Mauro Aliano University of Rome Tor Vergata, ItalyMaria Cristina Arcuri University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy and University of Parma, ItalyFrancesca Battaglia University of Naples Parthenope, ItalyEkaterina Dorodnykh University of Rome Tor Vergata, ItalyVincenzo Farina University of Rome Tor Vergata, ItalyGiuseppe Galloppo University of Tuscia, Viterbo, ItalyClaudio Giannotti University LUM Jean Monnet, Casamassima, Italy and University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy Elvira Anna Graziano University of Rome Tor Vergata, ItalyGiovanni Liccardo University of Rome Tor Vergata, ItalyPietro Marchetti University of Salento, Italy and University of Rome Tor Vergata, ItalyGianni Nicolini University of Rome Tor Vergata, ItalyUgo Pomante University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy and SDA Bocconi School of Management, ItalyClaudio Porzio University of Naples Parthenope, ItalyFabrizio Quarta University of Salento, ItalyMarco Reale University of Canterbury, New ZealandGabriele Sampagnaro University of Naples Parthenope, Italy and University of Rome Tor Vergata, ItalyGeorgios Siligardos University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy and University of Salento, ItalyAnna Valeria Venneri University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy and University of Salento, Italy

• PART I: ASSET PRICING DURING THE CRISIS 1. Does Investor Attention Influence Stock Market Activity? The Case of Spin-Off Deals; A.Carretta, V.Farina, E.A.Graziano & M.Reale 2. The Effects of Derivatives Trading on Stock Market Volatility and Market Efficiency. Some Evidence from European Markets; G.Liccardo 3. How Much Globalization is there in the World Stock Markets and where is it?; G.Nicolini & E.Dorodnykh 4. Financial Analyst Recommendation Driven Funds: a Risk Adjusted Measure Analysis; G.Galloppo 5. Alternative Neural Network Approaches for Enhancing Stock Picking using Earnings Forecasts; G.Galloppo & M.Aliano 6. Market Timing with the Black-Litterman Model; U.Pomante 7. Performance and Governance in Investment Management Companies; M.C.Arcuri PART II: REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT VEHICLES AND MARKETS DURING THE CRISIS 8. The Quality of Real Estate Data: the Italian Case; F.Battaglia, C.Porzio & G.Sampagnaro 9. Real Estate Trends and Portfolio Rebalancing: Evidence from Main European Markets; G.Mattarocci & G.Siligardos 10. The Choice of the Risk Measure in Selecting Real Estate Funds: Evidence from the Italian Market; C.Giannotti & G.Mattarocci PART III: PUBLIC SECTOR ISSUES IN A CRISIS SCENARIO 11. Economic and Financial Determinants of Italian Local Government Ratings: an Empirical Analysis; A.V.Venneri 12. Evolution of the Finance Function in the Italian Local Public Bodies; F.Quarta & P.Stefanizzi 13. Project Finance Exposures in the Supervisory Slotting Criteria Approach: Pricing and Judgmental Analysis; P.Marchetti & A.V.Venneri