New technologies always have an impact on traditional theories. Finance theories are no exception to that. In this paper, we have concentrated on the traditional investment theories in finance. The study examined five investment theories, their assumptions, and their limitation from different works of literature. The study considered Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) as representative of financial technology (fintech) and tried to find out from the literature how these new technologies help to reduce the limitations of traditional theories. We have found that fintech does not have an equal impact on every conventional finance theory. Fintech outperforms all five traditional theories but on a different scale.

The contraction of manufacturing economic activity in Latin American countries has been affected by the health crisis in the last few years. This phenomenon has negatively impacted the Latin American countries’ economies. In order to evaluate the impact of the manufacturing economy, this research integrates the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the growth of the Ecuadorian manufacturing sector, from 1981 to 2019, considering the role of the state through public spending using cointegration. The results are not consistent considering the empirical framework used; thus, FDI has a negative and significant influence on the manufacturing sector. Also, the manufacturing sector has a strong relationship with FDI in the short run and a less significant one in the long run. The results presented in this research suggest promoting domestic and FDI in the manufacturing sector, not only towards overexploited and monopolized sectors such as mining and telecommunications.

The study examines the economic and social impacts of a Southeast Asian multinational company operating in the northwestern region of Hungary, with a particular focus on the local labor market and community responses. The research aims to explore the company’s location choice motivations, its integration process into the local economy, and its cooperation with the local government and communities. The research provides a comprehensive picture of the company’s impacts by employing qualitative and quantitative methodologies—including management interviews and household surveys. The findings indicate that the company has significantly increased employment, enhanced infrastructure, and promoted cultural diversity. However, challenges related to cultural integration persist. The study offers valuable guidance for policymakers and businesses on leveraging the economic benefits of foreign investments and fostering cultural cooperation. Future research could delve deeper into the long-term socio-economic impacts.

Over the course of many years, the Mekong Delta region has experienced relatively low and inconsistent levels of business attraction and low quality of the enterprise environment compared to other regions in Vietnam. To delve into whether this discrepancy reflects a negative perception of the business environment in the area, this study employs a dataset comprising the aggregate Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and nine of its component scores, alongside other significant control variables, to analyze business attraction trends spanning from 2010 to 2020. It based on the modeling analysis for the panel data that includes Pool-OLS, FEM and REM models. The findings indicate that PCI serves as an important indicator influencing the quality of the business environment and plays a role in determining the location preferences of businesses. It is observed that public investment has exerted an impact on enticing new businesses to the region throughout this period. These research outcomes carry several policy implications, suggesting that public policy interventions can positively shape the business environment, consequently bolstering the appeal of business investments in the region.

The well-being of society can be realized through meeting basic needs, one of which is providing public infrastructure. This study examines the role of Natural Resource Revenue Sharing Funds (DBH SDA) on government investment in infrastructure in 491 regencies/cities in Indonesia. The testing in this research uses panel data regression analysis. The results show that per capita DBH SDA in Indonesia during the study period of 2010–2012 has a significant and positive influence on government investment in infrastructure. The selection of this period is based on the consideration that a resources boom has occurred, where there is an increased global demand for natural resource commodities followed by an increase in commodity prices, thereby positively impacting revenue for countries or regions abundant in natural resources. Despite DBH SDA having a significant and positive influence, regional spending on infrastructure tends to be more influenced by central government transfers such as General Allocation Fund (DAU), Special Allocation Fund (DAK), and Local Own-source Revenue (PAD). It was found that government investment in infrastructure tends to be influenced by transfer funds, indicating that the role of the central government remains significant in determining the infrastructure expenditure of regencies/cities in Indonesia.

This study investigates the link between debt and political alignment in international relations between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and African nations. Using recorded roll-call votes on United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions, we explore whether PRC investment in sovereign debt influences the voting behaviour of loan recipient countries. We compile voting data for African countries from 2000 to 2020 to calculate an annual voting affinity score as a proxy for political alignment. Concurrently, data on Chinese public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) loans to African governments are collected. A Two-Stage Least-Squares analysis is employed, using the ratio of Chinese PPG debt to GDP as an instrument to address endogeneity. Results reveal a negative impact of Chinese lending on African political support, while trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), and Chinese GDP positively influence political alignment. In high debt-risk African countries, interest rates have a negative impact, whereas loan maturity shows a positive effect. These findings suggest that Chinese loans, particularly under commercial terms, may have strained bilateral relations due to debt sustainability concerns. Nevertheless, the positive impacts of trade and FDI may enhance international relations, highlighting the limitations of China’s loan diplomacy in fostering long-term strategic alignment in Africa.