Top financial scholars from around the world analyze regional economic issues in light of the recent Asian financial crisis. As a result of that crisis, and the ensuing reforms, corporations, governments, individual investors have pursued a variety of strategies to cope with the fast-changing economic situation. Each chapter treats a separate issue and offers policy recommendations. Among the theoretical and empirical analyses collected here are those relating to nonperforming loans, economic restructuring, bank forecasting, prediction of corporate failure, Islamic banking issues, new measurement of systematic risk of delisted stocks resuming trading operations, and the lead-lag relationship and pricing efficiency of regional stock exchanges.

DILIP K. GHOSH is Professor of Finance at Rutgers University in New Jersey and serves as Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Chair Professor of Finance at Universiti Utara, Malaysia. He is also the editor of the International Journal of Finance.
MOHAMED ARIFF is Professor of Finance at Monash University in Australia and Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Chair in Banking and Finance at Universiti Utara, Malaysia.

Foreword by Ahmad Fawzi and Mohd Basri
Introduction
From Turbulence to Tranquility: Reform and Restructuring in Malaysia by Dilip K. Ghosh
Portfolio Investments in Australia: 1988-1997 by W. Leong and J. Wickramanayake
The Level of Managerial Ownership, Leverage, and Dividend Policies: Hong Kong Evidence by Rohit Jain and Kam-wah Lai
Examining the Performance of the Malaysian Life Insurance Sector: Efficiency and Productivity Growth by Alias Radam and Shazali Abu Mansor
Assessing Corporate Financial Distress in Malaysia by Zulkarnain M. S. and Shamsher M.
Cross Sectional Predictability of Stock Return of Colombo Stock Exchange by Elyas Elyasiani, Priyal Perera, and Tribhuvan N. Puri
Linking Commercial Bank Lending into Determinants of Price Level in Malaysia by Tuck Cheong Tang
Optimal Financial Structure: A Modigliani and Miller Dynamic Model for Mexican Corporations by Edgar Ortiz and Jonathan Torres
Thai Capital Market Integration Using Relevant Assets by Pornanong Budsaratragoon and Sunti Tirapat
Intraday Systematic Patterns, Lead-Lag Relationships and Pricing Efficiency: Evidence from the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index Futures by Fauzias Mat Nor and Tea Lee Choo
The 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis, Corporate Restructuring, and Earnings Per Share of Listed Companies by Zainal A. Mohamed, Haim H. Abdullah, and Ahmad Yakob
The National Economy Recovery Plan: Perception of Financial Market by Nasruddin Zainudin, Nor Hayati Ahmad, Engku Ngah Engku Chik, Nik Kamariah Nik Mat, and Che Ani Mad
Cost Efficiency and Economies of Scale in Asian Banking by Mohd Zaini Abd Karim
Factors in Capital Structure in Japan, Malaysia, and Pakistan by Mansor Isa and Mohamad Mahmud