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Wael Abdallah

Brief Biography

Wael Abdallah is an assistant professor of finance at The American University in Cairo (AUC) School of Business, where he teaches at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His research focus areas include corporate finance, investment analysis, international finance, bank financial strength rating, credit risk management in financial institutions, and derivatives.

Abdallah is very active in delivering training modules and providing technical consultation services for senior corporate managers and associate investment bankers in many local and multinational firms and banks, including CIB, CI Capital, and the Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunication (CIT).

He is a prolific writer and regularly participates in international conferences, seminars, and workshops. Abdallah is an expert in applying non-parametric modeling techniques, such as neural networks, CHAID, and CART. His publications have utilized highly sophisticated econometrics techniques, including instrumental variables regression using two-stage least- squares, First Difference Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), level GMM, and system GMM.

Abdallah is also a non-executive board member and Head of the Governance and Audit Committee at Beltone Financial Holding, Egypt. Additionally, he serves as a member of the supervisory committee of two mutual funds operated by the Azimut portfolio management team, the Opportunity Equity Fund and the Menthum Money Market Fund. He earned his PhD from the University of Salford, United Kingdom.

Enter the captivating realm of the CFA Research Challenge 2024, where Abdallah assumed the esteemed role of faculty advisor for the AUC team. Amidst fierce competition from 25 prominent Egyptian universities, they embarked on an arduous journey of meticulous financial analysis and valuation. Under the expert tutelage of Abdallah, the AUC team achieved an exceptional milestone, securing an impressive 1st place among their Egyptian counterparts.

Notably, the AUC team's participation in the MENA Regional Societies Research Challenge marked a significant milestone. It was the first time in AUC's esteemed history that they had the privilege of attending this prestigious regional competition. The MENA Regional Societies Research Challenge, held in Abu Dhabi, in April 2024, brought together universities from 9 countries (Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Cyprus, Jordan, and Russia) in a testament to the region's academic prowess. Despite the formidable competition, the AUC team's exceptional skills and unwavering determination propelled them to secure another resounding first place victory. This momentous accomplishment further cemented their reputation as leaders in the finance domain. Abdallah's active participation and invaluable mentorship played an instrumental role in the team's extraordinary accomplishments, underscoring his profound expertise and unwavering commitment to fostering excellence in finance.

Abdallah is also a co-founder of Finomics, a competition designed to provide students with practical experience in the stock market and regulatory framework. His visionary leadership was pivotal in establishing partnerships with six corporate entities to support and enhance the competition's impact. Additionally, he spearheaded the implementation of a comprehensive prize structure that recognized and rewarded the top performers across various categories, fostering a competitive and rewarding environment for the participants.

Research Interest
  • Banking
  • Corporate Finance
  • Investment
  • International Finance
Courses
  • FINC 303: Business Finance
  • FINC 404: Investment Analysis 
  • FINC 414: Corporate Finance
  • FINC 5351: Advanced Corporate Finance (MBA)
  • FINC 5202: Financial Management ( MBA)
  • Abdallah, W.M. (2024), Unraveling Market Dynamics: Assessing the Diverse Impact of Terrorism on Sectoral Equity Values in the MENA Region, International Journal of Business and Economics, forthcoming.
  • Sami, M. and Abdallah, W.M. (2024), Riding the Crypto Wave: How Does Country R&D Spending Respond?, Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, forthcoming. 
  • Sami, M. and Abdallah, W.M. (2023), How does Knowledge Spur the Productivity of Private Egyptian Firms? An Instrumental Variable Approach, Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, 72(8/9).pp.936-952. 
  • Sami, M. and Abdallah, W.M. (2022) How does Knowledge Spur the Productivity of Private Egyptian Firms? An Instrumental Variable Approach, Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of- print.
  • Sami, M. and Abdallah, W.M. (2022) Does Cryptocurrency Hurt African Firms?. Risks, 10 (3).pp. 1-18.
  • Sami, M. and Abdallah, W.M. (2021) Assessing the Impact of Dividend Policy on the Sustainability of Distressed Firms, Journal of Modelling in Management, forthcoming
  • Sami, M. and Abdallah, W.M. (2020) How does the cryptocurrency market affect the stock market performance in the MENA region?Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, forthcoming 
  • Sami, M. and Abdallah, W.M. (2020) Cryptocurrency and Stock Markets: Complements or Substitutes? Evidence from Gulf Countries, Applied Finance Letters, Vol. 9, pp. 25-35 
  • Abdou, H.A , Abdallah, W.M, Mulkeen, J., Ntim, C. and Wang, Y. (2017) Prediction of Financial Strength Ratings using Machine Learning and Conventional Techniques, Investment Management and Financial Innovations, 14 (4), pp. 1-18
  • Eldomiaty, T., Azzam, I., El Din, M., Abdallah, W.M and Mohamed, Z. (2017) An Empirical Assessment of The Reality of Pecking Order Theory, Research in Finance, Vol. 33, pp. 43-72
  • Eldomiaty, T., Abdallah, W.M and Attia, O, (2016) Empiricism of Corporate Debt Safe Buffer, Advances in Financial Planning and Forecasting, Vol. 11, Forthcoming
  •  Eldomiaty, T., Fikri, A., Abdallah, W.M and Hesham, H. (2015) The Financial Determinants of Operating Efficiency for Low and High Competitive Banks in Egypt, Journal of Finance and Bank Management, 3(2), pp. 7-23
  • Eldomiaty, T., Attia, O, Abdallah, W.M and Kamal,M. (2015) How Do Managers Manage Dividend Growth Rates?, Research in Finance, Vol. 31, pp. 105 – 134
  • Eldomiaty, T., Ismail, M.A. and Abdallah, W.M (2012) Testing A Potential Signaling of Capital Structure Decisions in Transitional Market: Subset Model Selection Approach, Advances in Quantitative Analysis of Finance and Accounting, 10 (1), pp. 255-283
  • Abdallah, W.M, Eldomiaty, T. and Abdou, H.A. (2011) The Effect of Bank Capital Structure and Financial Indicators on CI’s Financial Strength Ratings: The Case of The Middle East, Banks and Bank Systems, 6(3), pp. 5-15
  • Eldomiaty, T., Charara, S. and Abdallah, W.M (2011) Monitoring the Systematic and Unsystematic Risk in Dubai General Index Do Financial Fundamentals Help? Journal of Emerging Market Finance, 10(3), pp. 285-310
  • Distress firms and Cherry Dividends: Evidence from New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), with Mina Ayad