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.

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. (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, 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.

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. 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), 1-27. 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

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://doi.org/No DOI

Poitras, G., & Jovanovic, F. (2010). Pioneers of financial economics: Das Adam Smith Irrelevanz Problem? History of Economics Review, 51, 43-64. http://doi.org/No DOI

Manzur, M., Hoque, A., & Poitras, G. (2010). Currency option pricing and realized volatility. Banking and Finance Review, 2(1), 73-86. http://doi.org/No DOI

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

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

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.

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

Meredith, L., & Poitras, G. (2008). Ethical transparency and government regulation of Canada's medical research industry. Forum on Public Policy, 2008(1), 1-26.

Poitras, G. (2007). Accounting standards for employee stock option disclosure. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 3(1), 473-487.

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, 87-95.

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, 105-121.

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. W. (2009). 'How is the stock market doing?' using absence of arbitrage to measure stock market performance. Annals of Financial Economics, 4, 1-44. http://doi.org/10.1142/S2010495208500012

Poitras, G. (2002). Earnings management and the timing of asset sales. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 29, 903-934.

Heaney, J. W., & Poitras, G. (1994). Securities markets, diffusion state spaces and arbitrage free shadow prices. Journal of Financial & Quantitative Analysis, 29(2), 223-239.

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.

books chapters and monographs

Poitras, G. (2016). Equity capital: From ancient partnerships to modern exchange traded funds. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States: Routledge (US). ISBN:9781138819931.

Poitras, G. (2013). Commodity risk management: Theory and application. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: Routledge. ISBN:9780415879293.

Poitras, G. (2012). Medical ethics and economic medicalization. In Clark, P. A. (Eds.), Contemporary Issues in Bioethics (pp. 51-68). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech Publishing.

Poitras, G. (2012). From the renaissance exchanges to cyberspace: A history of stock market globalization. In Poitras, G. (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Stock Market Globalization. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. http://doi.org/10.4337/9780857938183.00012

Poitras, G. (Ed.). (2012). Handbook of Research on Stock Market Globalization (Edward Elgar). Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. ISBN:9781847207562. http://doi.org/10.4337/9780857938183

Poitras, G. (2012). What happened on May 6, 2010? Anatomy of the flash crash. In Poitras, G., & Poitras, G. (Eds.), Handbook of research on Stock Market Globalization (pp. 225-243). Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. http://doi.org/10.4337/9780857938183.00022

Poitras, G. (2011). Valuation of Equity Securities: History, theory and application (World Scientific Publishing). Singapore, Singapore, Republic of: World Scientific Publishing. ISBN:9789814295383.

Poitras, G. (2010). Arbitrage: Historical perspectives. In Cont, R. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Quantitative Finance (volume 1) (pp. 1-10). Chippenham, United Kingdom: Wiley (UK). http://doi.org/10.1002/9780470061602.eqf01010

Poitras, G. (2009). The early history of option contracts. In Hafner, W., & Zimmerman, H. (Eds.), Vincenz Bronzin’S Option Pricing Models: Exposition and Appraisal (pp. 487-518). New York, New York, United States: 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. (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (volume 3) (pp. 180-182). New York, New York, United States: Palgrave Macmillan.

Poitras, G. (2007). Risk. In Darity, Jr., W. A. (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (volume 7) (pp. 251-253). New York, New York, United States: Palgrave Macmillan. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-72520-5

Poitras, G. (2007). Fredrick R. Macaulay, Frank M. Redington and the emergence of modern fixed income analysis. In Poitras, G. (Eds.), Pioneers of Financial Economics (volume 2). Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85711-2_24

Poitras, G., & Jovanovic, F. (Ed.). (2007). Pioneers of Financial Economics: Twentieth century contributions (vol. 2). Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. ISBN:9781845423827.

Poitras, G. (2004). Security Analysis and Investment Strategy. Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. ISBN:9781405112482.

Poitras, G. (2002). Risk Management, Speculation and Derivative Securities. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. ISBN:9780080480756.

Poitras, G. (2000). The Early History of Financial Economics: From commercial arithmetic to life annuities and joint stocks. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. ISBN:9781840644555.