We develop a theoretical model to analyse the e ect of competition on the conflict of interest arising from the issuer pay compensation model of the credit rating industry. We nd that relative to monopoly, rating agencies are more likely to inflate ratings under competition, resulting in lower...

A substantial body of research suggests that it is difficult to account for all of the asset price volatility in terms of news. This paper attempts to explain the excess volatility puzzle as a consequence of competitive interaction between market participants. We develop a model of competitive...