This paper is the first systematic analysis of the impact of diversificationon the performance of private equity funds. A unique data set allows theexact evaluation of diversification across the dimensions financing stages,industries, and countries. Very different levels of diversification can...

We apply control rights theory to explain the structure and determinants of financial covenants in private equity backed leveraged buyouts. We analyze 130 German transactions from 2000 to 2008, covering about 40 percent of the LBO market during this period. We consider Germany to be a superior...

The paper uses Minsky's financial instability hypothesis as an analytical framework for understanding the subprime mortgage crisis and for introducing adequate reforms to restore economic stability. We argue that the subprime crisis has structural origins that extend far beyond the housing and...

The extension of the subprime mortgage crisis to a global financial meltdown led to calls for fundamental reregulation of the United States financial system. However, that reregulation has been slow in implementation and the proposals under discussion are far from fundamental. One explanation...

The current financial crisis has been characterized as a 'Minsky' moment, and as such provides the conditions required for a reregulation of the financial system similar to that of the New Deal banking reforms of the 1930s. However, Minsky's theory was not one that dealt in moments but rather in...

We solve the problem of optimal securitization for an issuer facing heterogeneous investorswith arbitrary time and risk preferences. We show that the optimal securitizationis characterized by multiple nonlinear tranches, and each investor gets a portfolio of thesetranches. In particular, when...

This paper presents the first analysis of open-end leverage certificates on the Germanmarket. The major innovations of these certificates are twofold. First, issuers announcea price-setting formula according to which they are willing to buy and sell thecertificates over time. Second, the...

Refinancing a mortgage is often one of the biggest and most important financial decisions that people make. Borrowers need to choose the interest rate differential at which to refinance and, when that differential is reached, they need to take the steps to refinance before rates change again....

What configuration of asset returns will make the banking system most susceptible to a self-fulfilling run? I study this question in a version of the model of Diamond and Dybvig (1983) with limited commitment and a non-trivial portfolio choice. I show that the relationship between the returns on...