Many commentators have suggested that companies pay top executives with deferred compensation, a type of incentive known as inside debt. Recent SEC disclosure reforms greatly increased the transparency of deferred compensation. We investigate stockholder and bondholder reactions to companies’...

I analyze changes in apparel company stock prices when Michelle Obama wears designer outfits at public events. Company stock prices rise significantly when the First Lady wears their clothing, increasing about 1.7% in the week following her most closely watched appearances and by about half as...

Pensions and deferred compensation represent substantial components of CEO incentives. We study stockholder and bondholder reactions to companies' initial reports of CEOs' inside debt positions following a 2007 SEC disclosure reform. We find that bond prices rise, equity prices fall, and the...