The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of both firm-specific and external factors on the risk taking of European insurance companies. The extent of risk taking is quantified through variations in stock prices and these are explained by firm-specific and external factors that proxy the...

The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in 2008 was a critical event in the Global Financial Crisis, exposing serious fault lines in the structure of global financial markets and leading to widespread economic disruption. But how did Lehman, a company of over 150 years’ experience in commodities...

We study the role of corporate governance in abnormal returns around announcements of seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) by publicly traded U. S. firms from 2001 - 2004. We find that investors react more positively for firms in which different people hold the CEO and board chairman positions. We...

This research focuses on the board role evolution analysis which took place simultaneously with the development of different corporate governance theories and perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to provide understanding of key factors that make a board effective in the performance of its...

The recent financial crisis has raised several questions with respect to the corporate governance of financial institutions. This paper investigates whether risk management-related corporate governance mechanisms, such as for example the presence of a chief risk officer (CRO) in a bank’s...

The interest in internal control and its continuous nature is the consequence of the causes which led to the recording of significant losses by some banks. Therefore, an effective internal control system is a critical component of the management of the banks, which can support the achievement of...

Advocates for internal model-based capital regulation argue that this approach will reduce costs and remove distortions that are created by rules-based capital regulations. These claims are examined using a Merton-style model of deposit insurance. Analysis shows that internal model-based capital...

The staff report on Canada’s 2009 Article IV Consultation examines economic developments and policies. Canadian banks have weathered the crisis better than major-country peers, but the credit cycle will be challenging, particularly given high household debt. Financial instability is a...