We examine the impact of competition and portfolio diversification on banking stability for conventional and Islamic banks in Indonesia. We find that the Islamic banking sector is less stable, when compared to the conventional banking sector. Competition in the banking sector reduces stability, while diversification enhances it. We find that competition negatively impacts the Islamic banks, but diversification has no impact on these banks. An interesting finding is that competition and diversification complement each other in enhancing the stability of the Indonesian banking sector. These findings carry an important policy implication for the banking sector of Indonesia.

This research attempts to explore the impact of banking competition on financial stability employing more precise measure of market power. It was found that Islamic banks are less stable and are enjoying lower market power. The analysis shows that higher market competition makes the banking sector vulnerable to defaults, supporting the "competition-fragility view". This research finds no difference in the relationship for Islamic banks indicates that Islamic banks might be involved in traditional banking activities as conventional banks. The results are consistent and robust to different estimation approaches and subsamples. This research carries regulatory and policy implications.

Musharakah, which is translated as 'joint venture or partnership' or 'profit and loss sharing contract' is regarded as an ideal financing contract in Islamic finance. Musharakah has been applied to Islamic banking and Islamic capital market across the world and it is also proposed as one of alternative model in takaful business. Musharakah contract is also combined with other contracts and interesting products such as Musharakah Mutanaqisa has been developed. However, there are considerations concerning the principles of Shariah. This paper aims to discuss these matters and offer recommendations in order for Musharakah to be more widely accepted and adopted by the Muslim communities across the world. It is anticipated further research can be conducted to find out the implication of applying AAOIFI resolution on Musharakah or equity based products to find out the effect of it on different jurisdictions with different domestic laws and rules.

This study aims to investigate the reaction (in terms of returns and volatility) of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country-wise stock markets (both conventional and Islamic) in response to the surge of COVID-19 cases, with special reference to the announcement of financial stimulus packages in each country and the recent global oil price plunge. Further, the study also examines the impact of COVID-19 cases on the stock market returns of each GCC country and the continuous dynamics of correlation between COVID-19 cases and GCC stockmarkets. This study uses an exponential generalized auto regressive conditional heteroskedasticity model and continuous wavelet coherence to estimate the stock market volatility and comovement between COVID-19 cases and stock returns. Empirical findings indicate an adverse reaction (negative returns and high volatility) during the period examined, with the stimulus package resulting in a positive transformation of returns in each country-level stock market as well as the regional stock index. Further, no evidence of an adverse effect of the oil price plunge is identified. All findings are identical between both conventional and Islamic stock indices. While ample research has been conducted on the impact and dynamics of the pandemic on stock markets, little has addressed the areas of financial stimulus packages and the oil price plunge. The findings of this study show that further research needs to be conducted to elucidate the ways in which effective financial stimulus packages can be formulated in the GCC region to mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19 for economies without causing major financial deficits, as well as to find strategies to diversify economies away from the oil curse.

The research explores Financial Literacy (FL) among undergraduate students. The study aims to evaluate the FL of a specific group of undergraduate students. It investigates how different demographic and socioeconomic factors influence these students' FL and analyzes various demographic and socioeconomic factors to determine if they are better predictors of FL among students. The demographic and socioeconomic factors analysis shows that FL among university students is generally low. Male students studying business and coming from higher-income families have improved FL, while students in their early twenties typically have lower levels of FL. Educators should help low-income parents and women with FL, promoting financial inclusion. Helping women improve their financial understanding brings numerous benefits and positively influences the financial attitudes of their children, encouraging them to foster strong financial skills and knowledge from an early ages.