We develop a framework for analyzing the capital allocation and capital structure decisions facing financial institutions such as banks. Our model incorporates two key features: i) value-maximizing banks have a well-founded concern with risk management; and ii) not all the risks they face can be...

Fundamental indexers argue that capitalization weighting is an inferior investment strategy because it necessarily invests more in overvalued stocks and less in undervalued stocks. This article shows that this claim is false. Capitalization weighting does not, by itself, create a performance drag

SUBJECT AREAS: equity index funds, total return swaps, index-linked notes, index futures, implementation costs (transaction costs, custody fees, withholding taxes), portable alpha.CASE SETTING: 1992, U.S.SYNOPSISBEA's enhanced index fund product uses derivatives and cash market securities to...

This paper examines the basic mechanisms in the financial system that function to manage the risks and costs associated with the clearing and settlement of securities transactions. Transactions risk arises because of failure to consummate a trade, perhaps because the buyer could not arrange...

SUBJECT AREAS: Insurance, Investment management, Personal finance, Risk, Risk management.In May 2006, a resident of Key West, FL had to decide whether to renew his policy to insure against hurricane damage. The policy would cost $13,000 for one year, $5,000 more than what he paid in 2005. At the...

This paper develops a theory of capital allocation in opaque financial intermediaries. The model endogenizes risk management and capital structure decisions, and it provides a simple setting within which to address questions relating to capital budgeting, performance measurement, and employee...

We model the equilibrium price and quantity of risk transfer between firms and financial intermediaries. Value-maximizing firms have downward sloping demands to cede risk, while intermediaries, who assume risk, provide less-than-fully-elastic supply. We show that equilibrium required returns...

This paper examines the dynamics of the foreign exchange market. The first half addresses a number of key questions regarding the forecasts of future exchange rates made by market participants, by means of updated estimates using survey data. Here we follow most of the theoretical and empirical...