The rate of growth in bank loans to private households and firms in Germany hasdeclined substantially since early 2000 and currently stands at virtually zero. In thisarticle, we analyse whether cyclical factors (“demand-side driven”) or banks’ unwillingnessand/or inability to lend...

The paper deals with the evaluation of Collateralized Debt Obligations forinvestment purposes. CDOs are classified in the asset backed environment. Itsspecific risks (market, timing, recovery, agency) are discussed. To understand theportfolio aspect, the concept of the diversity score is...

Merger and acquisition activities can have a strong impact on the capital structure ofthe companies involved and therefore on the value of debt. This paper discusses therole of covenants within debt contracts. Using the Real Option approach to quantifythe implications of covenants on the value...