This dissertation consists of three articles striding topics from corporate governance to asset pricing. It seeks to understand the costs and benefits of better corporate governance, and how assets such as real estate are priced. My ultimate focus is on corporate governance on both sides of the...

Monetary growth in the euro area has exceeded its target since several years. At the same time, the money demand function seems to be increasingly unstable if more recent data are used. If the link between money balances and the macroeconomy is fragile, the rationale of monetary aggregates in...

The appropriate design of monetary policy in integrated financial markets is one of the most challenging areas for central banks. One hot topic is whether the rise in liquidity in recent years has contributed to the formation of price bubbles in asset markets. If strong linkages exist, the...

In financial markets, professional traders leverage their trades because it allows to trade larger positions with less margin. Violating margin requirements, however, triggers a margin call and open positions are automatically covered until requirements are met again. What impact does margin...

Price manipulation in financial markets is a prohibited activity, but identifying it is a problem in thinly traded securities markets. One service that clients expect of a portfolio manager is to provide up-to-date valuations. Actions to obtain these valuations are regarded as proper by the...

This paper develops an equilibrium model of speculative bubbles that can be used to explore the role of various policies in either giving rise to or eliminating the possibility of asset bubbles, e.g. restricting the use of certain types of loan contracts, imposing down- payment restrictions, and...