Arjun Kumar Dahal

The impact of gender participation on the maturity of crossed-due loans is observed in this study. Furthermore, the associations between maturity of crossed-due loans, their number, and loan issued on physical collateral and collective bail are also monitored using the unbalanced panel data of thirty microfinance companies. The study investigates the short- and long-term link between response and predictor variables. It is founded on an exploratory and descriptive research design. The Hausman test, fixed effect or LSDV model, Pedroni and Kao co-integration test are used to observe the relation and impact. The maturity crossed due loan number, total loan amount, loan issued against physical collateral, and loan allocated on collective bail are jointly significant to determine the maturity of crossed due loan amount of microfinance companies of Nepal. It is found that women are more conscientious in repaying loans on time compared to male borrowers. Per rupee 0.382 rupees, a maturity crossed due loan is found in microfinance companies where only women can borrow, but per rupee 0.404 rupees, a time crossed due loan is found where men and women can borrow. Policymakers of banks are not necessarily hesitant to provide loans to female borrowers.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between Nepal’s industrial sector output, economic expansion, and CO₂ emissions. The analysis uses secondary data from various World Bank reports and covers the period from 1990 to 2022. It is founded on an exploratory and analytical research design. The relationship and effect of Nepal’s GDP and manufacturing output on CO₂ emissions are investigated using various statistical and econometric tools, including descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, unit root testing, Granger causality test, Johansen co-integration test, and autoregressive regression model. The results show that the production of the industrial sector and CO₂ emissions are highly positively correlated, as is GDP. The GDP granger causes CO₂ emissions, but manufacturing output does not. Johansen’s co-integration test shows a long-term relationship between predictor and response variables. The previous value of CO₂ emission is also responsible for the present level of carbon emissions: a one percent increase in GDP leads to a 0.314 percent increase in CO₂ emissions in Nepal. The impact of industrial sector output is statistically insignificant. The condition of GDP and CO₂ emissions shows the initial phase of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). The study recommends adopting an environment-friendly production technique to overcome the problem of carbon emissions in Nepal.

This study aims to examine the impact of foreign trade and foreign direct investment on Nepal’s long-term economic growth. It uses secondary data from 1989/90 to 2021/22 collected from various economic surveys of the Ministry of Finance of Nepal. Descriptive and explanatory research designs are used in this study. The trace, max-eigen tests, and fully modified least square methods search the long-run co-integration and impact between response and predictor variables. Trace and max-eigen tests consistently point toward the long-run co-integration between dependent (gross domestic product) and independent (import, export, total trade, and foreign direct investment) variables. Exports and imports are found to be negative and statistically significant to explain Nepal’s economic growth. One unit increase in exports results in a 0.748 unit decrease in Nepal’s economic growth. Similarly, total trade volume and foreign direct investment positively impact economic growth. Each unit increase in foreign direct investment results in a 0.0036 unit increase in GDP in Nepal. Foreign trade has a multiplier effect on Nepal’s GDP growth. The 76.35 percent variation in economic growth depends upon total foreign trade volume, exports, imports, and foreign direct investment. To promote sustainable economic growth, policymakers should prioritize policies encouraging increased total foreign trade and foreign direct investment while carefully managing the potential negative impact of excessive reliance on import dynamics.

Most developed and emerging economies pay substantial attention to liquidity to understand stock return behavior. However, there is a need for more focus on understanding the impact of such factors on stock returns in developing countries such as Nepal. This study aims to examine the effect of liquidity, size, financial and asset risk, growth potential, and profitability on stock returns in Nepalese commercial banks. A pooled ordinary least squares regression model is utilized, employing data from the Central Bank of Nepal and the Nepal Stock Exchange. There are 249 observations in the data set, which covers the period from 2009/10 to 2019/20. The model considers the impact of trading volume, market capitalization, book-to-market ratio, asset growth, and return on asset on stock returns in Nepalese commercial banks. The results indicate that trading volume, a proxy of liquidity, positively affects stock returns in Nepalese commercial banks. The finding reveals that when other variables are held constant, a 0.288 percent increase in stock returns is expected for a one percent rise in trading volume. However, asset growth and return on assets show a weakly favorable link with stock returns in Nepal. Conversely, the research findings suggest an insignificant inverse correlation between book-to-market and stock returns. A decrease in stock returns of 0.307 percent is expected for a one percent increase in the book-to-market ratio. Similarly, market capitalization has a negligible effect on stock returns in Nepal.