This paper aims at testing for time-variations in herd behavior in stock markets. In particular, we analyze how investors' behavior differs between times of market turmoil and tranquil trading periods. Thereby, we take into account herding within a certain market as well as international...

During the global financial crisis, stressed market conditions led to skyrocketing corporate bond spreads that could not be explained by conventional modeling approaches. This paper builds on this observation and sheds light on time-variations in the relationship between systematic risk factors...