribute to credibility assessments being arbitrary and discretionary, in violation of the rule of law..

Bakgrund: Det finns ma?nga aktier att va?lja mellan pa? aktiemarknaden. Fo?r en person som aldrig tidigare har handlat med aktier kan det vara sva?rt att veta vilken investering som efter en tid kan generera ett ho?gre va?rde a?n det satsade kapitalet. Relativva?rdering a?r en investeringsstrategi som kan tilla?mpas fo?r att identifiera dessa aktier.Syfte: Syftet med studien a?r att underso?ka om va?rdemultiplarna P/E-talet, P/BV-talet och direktavkastning kan generera o?veravkastning genom investeringar i underva?rderade aktier i finansbranschen.

Syftet med detta arbete var att undersöka hur elevdokumentation så som portfolio, individuella utvecklingsplaner samt loggböcker fungerar i praktiken och dess värde vid överlämnande samt övertagande av elever från år 6 till 7. Undersökningen är grundad på kvalitativa intervjuer genomförda i två olika kommuner med lärare i år 6 och 7 samt rektorer på två F-9 skolor. Enligt skolans styrdokument ska lärarna följa upp eleverna och möta dem där de är genom att anpassa undervisningen efter varje individuellt behov. Olika faktorer som försvårar detta kan vara för få lärare i för stora klasser. Ute på skolorna finns olika verktyg för att hjälpa lärare att uppnå detta mål, men problemet som uppstått är att olika skolor/lärare arbetar på väldigt olika sätt och att innehållet i elevdokumentationen då blir väldigt varierande och därför inte tas tillvara vid övertagandet av elever i år 7.

Examensarbetet ställer frågan i vilken mån den individuella utvecklingsplanen integreras i den dagliga undervisningen och elevernas lärande. Utgångspunkten har varit två frågeställningar: vilka arbetsmetoder använder lärare i arbetet med den individuella utvecklingsplanen och vilka för- och nackdelar ser de med dokumentet? Problemområdet introduceras med en förklaring av den individuella utvecklingsplanen för att senare ge en inblick i den tidigare forskningen. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna har varit det sociokulturella, kognitiva samt det behavioristiska perspektivet på inlärning och lärande. Empirin bestod av sex klasslärare i de lägre årskurserna från tre skolor.

Background: The design industry is relatively immature in Sweden but large on the international market, where companies have used services from industrial design firms for a long time. Companies incresignly realise that design is an efficient mean to gain competitive advantages on the market. Several design companies fancy growth and to receive a wider market share to expand on the international market. One of them is Design Communicaton who has made a couple of acquisitions, to receive wider comptences and to cover different segments. That has lead to an increased brand portfolio with different subbrands, which can be complicated to handle efficiently in the internal and external communication.