The financial system plays a major role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. We investigate this issue analyzing the recent developments and challenges in the bond and debt markets. First, we study the pricing of green bonds at issuance. We find a premium when green bonds are issued by...

In this paper we propose a novel approach in analysing the impact of changes in sovereign credit ratings on stock markets. We study the evolution of a segmented form of the stock market index for several crisis-hit countries, including both European and Asian markets. Such evolution is modelled...

This study sheds light on the effect of restrictive policies, such as screening mechanisms, on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) flows into EU Member States in the period 2011-2018, by implementing an augmented gravity model. The results show that different restrictive measures affect cross-border...

This study investigates the extent to which diplomatic relations affected merger and acquisition (M&A) activities in the European Union during the years 2001- 2019. Implementing a gravity model, we find a U-inverted relationship between diplomatic distance and M&A activities: (i) a worsening in...

This study empirically investigates the extent to which firms in the European Union, once acquired through a cross-border acquisition, show different productivity levels as compared to those firms that have not been acquired. Our identification strategy relies on the combination of Propensity...

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp contraction of economic activity in the euro area (and worldwide). Its anatomy differs strongly from other crises in recent history. We analyse the short-term economic effects of the COVID-19 shock through the lens of an estimated DSGE model. We augment the...

We examine time-invariant and time-varying market integration across European stock markets. Market integration has been increasing especially during the crisis period. Among others, market capitalization, technological developments and overall political uncertainty drive financial integration...

We propose a simple model that captures the link between bank and sovereign credit risk. It allows evaluating policy options to address this 'doom loop' in which the government may need to raise debt to recapitalise banks, and an increase in government debt raises sovereign risk and in turn...

The negative long-term effects of World War II on those directly exposed to it are well documented, but there is no evidence whether these effects extended to subsequent generations. Our paper aims to fill this gap by analyzing the intergenerational effects of World War II in terms of...