This study aims to examine whether the dividend theories that were principally developed for non-financial companies in developed institutional environments can explain the dividend policies of banks in Palestine, an emerging market with a high level of uncertainty. It also aims to determine the main factors affecting the banks’ propensity to pay dividends and the banks’ dividend payout ratios. The study uses pooled Probit and ordinary least squares regressions to analyze 10 years of data from all listed banks in the Palestine Stock Exchange Market. The results indicate that agency cost, signaling, and regulatory pressure theories are valid for Palestinian banks. In addition, the analysis shows that bank size, profitability, and capital adequacy are the main positive determinants of Palestinian banks’ propensity to pay dividends and of the dividend payout ratios. Furthermore, after winsorizing the data, the results were found to remain consistent. Finally, the results of a general dominance analysis revealed that bank size is the most important determinant, followed by bank profitability and bank capital adequacy, all three of which positively influence dividend policy decisions in Palestinian banks. This study is among the first to investigate dividend policy determinants in the financial sector. Moreover, this study is conducted in Palestine, an emerging economy. Furthermore, unlike prior studies, this study considers banks’ propensity to pay dividends and banks’ dividend payout ratios concurrently when analyzing the dividend determinants in order to make a significant contribution to solving the dividend determinant puzzle.

This study aims to determine client’s attitude explanatory factors for the selection of an Islamic bank at Jordan. Mainly, the study identifies factors shaping client’s attitude toward Islamic banks that are considered in clients' decision choices related to different behavioral theories. Data were randomly collected from Islamic banks clients in Jordan. A questionnaire was developed, distributed, and analyzed via the model of t-test on 138 clients. The results show that clients consider several factors in their choices between religious and non-religious. Essentially, religious factors are principles, absence of interest, religious edict or justification, profit-sharing, and Islamic price basis of banking services. The non-religious related factors were sufficient branches, caring and comfortable, appearance and internal decoration design, fast services, response to their clients’ needs, sufficient number of staff, giving clients the top priorities, clients' needs to include disclosing information as a part of accounting system adequacy. Adequate attention is needed to every client, competitive service prices, and the influence of friends and family. The study concludes that it is not possible to say that religious factors are enough, but the interest-free banking greatly represents the non-religious or the economic factors, and the profit-sharing principle is important; Policymakers must consider this to buildup a positive attitude toward Islamic banks. The findings recommend that religious and non-religious values significantly influence clients’ intentions and choices. It suggests that religious ethics is the most important factor, and the availability of information systems disclosing clients' needs.

This study investigates the explanatory power of leverage and cash flows in future cash flow prediction in Tehran Stock Exchange by considering Signaling Theory and Pecking Order Theory. Based on theoretical foundations, the regression models of leverage and cash flow with a set of control variables was developed. Statistical samples consist of companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange over the period 2005- 2011. The results show that there was a negative relationship between cash flow and leverage levels in contemporary time. This is consistent with pecking order behavior. While at intertemporer level, there was a positive relationship between current leverage and the firm & apos; s cash flows in the future. This is consistent with signaling theory.