We explicitly solve for the aggregate asset prices in a discrete-time general-equilibrium endowment economy with two agents who differ with respect to their preferences for risk aversion and sensitivity to habit, either internal or external. We compute equilibrium quantities -- equity premium,...

The Lehman bankruptcy highlights the potential for interconnectedness to cause negative externalities through counterparty contagion, but the externalities may also arise from information contagion. We examine contagion from troubled financial firms and find that counterparty contagion is...

We present an affine term structure model for the joint pricing of real and nominal bond yields that accounts for illiquidity. Using the model to adjust breakevens for inflation and liquidity risk substantially improves inflation forecasts. Our estimates imply that the Federal Reserve's...

This paper discusses the appropriate methodology for the estimation of systematic downside risk. I find that the Hogan & Warren (1974) approach is the only one of several specifications of downside beta, that is consistent with both the original downside risk framework, as defined by Markowitz...

We investigate the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act on the cost of debt through its effect on the reliability of financial reporting. Using Credit Default Swap (CDS) spreads and a structural CDS pricing model, we calibrate a firm-level corporate opacity parameter in the pre- and post-SOX...