In this dissertation, I explore the impact of idiosyncratic risk on asset returns. The first essay examines how idiosyncratic risk affects the cross-section of stock returns. I use an exponential GARCH model to forecast expected idiosyncratic volatility and employ a combination of the size...

This dissertation addresses issues in corporate risk management. Part I examines the determinants for corporate decisions to commodity hedge and to the extent of hedging. Chapter 1 discusses prior literature, including theory and empirical evidence on corporate risk management. It provides the...

This dissertation contains two essays that use empirical techniques to shed light on open questions in the asset pricing literature. In the first essay, I investigate whether foreign institutional investors affect stock liquidity in domestic equity markets. The evidence indicates that stocks...

This dissertation addresses issues in corporate finance. Part I examines the litigationenvironment of a firm and its impact on financial policy. Chapter 1 discusses prior research,including theory and empirical results, related to firm performance, financial policy, andlitigation. It provides...

This dissertation examines issues in banking and the financing of corporate investment. The first chapter investigates the impact of changes in a bank's health on the investment behavior of its current borrowers for a panel of U.S. firms. I find that, after controlling for aggregate credit...