We use dynamic panel analysis to examine whether credit rating agencies achieve what they claim to achieve, namely, look into the future when assigning their ratings. We find that Moody's ratings help predict individual financial ratios over a horizon of up to five years. Ratings also predict a...

A firm's current leverage ratio is one of the core characteristics of credit quality used in statistical default prediction models. Based on the capital structure literature, which shows that leverage is mean-reverting to a target leverage, we forecast future leverage ratios and include them in...

Recent studies suggest that the correlation of stock returns increases with decreasing geographical distance. However, there is some debate on the appropriate methodology for measuring the effects of distance on correlation. We modify a regression approach suggested in the literature and...

Recent studies suggest that the correlation of stock returnsincreases with decreasing geographical distance. However, there is some debateon the appropriate methodology for measuring the effects of distanceon correlation. We modify a regression approach suggested in the literatureand complement...

A firm’s current leverage ratio is one of the core characteristicsof credit quality used in statistical default prediction models. Based on thecapital structure literature, which shows that leverage is mean-reverting to atarget leverage, we forecast future leverage ratios and include them in...