Financial Management for the Future

The motivation for all research activities conducted in these areas is to develop knowledge that enhances the sustainability of financial management practices in markets and companies. Accordingly, the research field primarily runs an applied research program with a particular care for its impact on education – with the intent to prepare graduate students to fulfill their future role in the economy – and on the professional community – to contribute to enhancing the sustainable footprint of their financial decisions. The research program is organized along two main research lines:

Asset and Risk Management which focuses on optimal portfolio allocation strategies under different economic contexts and also on appropriately measuring and pricing a wide array of traditional risks (exchange rate, operational, credit and liquidity risks of various market and firms), but also emergent risks like systemic, climate change and cyber risks.

Corporate Finance which focuses on how financial and accounting disclosures but also press releases, and in particular its various communicative attributes, are affected by the broader corporate environment in which firms operate. Besides, the researchers are currently active in the performance analysis of private equity and venture capital investments for their shareholders but also for policy-makers (investor protection) and employees. 

The FM4F expertise has been recognized through the participation in several investment or advisory committees, nationally (finance advisory committees of the FNRS and of the University Foundation) and internationally (investment committees of Finective SICAV (Lux) and Birdee (Lux)), and advisory roles in the world of wealth management. The senior members of the research group are regularly invited to provide guest lectures or keynote speeches about their research in academic (INSEAD, Maastricht University, EDHEC, Paris-Dauphine, University of Aix-Marseille…) or professional institutions (La Française Global, Investment Solution, TrackInsight, BNP Paribas, …).  

In corporate finance and financial analysis, the research group regularly mentors students in international competitions such as the Oxford Global Private Equity Challenge, the CFA Research Challenge as well national events such as the Young Banker Challenge.