The potential for rare macroeconomic disasters may explain an array of asset-pricing puzzles. Our empirical studies of these extreme events rely on long-term data now covering 28 countries for consumption and 40 for GDP. A baseline model calibrated with observed peak-to-trough disaster sizes...

News about an individual stock normally has only a trivial impact on the aggregate economy. The news of the aggregate stock market, however, may have a significant impact on the prospects of the economy, and so has a large impact on the pricing kernel. This difference between the aggregate stock...

We extend the Lucas asset pricing tree economy to a heterogeneous population. Perturbative methods are applied to explicitly calculate the second order response of returns to heterogeneity. We determine the status of various stylized facts. For example, we find that the equity premium always...

This paper formulates and empirically tests a model that describes the balance sheet adjustments of debt and equity financed U.S. nonfinancial enterprises over the twentieth century. In this model asset adjustments change the expected income and operating risk of firms while financing...

In this paper we study the implications of general-purpose technological growth for asset prices. The model features two types of shocks: quot;smallquot;, frequent, and disembodied shocks to productivity and quot;largequot; technological innovations, which are embodied into new vintages of the...

The recent political developments in the Middle East have prompted increased scrutiny of the economies of the nations lying in this region. Over the past few months, the financial markets of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been affected by the speculations that existed before the war in...

The most striking difference in corporate-governance arrangements between rich and poor countries is that the latter rely much more heavily on the dynastic family firm, where ownership and control are passed on from one generation to the other. We argue that if the heir to the family firm has no...

This article surveys the macroeconomic implications of financial frictions. Financial frictions lead to persistence and when combined with illiquidity to non-linear amplification effects. Risk is endogenous and liquidity spirals cause financial instability. Increasing margins further restrict...