By using steady-state measurements for predicting emissions under a dynamic drive cycle wouldsave a lot of time and money for the exhaust aftertreatment specialists at Volvo cars. The idea forthis thesis has been to investigate if statistical regression models can be used with good accuracy.Questions included are for example if common operating variables such as engine speed, air-fuelratio etc. is sufficient to predict engine-out emissions over the engine operating range with goodaccuracy. Focus was set on the modelling of warm engine, but also the more complex engineheat-up phase was investigated since it is a great contributor to total emissions. While NOxcouldnot be measured because of malfunctioning measurement equipment, only HC, CO andtemperature at inlet of first catalytic converter has been modelled.

Title: Have IFRS made the accounting more efficient for investors? ? A study of goodwill-relevance Level: Final assignment for Degree of Master (One Year)Author: Patrik Nygard and Andreas Pettersson       Supervisor: Markku Penttinen            Date: 2010 ? MayAim: The Swedish banks SEB and Swedbank are on the same market but their goodwill is amortized totally differently and its results will be different. We decided to examine the accounts in Sweden and see if they have been more efficient, from a user perspective, after the introduction of IFRS in year 2005Method:  This paper is made from a quantitative and a deductive approach. We have collected data from all companies listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange between the years 2002-2008 using the computer program Financial Datastream and then made the regression and other analyses and comparisons with the program MinitabResult & Conclusions: We have in this paper demonstrated that how the accounting of goodwill designed is relevant to investors and that this relevance has increased in Sweden after the transition to IFRS. We have also concluded that the goodwill has greater relevance in a rising market than in a downward.Suggestions for future research: In future researches can the aim be to compare other accounting standards changes that occurred in the year 2005 and see if the accounting, from that perspective been more efficient.Contribution of the thesis: We have shown how the account influences investor?s decisions during different accounting systems and in particular how they react on the changed account of goodwill.

This study tests two financial valuation models empirically by valuing three stocks from three industries, with the purpose of studying how well valuation models work empirically and to make a forecast. The models which will be tested are residual income valuation and discounted cash flow. Nine stocks will be picked strategically from the Swedish stock market and additional analysis will follow in the analysis chapter.Based on analysis and valuation, the commodities industry has decent valuation as the healthcare industry is undervalued thanks to the high valuation of AZN. The energy industry has low value due to the capital intensive nature of the industry. When it comes to the models and their practical implementation, DCF has been the most problematic to apply empirically whereas RIV was better but it still shows extreme values, which teaches the student the clear difference between theory and empiri..

The company Betsson opened its first physical gambling shop in Sweden in May 2008, thereby defying the Swedish government?s legal gambling monopoly. The legal case that has resulted due to the violation of the Swedish gambling law has attracted immense attention from mass media, thus generating vast amounts of publicity for the company. This paper aims to evaluate and describe the company?s decision to open the store, as well as to examine the relationship between market driving practices and market driven practices.

Investor Relations is a function used by companies to compete for capital by creating relations with investors. It is a young function, earlier practiced by the same people who had responsible for exercising the Public Relations.Investor Relations has evolved a great deal lately but there are still no concrete theories behind the function. The aim though is clear and there are literature explaining how to practice the different parts. The most research within Investor Relations uses the theory of Relationship Marketing. Lately the two authors Hägg and Preiholt have started to examine what they call Financial Marketing since Investor Relations is about relations between actors on financial markets primarily.In this paper, we examine the aspect of information in Investor Relations.

Previously studies have shown that the way companies explain outcome in their annual report is not totally trustworthy. Studies show that the management has a self serving bias when they explain the result to give a positive image of the company. Our study is based on investigations into this phenomenon in the telecom market in Sweden. Turbulent market conditions with, among other, deregulation of the monopoly of fixed telephony and a huge technical evolution, which has led to an increase in competition, is the reason to why we have chosen to study the telecom market in Sweden. As a benchmark in our study the attribution theory will be used.

In this essay the authors are trying to level the success in the IT-company Apple?s market communication. The problem investigated is if the company?s profile, the picture they are trying to implement onto the market, is the same as the market consider the image of the company to be. The problem is studied in a method which combines both a qualitative and a quantitative survey.

Background: During the year 2002 approximately 27 000 people lost their jobs because of companies filing for bancruptcy. In 2002 the number of companies filing for bancruptcy in Sweden were 6740. This is approximately twice as many as in the year of 1974 when the first major study concerning bancruptcies in Sweden was carried out. The accumulated amount of unpaid bancruptcy claims for the period 1991 ? 1997 was 51 billion SEK.

The first version of the Swedish Code of Corporate Governance was published year 2004, by the code group, Kollegiet, after a mission from the Swedish government. The Code consists a collection of rules and standards about corporate governance and internal control, and the first version was intended to include incorporated limited companies on Stockholm?s alpha stocks, and also listed companies with a stock market value over three thousand million Swedish kronor. Now a few years have passed, and in July 2008 a new, revised version of the Code was implemented, now simplified and shorted, with the intention to include all joint-stock companies in Sweden. The Code contains rules about for example ownership, management commitments, annual stockholders meetings, and the accountant. This study intends to, with a qualitative research approach and an inductive reasoning, through studies of empirics in the subject, review whether the accountant?s profession has been influenced by the Code.

Background: An evaluation of analysts´ forecasting ability is interesting since their estimates constitute an important part in stock valuation and investment decisions. The recent years´ development in the stock market has lead to criticism of analysts? deficient forecasts. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate analysts´ forecasting ability concerning companies quoted at Stockholmsbörsen between 1987 and 2002. We also intend to discuss possible explanations for analysts? behavior in case of deficient accuracy.

The purpose of this thesis is to bring insight into and understanding of how the market for emission rights in Europe currently works and what problems it is currently facing. The research can be said to be based on positive theory, in the sense that it is grounded more on empirical theory on the subject than normative theory. Furthermore, a qualitative approach to generating data has been used. This has led to a pattern mode of explanation, where understanding a unique and complex field is the focus. The theoretical perspective utilized in this thesis is mainly based on empirical research on similar market-based systems for emission control.

Abstract: Hightech EU/Japan ? a research about European hightech companies? interest in establishing business on the Japanese market with the help from a middleman. Subject: Marketing. Problem: The Japanese market is highly developed and therefore interesting for foreign companies. The Japanese culture is very different from the European and this together with the long distance creates problems for European hightech companies to compete on the Japanese market.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the conflict of interest between shareholders, life insurance companies and insurers in stock life insurance companies operated on a mutual basis from an agency-theoretic perspective. Further, this thesis aims to explore from an ownership-theoretical perspective, why this conflict of interest exist. A qualitative research has been performed and the empirical data is foremost based on interviews with persons from the life insurance industry and public prints. The study concludes that the stock life insurance company operated on a mutual basis has two principals whose interests are in conflict. History has shown that stockowners? interests have been prioritized on the expense of the insurers.

Volvo in Arvika produces wheel loaders, and the production is based on forecasts. When a machine is ordered, the customer can choose what type of equipment he or she wants, and these equipments are also made forecasts on. This is made by giving each equipment an estimated procentual usage that shows how many of the machines that will use this option. Today two people are working with the forecasts, planer A in Eskilstuna and planer B in Arvika. Planer A makes a forecast based on the historical outcome and planer B then makes adjustments of this based on how many options that are ordered.

This thesis discusses the validity of the Capital Protection Rules under the new Companies Act.The areas of particular interest and cause for debate focus on the advantages and disadvantages for creditors under the laws regarding minimum capital requirements, capital distributions, stock acquisitions, stock minimization, loan restrictions and forced liquidation.How could creditors receive better protection?What changes would have to be made to the Capital Protection Rules to provide better protection and what would be the consequences of these changes to the shareholders, the government and the creditors.Could or should we model the Norwegian or American Judicial system in this situation?Included is an in depth report on the Swedish Capital Protection Rules outlining what they are, what they entail and what the reasoning was behind them. Also included are the EU equivalents and Norwegian and American Capital Protection Rules..