The stock market represents one of the most complex mechanisms in the financial world. It can be seen as a living being with complex ways to enact, interact, evolve, defend, and respond to various stimuli. Technical analysis is one of the most complex techniques based on financial data’s graphical aspects. News sentiment indices are very complex and highlight another important part of behavioral finance. In this study, we propose an integrated approach in order to determine the correlation between news sentiment indices, the stock market, and technical analysis. The research methodology focuses on the stock market’s practical and quantitative aspects. In this sense, we have used the graphical representation of technical analysis and econometric modeling techniques such as VAR and Bayesian VAR. The results of the empirical modeling techniques and analysis reveal some important connections between the stock market and news sentiment indices on the US stock market. The conclusions of this study highlight a strong connection between news sentiment indices, technical analysis, and the stock market which suggests that the behavioral finance aspect is a very important aspect in the analysis of the stock market.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) of the IFRS Foundation support the integrated reporting of companies’ financial and sustainability performance to stakeholders. This paper aims to investigate whether financial and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) practices have a real impact on the success of the companies in the European renewable energy equipment and services industry. Using the Granger test, the causality between the market capitalization and financial indicators was established, whereas no causality was identified between the market capitalization and ESG performance. The research led to the conclusion that the investment decision is mainly based on the information provided by the financial statements of the companies, the early stages of sustainability reporting regulation, and the need for increasing the quality and availability of corporate social responsibility information for investors.

Background: In the current global market, innovations are one of the tools of sustainable development. Therefore, companies must change their attitudes toward innovation strategies in accordance with international and national environmental standards, laws, and market requirements. We often come across, in particular, the evaluation of economic factors of sustainability, which cannot capture the attitudes of companies to the solved issue of the perception of innovation as a tool of sustainable development. Therefore, the Kano model and cluster analysis are used to evaluate the attitudes of Slovak small and medium-sized enterprises towards innovation, and the aim of this paper is to evaluate innovation as a tool of sustainability in enterprises in Slovakia. Methods: This article’s main research method is the Kano model and cluster analysis. Conclusions: The findings of this paper reveal how small and medium-sized enterprises in Slovakia perceive innovation as a tool for sustainable development. Based on the results, we can state the positive attitude of small and medium-sized enterprises towards innovations supporting sustainable development, focusing on frugal innovations characterized by cost reduction, as well as innovation targeting functions, standards, laws, and performance optimization. They perceive these innovations as attractive and their implementation in corporate structures as a basic function for sustainable development through innovation.

After 1990, the problem of finding econometric models to assess the influence of economic development on the environment becomes a global goal, a central element of regional, national and Community policies. A perception on the evolution of global climate change and on the impact of human activity on them has been determined by the hypothesis that in the early stages of economic development, pollution and incomes are growing almost simultaneously, and beyond a certain level of incomes, the trend is reversing, therefore at high levels of incomes and economic growth occur improvements in environmental conditions. In this paper, we aim to analyze the relationship between the level of pollution (CO ₂ emissions) and revenues (GDP per capita) using the Kuznets Environmental Curve (EKC). To apply the econometric model, two indicators were used: CO ₂ emissions and GDP per capita, using a panel analysis for the period 2000 - 2016, which included 31 European countries and 527 observations. The article contributes to the development of econometric applications based on panel data and the Kuznets Environmental Curve.

Social protection systems are a key factor for ensuring the long-term sustainability and stability of economies in the European Union, their reform being nowadays present in the political agenda of member states. Aging and the dependence on mandatory levies applied to the employed population on the labor market represent a threat for the sustainability of public social protection systems. In terms of sustainability, our purpose was to highlight the factors influencing social insurance budgets, considering the fiscal policies implemented in six countries of Central and Eastern Europe and their particular labor market characteristics. Therefore, a panel study based on a regression model using the Ordinary Least Squares method (OLS) with cross section random effects was used to determine the correlations between funding sources and labor market specific indicators. The data analyzed led to relevant results that emphasize the dependence of social insurance budgets on positive factors such as the average level of salaries, the share of compulsory social contributions, the unemployment rate, and the human development index, suggesting the continuing need for professional and personal development of the workforce.

The pension system, together with the social assistance services form the social security system is recognized worldwide throughout the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the purpose of insured person compensation for damages regarding some inherent risks as: permanent or temporary inability of work, old age or unemployment. The main objectives of a pension system are decreasing poverty regarding the lower income persons throughout the conditions of limitation of the working capacity which are financially vulnerable. In this article we provide a qualitative and quantitative overview regarding the Romanian pension system structure and mechanism. The conclusions of this article highlight the need for a more comprehensive reform of this system in order to strengthen it for the new challenges still to come in the near future.