Despite assumptions of mean-variance efficiency that underlie most asset pricing models, investors have shown a penchant for positive skewness. This study documents that the ratio of call option volume relative to total option volume is greatest for stocks with return distributions that resemble...

Over 85% of all foreign exchange (FX) transactions involve the US dollar. I show that the US dollar dominates FX trading volume because of strategic avoidance of price impact. To demonstrate this, I leverage the fact that non-dollar currency pairs can be traded indirectly by using the US dollar...