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Alan Gregory

Alan Gregory

Alan Gregory is a Professor of Corporate Finance. Prior to taking up this position, he held professorial positions at both the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and the University of Glasgow. In addition to his position at Exeter, he was a full panel member of the Competition Commission for two successive for year terms until September 2009 and is now External Advisor to the Commission‘s Finance and Regulation Group.

His consulting experience includes acting as advisor to one of the largest accounting firms on a number of issues, advising HM Treasury, and consulting for fund managers on investment strategies and asset allocation strategies. His work at the Competition Commission involved being a panel member on a number of inquiries, including a regulatory inquiry into airport pricing, market inquiries into domestic bulk liquid petroleum gas and the UK grocery market, and merger inquiries relating to the GUS / Littlewoods mail order operations and the takeover bids for the London Stock Exchange by Euronext and Deutsche Börse. In addition, he has acted as a consultant to other inquiries including the mobile phone and storecards inquiries. He has also undertaken expert witness work for the Treasury Solicitors’ Department, and in connection with Australian Gas Distribution pricing cases.

My current research interests are as follows:
The general area of market-based empirical research, particularly with regard to the robustness of conclusions that can be drawn from such studies in the light of documented risk factors. At present, this interest principally focuses upon the areas of take-overs and mergers together with returns to, and valuation of, corporate social responsibility agendae. Related work has focused on market reaction to directors’ trading activity, and the success of initial public offerings. A Leverhulme research grant of approximately £78k funding work on directors’ dealing around takeovers has recently been completed.

The empirical estimation of cost of capital, which has included the award of a an ESRC Grant of approximately £300k (started in December 2012). Outputs to date include a recent JBFA paper the empirical testing of the Fama-French and Carhart models in the UK, and a working paper to be presented to the BAFA Conference later in 2016 on beta estimation. Both these papers are with Dr Rajesh Tharyan and Dr Shan Hua, with whom I provide downloadable data on Fama-French style portfolios and factors for the UK and the ESRC grant is, inter alia, to to support the regular updating of these data for benefit of UK academic researchers via the Xfi website. I am lead researcher on the grant with three other co-reaserachers at Exeter.

My interest in CSR has included two studies of the performance of ethical and non-ethical UK unit trusts which were published in the Journal of Business Finance and Accounting (JBFA). Current work is investigating the returns to, and market valuation of, CSR in relation to the US and two papers have been published in Journal of Business Ethics on this theme. A final paper on eranings persistence and firm value is forthcoming in JBFA.
I have had a long standing interest in the long run returns to UK acquirers. This led to me being invited to give a keynote paper at the 2015 ICAEW “Better Markets” Conference. The paper, “How far does financial reporting allow us to judge whether M&A activity is successful?” is forthcoming in Accounting and Business Research.

Briferendum Series

Why mortgage rates will rise with Brexit

May 16, 2016 12:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate

How Brexit would affect house prices and homeowners is one of the big questions in the build up to the UKs EU referendum vote. George Osborne has said that mortgage rates will rise if theres an Out vote. Meanwhile, the...

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Economy

Budget 2024: experts react to the UK government’s last roll of the economic dice ahead of a general election

The spring budget of 2024 was widely seen as a chance for UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to inject some economic optimism into British politics ahead of a general election. Would he or wouldnt he cut income tax? (He wouldnt.)...

From micro to macro, Andrew Leigh’s accessible history covers the economic essentials – and an epic rap battle

Andrew Leighs The Shortest History of Economics is the latest in a series of such histories, mostly focused on particular countries. It begins with a striking mini-history of household lighting, focusing on the amount...

Taxes aren’t just about money – they shape how we think about each other

Taxes raising them, cutting them, creating them are useful political tools in an election year (as Chancellor Jeremy Hunts decision to cut national insurance shows). But they are always pertinent, even if some people...

Interest rates are expected to drop but trying to out-think the market won’t guarantee getting a good deal

With most economists expecting interest rates to start falling later this year, prospective home buyers might be weighing up whether to buy now for fear of strong competition for stock, or waiting until repayments are...

Wendy’s won’t be introducing surge pricing, but it’s nothing new to many industries

The recent controversy over Wendys pricing strategies is a perfect example of how online word-of-mouth can distort marketing communications and create confusion for consumers. Wendys new president and CEO Kirk Tanner...

Politics

3 things to watch for in Russia’s presidential election – other than Putin’s win, that is

Russians will vote in a presidential election from March 15-17, 2024, and are all but guaranteed to hand Vladimir Putin a comfortable victory, paving the way for him to remain in power until at least 2030. While the...

Ireland referendums: what went wrong for the government and why double defeat draws a line under a decade of constitutional reform

Ireland, more than any other EU country, has a long and colourful history of referendums. Another chapter in that history has played out in the form of resounding defeats for two government proposals aimed at modernising...

Artdocfest is a crucial outpost of free expression on Russia’s doorstep

On the day of the funeral of Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putins most prominent opponent, the biggest festival of documentary film in the former Soviet countries opened in Latvia with a minutes silence. Artdocfest Rigas...

A beginner’s guide to the taxes you’ll hear about this election season

National insurance, income tax, VAT, capital gains tax, inheritance tax… its easy to get confused about the many different ways we contribute to the cost of running the country. The budget announcement is the key...

Science

Our survey of the sky is uncovering the secrets of how planets are born

When we look out to the stars, it is typically not a yearning for the distant depths of outer space that drives us. When we are looking out there, we are truly looking back at ourselves. We try to understand our place in...

Archeoastronomy uses the rare times and places of previous total solar eclipses to help us measure history

Total solar eclipses have fascinated and terrified people for centuries. Today, we know that total solar eclipses like the upcoming eclipse on April 8 are caused by a cosmic coincidence when the moon comes between the...

Spacesuits need a major upgrade for the next phase of exploration

Humans have long dreamed of setting foot on the Moon and other planetary bodies such as Mars. Since the 1960s, space travellers have donned suits designed to protect them from the vacuum of space and stepped out into the...

The brightest object in the universe is a black hole that eats a star a day

Scientists have no reported evidence of the true conditions in Hell, perhaps because no one has ever returned to tell the tale. Hell has been imagined as a supremely uncomfortable place, hot and hostile to bodily forms of...

The brain is the most complicated object in the universe. This is the story of scientists’ quest to decode it – and read people’s minds

In the middle of 2023, a study conducted by the HuthLab at the University of Texas sent shockwaves through the realms of neuroscience and technology. For the first time, the thoughts and impressions of people unable to...

Technology

Nvidia's B200 AI Chip Unveiled: A Leap Towards Extending Market Dominance

At its annual developer conference, Nvidia unveiled the B200, a flagship AI chip 30 times faster than its predecessors, aiming to solidify its market dominance amid increasing competition. Nvidias Bold Move: Unveiling...

Nvidia to Power Humanoid Robots Using Generative AI

Nvidia Corporation said on Monday that it has created a hardware and software platform for building humanoid robots. The software firm also added generative artificial intelligence (AI) features to power the robots. The...

Nvidia, Johnson & Johnson MedTech Team Up to Develop AI-Powered Surgery

Johnson Johnson MedTech and Nvidia announced on Monday, March 18, that they are working together to develop and expand new artificial intelligence (AI) applications designed for surgery. Kimberly Powell, Nvidias vice...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE Leak Suggests $800 Price Tag, Targets Market Share

Samsung is reportedly set to expand its foldable phone lineup with a budget-friendly Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, priced at just $800. This strategic move aims to boost sales and market share amidst fierce competition. Samsungs...
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