Geoffrey Poitras
Professor, Finance
Burnaby
Room: WMC 3333
Phone: 778.782.4071
Email: poitras@sfu.ca
Curriculum Vitae: View
Credentials
B.A. (Dal), M.A. (McMaster), M.Phil., Ph.D. (Columbia)Biography
After completing a PhD (Economics) at Columbia University, Professor of Finance, Geoffrey Poitras, began a four-year stint as a securities analyst with the Bank of Canada in Ottawa, where he served as Government of Canada treasury bill and bond auction manager. This background is well-suited for teaching courses in security analysis and risk management to undergraduate and graduate business students. His research interests focus on financial history, applied financial econometrics, security analysis, the use of derivative securities in financial risk management, and the history of financial economics. A prolific writer, Geoffrey has recently published books on security analysis and risk management as well as books on the histories of early financial economics and equity capital. His interest in the history of economic thought is useful for explaining the foundations of current business practices to students in the Graduate Liberal Studies program, where he also teaches. Geoffrey has extensive experience as a visiting professor in Thailand and Singapore and even considered making his life there. However, instead the Victoria native chose to return to BC, joining SFU Business in 1989. At home in Coquitlam, he has enjoyed hiking, gardening, golfing and coaching community sports teams.
Web Addresses
Research Interests
Securities Analysis, Applied Econometrics, Risk Management Applications of Futures and Options Contracts, History of Financial Economics, Debt Management, Mathematical Finance, Statistical Simulation.Selected Publications
articles and reports
Poitras, G. (2023). COBWEB THEORY, MARKET STABILITY, and PRICE EXPECTATIONS. Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 45(1), 137-161. http://doi.org/10.1017/S1053837222000116
Poitras, G. (2023). Parametric testing for normality against bimodal and unimodal alternatives using higher moments. Communications in Statistics: Simulation and Computation. http://doi.org/10.1080/03610918.2022.2155313
Poitras, G., & Willeboordse, F. (2021). The societas publicanorum and corporate personality in roman private law. Business History. http://doi.org/10.1080/00076791.2019.1656719
Poitras, G. (2021). Rhetoric, epistemology and climate change economics. Ecological Economics, 184. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.106985
Poitras, G. (2021). Origins of arbitrage. Financial History Review, 28(1), 96-123. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0968565021000020
Poitras, G. (2021). Phenomenology and heterodox economics. Review of Social Economy, 79(2), 333-356. http://doi.org/10.1080/00346764.2019.1669811
Poitras, G. (2020). The luddite trials: Radical suppression and the administration of criminal justice. Journal of the Study of Radicalism, 14(1), 121-165. http://doi.org/10.14321/jstudradi.14.1.0121
Poitras, G. (2019). Fleecing the Lambs? The Founding and Early Years of the Vancouver Stock Exchange. BC Studies, 201(Spring 2019), 37-66. http://doi.org/10.14288/bcs.v0i201.189777
Poitras, G. (2018). The pre-history of econophysics and the history of economics: Boltzmann versus the marginalists. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 507, 89-98. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2018.05.058
Poitras, G., & Zanotti, G. (2018). Housing market bubbles and mortgage contract design: Implications for mortgage lenders and households. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 11(3), 1-19. http://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm11030042
Poitras, G. (2018). The Prescription Opioid Epidemic: An Update. Medicolegal and Bioethics, 8, 21-32. http://doi.org/10.2147/MB.S170220
Poitras, G., & Geranio, M. (2016). Trading of shares in the Societates Publicanorum? Explorations in Economic History, 61, 95-118. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.eeh.2016.01.003
Poitras, G., & Zanotti, G. (2016). Mortgage contract design and systemic risk immunization. International Review of Financial Analysis, 45, 320-331. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2014.10.011
Poitras, G., & Heaney, J. W. (2015). Classical ergodicity and modern portfolio theory. Chinese Journal of Mathematics, 17pp. http://doi.org/10.1155/2015/737905
Poitras, G. (2013). Partial immunization bounds and non-parallel term structure shifts. Annals of Financial Economics, 8(2). http://doi.org/10.1142/S2010495213500061
Poitras, G. (2013). Richard Price, miracles and the origins of Bayesian decision theory. European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 20(1), 29-57. http://doi.org/10.1080/09672567.2011.565356
Poitras, G. (2012). Oxycontin, prescription opioid abuse and economic medicalization. Medicolegal and Bioethics, 2, 31-43. http://doi.org/10.2147/MB.S32040
Manzur, M., Hoque, A., & Poitras, G. (2010). Currency option pricing and realized volatility. Banking and Finance Review, 2(1), 73-86.
Hoque, A., Poitras, G., & Manzur, M. (2010). Influence of transactions costs on foreign exchange option contracts: Intra-daily tests. International Journal of Banking, Accounting and Finance, 7(2), 1-18. http://epublications.bond.edu.au/ijbf/vol7/iss2/1/?utm_source=epublications.bond.edu.au%2Fijbf%2Fvol7%2Fiss2%2F1&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Poitras, G., & Jovanovic, F. (2010). Pioneers of financial economics: Das Adam Smith Irrelevanz Problem? History of Economics Review, 51, 43-64. http://search.proquest.com/openview/c70ae94c401630fbffc798d36ad9d5d3/1?pq-origsite=gscholar
Poitras, G. (2009). From Antwerp to Chicago: The history of exchange traded derivative security contracts. Revue d'Histoire des Sciences Humaines, 20(1), 11-50. http://doi.org/10.3917/rhsh.020.0011
Poitras, G., & Meredith, L. (2009). Ethical transparency and economic medicalization. Journal of Business Ethics, 86(3), 313-325. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9849-2
Veld, C. H., Poitras, G., & Zabolotnyuk, Y. V. (2009). European put-call parity and the early exercise premium for American currency options. Multinational Finance Journal, 13(1/2), 39-54. http://www.mfsociety.org/modules/modDashboard/uploadFiles/journals/MJ~767~p16uefc4sa1fms11ki12s5u3l3u64.pdf
Poitras, G. (2009). Business ethics, medical ethics and economic medicalization. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 4(4), 372-389. http://doi.org/10.1504/IJBGE.2009.023789
Poitras, G., & Heaney, J. W. (2008). "HOW IS the STOCK MARKET DOING?"USING ABSENCE of ARBITRAGE to MEASURE STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. Annals of Financial Economics, 4(1). http://doi.org/10.1142/S2010495208500012
Meredith, L., & Poitras, G. (2008). Ethical transparency and government regulation of Canada's medical research industry. Forum on Public Policy, 2008(1), 1-26. http://forumonpublicpolicy.com/archivespring08/poitras.complete.pdf
Poitras, G. (2007). Immunization bounds, time value and non-parallel yield curve shifts. Assurances et Gestion des Risques [Insurance and Risk Management], 75(3), 323-356.
Poitras, G. (2007). Accounting standards for employee stock option disclosure. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 3(4), 473-487. http://doi.org/10.1504/IJBGE.2007.015213
Poitras, G., Veld, C. H., & Zabolotnyuk, Y. V. (2007). European put-call parity and the early exercise premium for currency options. Review of Futures Markets, 16, 159-169.
Poitras, G. (2007). Accounting standards for employee stock option disclosure: The current debate. Corporate Ownership and Control, 4(3 A), 87-95. http://doi.org/10.22495/cocv4i3p8
Poitras, G. (2006). More on the correct use of omnibus normality tests. Economics Letters, 90, 304-309.
Poitras, G. (2002). The philosophy of investment: A Post Keynesian perspective. Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, 25(1), 105-121.
Poitras, G., Wilkins, T., & Kwan, Y. S. (2002). The timing of asset sales: Evidence of earnings management? Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, 29(7-8), 903-934. http://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5957.00455
Poitras, G. (2002). Short sales restrictions, dilution and the pricing of rights issues on the Singapore Stock Exchange. Pacific Basin Finance Journal, 10(2), 141-162. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0927-538X(01)00039-7
Poitras, G. (2002). Earnings management and the timing of asset sales. Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, 29, 903-934.
Poitras, G. (2002). Short sales restrictions and rights issues on the stock exchange of Singapore. Pacific Basin Finance Journal, 10(2), 141-162.
Poitras, G., & Heaney, J. (1999). Skewness preference, mean–variance and the demand for put options. Managerial and Decision Economics, 20(6), 327-342. http://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1468(199909)20:6<327::AID-MDE948>3.0.CO;2-0
Poitras, G. (1998). Spread options, exchange options, and arithmetic Brownian motion. Journal of Futures Markets, 18(5), 487-517. http://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-9934(199808)18:5<487::AID-FUT1>3.0.CO;2-Z
Poitras, G. (1994). Shareholder wealth maximization, business ethics and social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 13(2), 125-134. http://doi.org/10.1007/BF00881581
Heaney, J. W., & Poitras, G. (1994). Securities markets, diffusion state spaces and arbitrage free shadow prices. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 29(2), 223-239.
books chapters and monographs
Poitras, G. (2020). Rethinking Wealth and Taxes: Inequality, Globalization and Capital Income. Edward Elgar Publishing (UK). https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/rethinking-wealth-and-taxes-9781839106149.html
Poitras, G. (2016). Equity capital: From ancient partnerships to modern exchange traded funds. Routledge (US).
Poitras, G. (2013). Commodity risk management: Theory and application. Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203107614
Poitras, G. (Ed.), (2012). Handbook of Research on Stock Market Globalization. Edward Elgar Publishing (UK). http://doi.org/10.4337/9780857938183
Poitras, G. (2012). Medical ethics and economic medicalization. In Clark, P. A. (Ed.), Contemporary Issues in Bioethics (pp. 51-68). InTech Publishing.
Poitras, G. (Ed.), (2012). Introduction: Stock market globalization, past and present. Edward Elgar Publishing (UK). http://doi.org/10.4337/9780857938183.00008
Poitras, G. (2012). From the Renaissance exchanges to cyberspace: A history of stock market globalization. Handbook of Research on Stock Market Globalization (pp. 68-115). Edward Elgar Publishing (UK). http://doi.org/10.4337/9780857938183.00012
Poitras, G. (2012). What happened on 6 May 2010? Anatomy of the flash crash. In Poitras, G. (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Stock Market Globalization (pp. 225-243). Edward Elgar Publishing (UK). http://doi.org/10.4337/9780857938183.00022
Poitras, G. (2010). Arbitrage: Historical perspectives. In Cont, R. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Quantitative Finance (volume 1) (pp. 1-10). Wiley (UK). http://doi.org/10.1002/9780470061602.eqf01010
Poitras, G. (2009). The early history of option contracts. In Hafner, W., & Zimmerman, H. (Eds.), Vinzenz Bronzin's Option Pricing Models: Exposition and Appraisal (pp. 487-518). Springer-Verlag (US). http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85711-2_24
Poitras, G. (2008). Forward markets and futures markets. In Darity, Jr., W. A. (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (volume 7) (pp. 180-182). Palgrave Macmillan.
Poitras, G. (2007). Risk. In Darity, Jr., W. A. (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (volume 7) (pp. 251-253). Palgrave Macmillan. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-72520-5
Poitras, G., & Jovanovic, F. (Eds.), (2007). Pioneers of Financial Economics: Twentieth century contributions (vol. 2). Edward Elgar Publishing (UK).
Poitras, G. (2007). Fredrick R. Macaulay, Frank M. Redington and the emergence of modern fixed income analysis. In Poitras, G. (Ed.), Pioneers of Financial Economics (volume 2). Edward Elgar Publishing (UK).
Poitras, G. (2004). Security Analysis and Investment Strategy. Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Poitras, G. (2002). Risk Management, Speculation and Derivative Securities. Academic Press.
Poitras, G. (2000). The Early History of Financial Economics: From commercial arithmetic to life annuities and joint stocks. Edward Elgar Publishing (UK).
Related Teaching Material
Poitras, G. (2010). Valuation of equity securities: History, theory and application. World Scientific Publishing. http://doi.org/10.1142/7633