Is the economic reform of Central Europe influenced by or an influence upon capital markets? Where does globalization fit in? Ken Morita's pioneering work investigates the relationship between the systemic transition of Central European economies and capital markets, in particular the commodity futures markets and speculation.

Now that the euphoria over political change has died down, the formerly socialist countries of Eastern and Central Europe are facing an economic crisis. The contributors to this well-established annual publication consider the key factors affecting the economic transition process, analyzing possible strategies for successful reform including the use of "shock theory" to accelerate the process. As well as examining various country-specific problems, the authors explore the status of the Central European countries seeking integration with the European Economic Community, and ask whether all the former socialist countries might do well to adopt some of the economic development strategies used so successfully by the nations of Southeast Asia.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Central European economies have been moving rapidly toward a common set of goals: political democracy, market-oriented economies and integration into the European and international business community. For businesses, Central Europe offers a unique window of opportunity and, in particular, two comparative advantages: a low-cost qualified workforce and stronger growth rates than mature Western European economies. This opportunity, seized by local entrepreneurs and foreign enterprises alike, is a significant competitive threat to companies not present in the region, or who have not found alternative strategies for increased growth and competitiveness. This book addresses economic transitions in Central Europe and analyzes the problems of Central European integration in the European Union.

This volume makes JEC-commissioned expert studies of economic developments in East-Central Europe available to business people, educators and students. Coverage includes economic, political and social reform issues, regional relations, and the impact of Western assistance programmes.

This book contains 21 papers focusing on a wide range of issues concerning financial sector transition in the countries of Europe and Central Asia (ECA). It places the transition economies in the context of recent and prospective developments in global financial markets. This book also evaluates the experience of the last 10 years and reviews the progress from a command financial system to a market-based one, identifying some of the key characteristics of the financial transition.

Adventurous Moneymaking is about the adventures Thomas Fellegi experienced on different financial markets. His pursuits started in street currency markets during the transition from communism to a market economy in Central and Eastern Europe, continuing on the fledgling equities markets of these new capitalist countries, and then on the more mature stock markets in the United States and Western Europe. The author also recounts the stories of other traders with similar careers, but each with its own unique and interesting aspect. In addition to providing fascinating stories, the book also explains the basics of the stock market in straightforward terms and mentions the most important markets and shares.

An excellent analyses of the effects of EU enlargement on capital markets in the most advanced countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. It also investigates the EU's impact on the interactions between Eastern and Western capital markets. The study is particularly useful for financial analysts, institutional investors and academic researchers who are interested in the economic and institutional developments of capital markets in CEE countries.

This volume is meant to be a modest contribution to the ongoing debate about the transitions away from the administrative planning environment typical of the former communist regimes. The central subject matter is a fairly special one, namely the privatization of these economies together with the restoration and effective monitoring of property rights. These are paramount tasks of the ongoing transformations once progress toward pOlitical democracy is secured. Though I would not allot divestment of existing state-owned assets the kind of pivotal importance that some observers reserve for it, changing rules on the utilization of these assets is evidently at the core of what the transition toward market-based economic systems should be all about. Rather than examining the entire range of issues that surround the controvery on privatization, this volume is primarily concerned with the economics of taking the state out of the decision making about existing assets. Among the several aspects of this discussion three stand out. One is the establishment of clear property rights. This is fundamental to minimize trans action costs in an environment where decisions will increasingly be taken by independent economic agents acting on their own account. Second, I look only incidentally at the various angles of creating capital markets, particularly for existing assets, in these economies.

This book underscores the complexity of the equity markets, the challenges they face, and the fact that they are still a work in process. Three interacting forces drive market change: competition, technology change, and regulatory change. The markets have one major objective in particular to achieve: the delivery of accurate price discovery for both traders and the broader market. Are we getting it? Are competition, technology, and regulation acting together to improve market quality, or are they adding to the complexity of the markets and making accurate price discovery harder to achieve? The difficulty of addressing these issues and reaching a consensus regarding public policy is reflected in the diverse opinions expressed in this book. From an institutional perspective, the volume’s contributors highlight the interconnectedness of all aspects of the internal and external environment within which exchange organizations act. Equity Markets in Transition underscores how technological evolution and recent regulatory changes have influenced the business, and how these developments have opened new possibilities for exchange organizations and for equity markets as a whole, including such issues as the impact of equity markets on job creation. The book combines both a theoretical and a practical approach. Part I presents a theoretical overview of the international equity market business, including an overall description of the value chain of stock trading that includes deep dives on every decisive step. Part II contains contributions from various business specialists who have specific practical and academic knowledge of the different steps. Equity Markets in Transition represents a unique combination of theoretical and practical analysis that offers first-hand insights on all relevant interactions and interrelations among the various parts of the exchange business, with an emphasis on facilitating analysis of the status quo and of emerging trends regarding business models, regulation, and the development of the competitor, customer and investor sides.