We investigate why trading costs through Electronic Communication Networks (ECNs) are lower than trading costs with market makers through estimating the components of the bid-ask spread. Additionally, we show how the composition and size of bid-ask spreads change with the market environment. We...

The authors generalize traditional event-study techniques to allow for event-induced parameter shifts, shifting variances, and firm-specific event periods. Their method, which nests traditional methods, also permits systematic risk to change gradually during the event period and exit the period...

We investigate the effects of increased bond market transparency on the risk sensitivity of yield spreads for bank-issued subordinated notes and debentures after bond markets became more transparent in 2002. Models of yield spread levels and yield spread changes show improvement in normal...

We examine the secondary market transactions of senior bonds issued by banks for the periods prior to and after passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DFA) in 2010. We find the 136 basis points discount on yield spreads because of the too-big-to-fail (TBTF)...

We investigate whether or not market discipline on banking firms changed after the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DFA) of 2010. If market discipline is improved, we should see a lower discount for size on yield spreads, particularly for larger banks. Using secondary...

We investigate whether or not market discipline on banking firms changed after the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DFA) of 2010. If market discipline is improved, we should see a lower discount for size on yield spreads, particularly for banks identified as...

Recently, there has been a marked increase in the number of banks choosing to operate as Subchapter-S Corporations. The apparent motivation is tax savings as Subchapter-S firms do not pay federal income taxes on income at the firm level, but transfer income to stockholders where it is taxed as...

The concepts of market efficiency and portfolio diversification are easy to understand, but it is difficult for some to comprehend the relation of risk and return. A good way to teach these concepts uses the Wall Street Journal's dartboard contest, where dart throws and professionals pick only...

Choosing appropriate peer groups for bank research is important to evaluate safety and soundness, merger effects, and overall performance. We use commercial bank financial statements with common size variables as the inputs to a cluster analysis model to identify clusters or groups of banks with...