International Journal of Applied Research in Management and Economics

Evaluating Short-Term Equity Portfolio Performance: A Comparative Study of AI-Driven and Human-Managed Strategies

2026-05-17T03:50:10+00:00

Despite recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) for portfolio management, it is still unknown how free AI agents compare to human fund managers in constructing short-term, high-risk portfolios. This study uses an experimental design model with the aim of evaluating whether free AI tools can outperform human managers. Four professional human fund managers and three free AI agents (ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity) created portfolios consisting of ten global stocks, with a starting portfolio value of SGD $10,000. Portfolios were assessed over a one-month period from November 17th to December 16th, 2025. To analyze the data, portfolio returns and risk were calculated using the percentage change in value and portfolio standard deviation through a covariance matrix, respectively. The results showed that human-managed portfolios (-3.33% return) slightly outperformed AI-managed portfolios (-3.46% return), with a lower average risk of 0.964% compared to AI portfolios’ 1.603%; however, AI portfolios demonstrated better risk-adjusted performance as measured by Sharpe ratios (-2.010 versus -4.834). No clear relationship between risk and return was found for either group. AI-managed portfolios were volatile and concentrated in high-growth sectors, whereas human-managed portfolios tended to deliver more consistent returns across diverse sectors. These preliminary findings suggest the importance of human judgment while highlighting AI’s potential to help with investment decisions, though further research with larger samples is needed to confirm these results.

Brand Perception Differences between Generations Y and Z in South Africa

2026-06-29T11:37:20+00:00

This quantitative study investigates whether significant differences exist between Generation Y and Generation Z in South Africa regarding their perception of brand value. While brand perception is widely researched, direct generational comparisons are limited. Data were collected using an online questionnaire based on Kotler’s Brand framework which comprises six elements - Brand Purpose, Positioning, Differentiation, Identity, Trust and Beneficence. A non-probability snowball sample of 100 (n=100) of Generations Y and Z consumers participated in the study. The study is informed by Consumer Culture Theory and The Theory of Planned Behaviour. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha, while differences between the two independent groups were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The findings provide limited support for the hypothesis of ‘a significant difference of brand perception between Generations Y and Z in South Africa’. Overall the two generations displayed similar perceptions across most dimensions, with only modest differences observed. Specifically, Generation Z places greater importance than Generation Y on brands demonstrating social responsibility, transparency and beneficence, corresponding to the Brand Purpose, Trust and Beneficence elements of Kotler’s framework.

Post-COVID Economic Crises Review: The Bahamian Tourism Industry’s Perspective

2026-06-16T09:13:43+00:00

The conceptual framework: resiliency and crises management theory corroborated the study’s purpose examining the findings of a doctoral study of Bahamian tourism and hospitality industry’s post economic resilience. The researchers used structured interviews, thematic contingency and preventative strategies analysis; a qualitative phenomenological study for in-depth insights on global financial predicament recoveries, emphasizing the Bahamian’s woes. The research questions were: 1. What post-crisis economic hardships have the Bahamian tourism industry entrepreneurs faced for the past two decades? 2. What are the Bahamian tourism industry entrepreneurs’ post-crisis coping strategies? 3. How do the Bahamian tourism industry post-crisis coping strategies impact their economic recovery? Interconnecting the validity, credibility, method and methodology, corroborated the findings. The problem addressed the Bahamian hospitality sector’s recovery and subsequent strategies. The researchers employed a qualitative phenomenological methodology to address the nature of the research required to assess why Abaco, Grand Bahama and New Providence, Bahamas experience post-economic adversities.