Using acquisition data from 2010-2018, we examine the impact of acquisitions by foreign SOEs on politically connected domestic U.S. competitors. We examine the initial response to such acquisition announcements, the attempts of industry incumbents to increase their own political connections, and...

This paper examines whether firm-level political risk predicts compliance violation costs. We find a positive relationship between political risk and the likelihood, quantity, and magnitude of compliance violation fines and settlements. This relationship is robust to various cost measures and...

In this study, we examine the impact of class action litigation shocks on corporate innovation. Our experimental design is based on an unanticipated court ruling that reduces the risk of shareholder class action lawsuits for firms located within the jurisdiction of the US Ninth Circuit....

Stewardship theory suggests CEO duality can provide strong leadership and facilitate the development and coordination of firm strategy. These benefits should affect both firm risk and financial performance. We use the 2020 coronavirus outbreak as a natural experiment to determine whether CEO...

We examine the stock returns implications of the corporate defined benefit pension plans in R&D portfolio specifications. Pensions are one of the most significant off-balance-sheet items and liabilities arising from pensions are extensive. In our sample, firms with pension plans are 38% more...

This study investigates the effects of firm-level political risk on corporate investments and operating efficiencies for industrially diversified and focused firms. Using firm-level political risk data from Hassan et al.(2019), we document that both political risk and diversification lead to...

We document that firms without strong corporate cultures hold excess inventory to mitigate the operational risk compared to their peers with strong corporate cultures. Further analyses reveal that firms balance the costs and benefits of excess inventory holdings. Weak corporate culture values...

We examine the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on FDIC chartered banks’ performance. Our experimental design analyzes the performance of community banks and large banks before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Community banks outperform large banks significantly in several key measures in the...

Using political corruption conviction data from the U.S. Department of Justice, we examine the impact of local corruption on firms’ debt maturity structure while exploring both demand-side and supply-side explanations. Our results support the demand-side story and indicate that firms located...