Grain pricing in Ukraine: A case study of malted barley

The purpose of the research is to find the right strategic formula to resolve bad loans suitable to environment and characteristics of micro-financial institutions and their consumers. It applies qualitative approach by means of interactive method put forward by Milles and Huberman (2009) as analysis method. Data are obtained from indepth interview with superordinates, staff and consumers of microfinance institutions in Kendari city. A microcredit institution “Harum” needs several strategis to handle bad loans. It includes: institutional reinforcement (improvement in service procedure, increase in human resources’ skill, more branch offices, more new recuitments, the involvement of sub-district government, the use of information system), reinforcement of consumers’ capacity (tight selection process, counseling of business management, advisory service, and special relationship). The research results serve as solutions to microfinancial institutions in handling bad loans, from which development and sustainability can be assured. Consumers might make use of this information to develop their business. They also might serve as references for regional government in making the right policy for the development of micofinancial institutions and small business empowerment. This is the first study exploring formulation of strategy for microfinancial institutions in handling bad loans. The research explores internal and external aspects of microfinancial institution, with holistic view of the right policy in terms of institutions and consumers.

The published financial statements are considered one of the most important sources of information that investors rely on in forecasting stock performance or even judging the organization’s ability to cover short-run liabilities. Cash flows play a core role in maintaining a high market value for its shares. Hence, this study came to analyze the explanatory value of the cash flow statement in explaining stock volatility (SV) in the Qatar financial market. Study data were collected using published financial statements from a sample of 44 Qatari-listed companies throughout 2013–2019. A panel cross-sectional data technique using the E-views program was used to analyze the data. The study results show there is a positive and significant impact of cash flows from operating CFO activities on SV, indicating that the higher change in CFO increases stock volatility. This means that operating cash flows give significant information to investors, and it is reflected in the stock price movements directly. Also, the cash flow from CFF financing activities has a positive and significant effect on SV. This means that CFF affects stock prices, causing greater changes and fluctuation in stock returns. This is because one of the major components of CFF is dividends, which affect directly stock prices and stock returns. In contrast, there is an insignificant effect of CFI on SV, which may indicate that investors do not build their investment decisions based on CFI. Accordingly, the cash flow from investing activities failed to explain the stock volatility of the listed Qatari companies.

Awareness of healthy food, population growth, increasing incomes, and urbanization raise the global demand for fruit, where the second position goes to apples. However, their supply is insufficient, implying the lost revenues and exacerbating nutritional food insecurity. To help growers, traders, and consumers cope with such a challenge, this research focused on revealing some world patterns in apple production and trade detailed by groups of countries, their capacities, and prices. The explored data on fresh and processed apples derived from the Food and Agriculture Organization Statistics. The methodological framework of the study engaged divisive hierarchical clustering, analysis of interval variation series, and inequality indicators. The research findings identified two major clusters of 50 out of 96 countries specialized in production and foreign sales of 83.2% and 76.9% of apples. The study outcome comparing fair trade via two triple histograms specified the prevailing deviations between –82% and 80% around farm gate apple prices in 47 exporting countries and the same between –83% and 83% in 46 importing countries. Based on the Gini coefficient, Ratio 20/20, and Hoover index, the accomplished evaluations quantified total disparity in apple trading by 13% to 40%, calculated misbalance between 20% of the top and bottom world traders, and grounded preferable market alignments ranged from 9% to 38%.