We investigate whether bank performance during the credit crisis of 2008 is related to CEOincentives and share ownership before the crisis and whether CEOs reduced their equity stakes intheir banks in anticipation of the crisis. There is no evidence that banks with CEOs whoseincentives were...

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...

The financial services industry has undergone significant regulatory change in thepast two decades due to Basel II (banking) and Solvency II (insurance). Even though these promulgations are focused on European institutions, their influenceextends around the globe. An important dimension of this...

Using a panel of 425 European firms over the period from 1990 to 2005, we revisit Welch's (2004) finding that stock returns are the primary determinant of capital structure changes and that the corporate motives for issuing activities remain largely unexplained. We document that about half of...

Der vorliegende Beitrag analysiert die Ausgestaltung der Desinvestition einer Konzerneinheit im Rahmen eines Buy Out an institutionelle Private-Equity-Investoren. Der Arbeitskreis Finanzierung der Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft hat dafür eine explorative empirischeUntersuchung von 33...

Rating downgrades are known to make subsequent downgrades more likely. We analyze theimpact of this ‘downward momentum’ on credit portfolio risk. Using S&P ratings from 1996to 2005, we estimate a transition matrix that is insensitive to and a second matrix that is sensitiveto previous...

Between 1999 and 2007, WR Hambrecht has completed 19 IPOs in the U.S. usingan auction mechanism. We analyze investor behavior and mechanism performance inthese auctioned IPOs using detailed bidding data. The existence of some bids posted athigh prices suggests that some investors (mostly retail)...

Die Finanztheorie betrachtet in den letzten Jahren verstärkt die Bedeutung institutionellerRahmenbedingungen bei der Gestaltung von Finanzierungsverträgen in verschiedenenLändern. In diesem Kontext vergleicht das vorliegende Papier unterschiedliche, für denangelsächsischen und deutschen...

The paper offers a new explanation for the widely observed use of redeemable and convertible preferred stock in venture capital finance. Redeemable and convertible preferred stocks can be used to endogenously allocate cash flow and control rights as a function of the state of nature, the...

This paper presents a theory of inititial public offerings based on the idea that the optimal ownership structure of a company changes over the life cycle of the firm. Insiders take the company public when they have lost the comparative advantage over outsiders in gathering information to...