This paper studies the option market?s implied dividend as a predictor of future equity market returns. We introduce this variable in the simple total return framework and discuss some complications of using it as a proxy for the expected dividend. We construct some regressions using the price-dividend ratio and the implied dividend growth, and test them on six years worth of data on the EURO STOXX 50-index. The main result is that implied dividend growth exhibits some forecastability over two-year horizons, but that the dataset is too short to draw any definitive conclusions about long-horizon forecastability.

The purpose of this work is to design and construct a device able to measure the mechanical attrition of oxygen carrier particles. Those particles are used in chemical looping combustion and in the present situation there is a lack of knowledge in how the attrition process work and in which extension. To find already tested solutions trying to answering this problem a literature study wascarried out and the best solution found was the so called Grace-Davison Jet-Cup method. This method is supposed to emulate the attrition caused by a cyclone separator and its advantages are that it is possible to use small test amounts, 5-10 g, and a thirty minutes long test will be enough to acquire useable results. An device was designed based on the Jet-Cup method with some slight modifications.

The cost of construction projects have increased during the past few years. Different actors in the construction industry work together to advocate various measures to mitigate these cost increases. One of these measures is to try to improve the efficiency in the phase of production. By striving for a kind of standardization with a constant quest for improvement, the productivity can increase while the costs of production fall.For this thesis has a case study been conducted at the construction company JM AB which is seeking this. They call the approach structured production and have implemented various measures to achieve a more productive output.Based on information from reconciliations, the cost and the spent hours of craftsmen have been analyzed at the company where the case study took place.

Background: People are individuals who react differently when confronted with unexpected events. To miscarry is nature?s own way of sorting out the foetuses which could never become a fully grown child. The loss can without help be difficult to handle and can impact the couple negatively towards future pregnancies. The nursing staff ought to familiarize themselves with the experience, encounter their feelings and identify their needs.

SummaryAimThe study examines a theoretical model developed to capture cyclist´s perceptions of the route environment. The survey focuses on if level two and three in the theoretical model captures what it´s intended to do. More specific we ask ourselves how the three appraisals (unsafe/safe by traffic reasons, stimulating/inhibiting route environment, unsafe/safe by other reasons) in the model´s second level relates among themselves and if these three appraisals can capture the degree of environmental well-being/unwell-being in the model´s third level. The questions were: Do the three appraisals differ among themselves? What is the difference/-s in such cases? And, is there a correlation between any of the three appraisals and environmental unwell-being/well-being? What is the correlation in such case? MethodThe gathering of data was done through questionnaires.

The thesis handles the principal-agency problem between shareholders and the Chief Executive Officer. The purpose of the thesis was to examine the link between CEO compensation and corporate performance measured as a change in Market to Book ratio. Data was collected from corporate annual reports between the years 2000 ? 2008 and the study covers 39 Swedish companies from the Stockholm Stock Exchange Large Cap list. To examine whether there is a link between the CEO´s compensation and firm performance, we performed a regression analysis, and no significant relation is found.

This study was performed to investigate the bacteriological quality of French cheeses made from raw milk. Fifty cheeses of this type were purchased from Swedish retail premises. The methods described by the Nordic Committee on Food Analysis (NMKL) were used to determine the number of Enterobacteriaceae, presumptive Escherichia coli, coagulase positive staphylococci and Listeria monocytogenes. In 32 cheeses (64%) the number of bacteria mentioned above exceeded the determined maximum value. Thirty samples (60%) showed high counts of Enterobacteriaceae.

The aim of this study was to examine if there was a relative age effect in students grade in mathematics. The study was built on regression analysis and Spearman rho on student?s month of birth and their grades. It was found that there is a relative age effect in the student?s grades.

I denna undersökning undersöker vi hur individers utbildning samt föräldrars utbildning och beteende påverkar individers jämställdhetsattityder. Vi använder oss av data från 2009 innehållandes 1325 respondenter födda mellan 1964 och 1980. Analysen utfördes med logistisk regression där vi studerar två olika typer av jämställdhetsattityder, allmänna jämställdhetsattityder och jämställdhetsattityder inom den privata sfären. Vår teoretiska ansats är teorin om socialisation samt kognitiv utvecklingsteori. Vi har funnit att en hög utbildning är associerat med mer positiva jämställdhetsattityder.

This report discusses developing a software log tool for analysis of industrial processes. The target was to develop software that can help electro Engineers for monitor and fault finding in industrial processes. The tool is called PLS (Process log server), and is developed in Visual Studio.NET Framework 2005. PLS works as a client with Beijer Electronics OPC Server. The program is able to read data from PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), trough the OPC Server.

This thesis deals with the concept of how price affects demand for a good by estimating various price elasticities of demand for snu sold in Sweden. Information was gathered on price development for snus and cigarettes as well as sales data from Swedish Match, the largest supplier of snus in Sweden. Income-, price- and cross-price elasticities were estimated based on log-log regression. Results show that snus is an inelastic good since the coefficient for price of snus was -0.536. This proved that a 1% increase in price causes a 0.536% decrease in quantity demanded.

According to the study [1] several firefighters are killed in action each year. This happens naturally in various ways. One of the major factors is that firefighters often do not know how the environment looks like, for example that a building in an industrial area contains hazardous gas cylinders. Without a solution, fire-fighters will continue to die in duty. It is therefore important to solve this problem so that we can minimize the risks and save lives.The goal of this project was a control system for pneumatic artificial muscles.

En kvantitativ studie av incitament och avkastning på 338 aktie- och 33 hedgefonder med säte i Sverige genom att variablerna fondförmögenhet, antal fonder i fondbolaget, prestationsbaserad avgift samt prestationsbaserad lön testas mot avkastning och risk. Vi finner att en större fondförmögenhet leder till lägre avkastning, fler fonder i fondbolaget resulterar även det i lägre avkastning för fonden än för motsvarande i ett fondbolag med färre antal fonder. Vår variabel prestationsbaserad lön resulterar i lägre risk för fonden och vår variabel prestationsbaserad avgift resulterar i högre risk. Vi kan inte utifrån våra resultat fastslå att agentteorins antaganden om incitament och kontroll i svenska fonder har en avgörande roll. Däremot hittar vi effekter vilka sannolikt har sin förklaring i agentteorin men då de inte är entydiga går det inte att generalisera sambandet..

Är sambandet mellan ungdomars depressiva känslor och föräldrars beteenden i nyckelsituationer större än sambandet mellan depressiva känslor och allmänna uppfostransstilar? Detta har vi undersökt genom att låta 108 högstadieelever fylla i en enkät och sedan analysera deras svar genom hierarkisk regression. Tidigare forskning har påvisat att positiva beteenden är viktiga när det gäller föräldrars uppfostran och depressiva känslor hos ungdomar. Uppvisandet av positiva beteenden verkar dock inte likaviktiga som avsaknaden av dem. Vi har i vår studie gått ännu ett steg längre och våra resultat visar på att hur föräldrar beter sig i nyckelsituationer har större betydelse för depressiva känslor hos ungdomar än vad allmänna uppfostransstilar har.

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.