The objective of this study is to provide an alternative characterization of the optimal value function of a certain Black- Scholes-type optimal stopping problem where the underlying stochastic process is a general random walk, i.e. the process constituted by partial sums of an IID sequence of...

We analyze the determination of a value maximizing dividend policy for a broad class of cash flow processes modelled as spectrally negative jump diffusions. We extend previous results based on continuous diffusion models and characterize the value of the optimal dividend policy explicitly....

Our analysis finds that despite the growing number, the majority of savings banks currently do not make any payouts. Furthermore, savings banks distribute only a small part of their net profit to the shareholders. This means that they can still build up capital even if they make payouts. Savings...

Using a laboratory experiment, we present first evidence that social image concerns causally reduce the take-up of an individually beneficial transfer. Our design manipulates the informativeness of the take-up decision by varying whether transfer eligibility is based on ability or luck, and how...

CDS spreads are often used as market's view of credit risk. There is no popular alternative to it; perhaps only the distance-to-default measure based on Merton (1974) comes close to it. In this paper we investigate the relationship between these two measures for large European banks in post...

Tax competition for the mobile factor capital has led to a trend in many countries to levy lower taxes on interest income, often introducing differential taxation between interest and business income. In this study, we analyze the effect of such differential taxation on the debt ratio of firms....