The objective of this dissertation is to verify and explain the forward exchange rate unbiasedness hypothesis in the foreign exchange market. Since in most of the cases the unbiasedness hypothesis fails to hold, we try to provide three different explanations of this puzzling behavior in the...

In this study, the forward premium anomaly is revisited. The bias of the forward rate in predicting the future spot rate implies the failure of Uncovered Interest Parity (UIP), the backbone of many economic models in international finance. In analyzing the classical explanations of the puzzle,...

In the first chapter, I estimate dynamic factors from the term structure of credit spreads and the term structure of equity option implied volatilities, and I provide a comprehensive characterization of the dynamic relationships among those credit spread factors and equity volatility factors. I...

This dissertation investigates whether U.S. commercial banks substitute fee-based income for the decreases in net interest income brought about by a flattening term structure of interest rates. Given the current economic climate, the fee-based activity of interest is asset securitization, though...

Dynamic term structure models (DTSMs) price interest rate derivatives based on the modelimplied fair values of the yield curve, ignoring any pricing residuals on the yield curve that are either from model approximations or market imperfections. In contrast, option pricing in practice often takes...

The volatility of interest rates is relevant for many financial applications. Under realistic assumptions the term structure of interest rate differentials provides an important prediction of the term structure of interest rates. This paper derives the term structure of differentials in a...

The process of international interest rate convergence for arbitrary terms (represented by the term structure of interest rate differentials) is derived in a model of a small open economy which faces a purely time-contingent exchange rate regime switch from flexible to fixed rates. Special...

Options with different maturities can be used to generate volatility estimates for non-overlapping future time intervals. This paper develops the term structure of volatility implied by corn futures options, and evaluates the informational content of the implied forward volatility as a predictor...

Affine term structure models (ATSMs) are known to have a trade-off in predicting future Treasury yields and fitting the time-varying volatility of interest rates. First, I empirically study the role of macroeconomic variables in simultaneously achieving these two goals under affine models. To...

In my dissertation, I explore the relationship between capital controls and the choiceof the maturity structure of external debt in a general equilibrium setup, incorporatingexplicitly the role of international lenders. I look at specific types of capital controlswhich take the form of...