This paper is the first to compare the ability of the two structural credit risk models of Merton (1974) and Leland (1994a, b) to predict bankruptcy. We investigate different implementations of the Merton and Leland models on the whole CRSP/Compustat universe of firms from 1980 to 2015. Although...

Risk shifting behaviour is central to corporate finance theory yet has not been vindicated by empirical research. We show that firms construct their derivative portfolios in ways that support the risk shifting hypothesis. Using hand-collected data from the oil and gas industry we find that...

We examine how firms hedge in financial distress. Using hand-collected data from oil and gas producers, we find that derivative portfolios in these firms are characterized by short put options. These positions are part of a composite three-way collar strategy that combines buying put options and...