Today, it is unquestionable the importance that organizational management is supported by indicators. Also, knowledge of value creation and operating risk are information that differentiates this management support. This study aimed to verify the relationship between the value creation generated by companies included in the sample and the indicators used in operating risk (cost-volume-profit analysis). In the literature review the concept of value creation and the indicators usually used to measure operating risk, break-even point, margin of safety, and degree of operating leverage, were presented and characterized, as well as the Economic Value Added (EVA®), which was the value-based performance measure used in the study. The sample consists of 27 non-financial companies listed in Euronext Lisbon and the period analyzed was the one between 2014 and 2018. The data were obtained through the consolidated annual accounts of the sample companies, and its analysis was performed using the multivariate statistical analysis technique, linear regression. The results showed that the estimated multiple linear regression model allowed, with a very reasonable quality, to estimate the impact that the break-even point and the margin of safety variables have on the variation of the value of EVA®. This study gives significant information showing how operating risk indicators affect value creation, which is considered one the main objectives of companies.

In recent years, the business environment has become increasingly complex, creating additional risks for companies to manage, resulting from globalization, technological innovation, market competitiveness, more demanding consumers, and changes in companies' ownership structure, presently also due to the pandemic situation. In dealing with this situation, EU funds should play an essential role. Thus, this research study aims to analyze the impact of EU funds on Portuguese companies, considering the companies that have benefited from European incentives under the Qualification and Internationalization Incentive System, since it is directed to financing investments in strategic areas to business success such as internationalization and innovation. Therefore, the sample includes the companies that had projects approved in 2015 and aims to show the impact of these incentives on value creation capacity, as well as employment and internationalization level in the years from 2016 to 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a very negative economic and social impact on Portugal's economy, with the year 2020 expected to represent the largest economic recession since the 1970s. According to the Bank of Portugal forecasts, employment is expected to fall significantly, with the unemployment rate estimated at around 10%, with a special focus on young graduates. Simultaneously, several research papers have revealed the importance of entrepreneurship in job creation and economic development, highlighting the role of entrepreneurial ecosystems and government support for creating successful businesses. In this sense, this study has as its main objective to characterize a support program to the investment of young unemployed entrepreneurs and evidence its potential impact on Portugal's economic growth and social progress.

The objective of this chapter is to analyse the financial sustainability versus the social impact of microfinance institutions. To carry out the study, several social and financial benchmarks for entities specialized in evaluating the performance of microfinance institutions (such as MIX and Planet Rating), and which are normally used in similar research projects, were used. Thus, it is intended to study the profile of microfinance institutions that have a greater social impact, through financial operations with clients with less income, like women, contributing to a higher level of income in target audiences, usually outside of the formal financial system. The definition of such a profile of institutions will make it possible to study whether these entities are able to guarantee the financial sustainability of their activity and, at the same time, focus on social impact through the provision of financial services to the poorest.

This paper aims to study the variables that influence, positively or negatively, treasury management and liquidity levels required for the normal working of the analyzed companies. It was concluded that several variables studied showed significant statistical relationships with the companies' liquidity level and types of relationships that matched the initial expectations of the study. Thus, the weight of retained net income plus non-cash expenses in total net assets; the Altman discriminant analysis Z score, representative of the level of companies' financing constraints; the size of total net assets; the weight of current assets minus cash and cash equivalents in total net assets and operating profitability, showed relevant relationships with the liquidity level and can be considered determinants of this variable.