I investigate the relation between firm performance and both ownership structure and board composition. Use of theGMM methodology permits simultaneous control of both endogeneity of the independent variables and fixedeffects. The data comprise an original, large, hand-collected panel dataset of...

We examine whether UK firms engage in earnings management or forecast guidance over theperiod 1994−2002 in order to ensure that their reported earnings meet analyst earnings expectations.We explore two earnings management mechanisms: a) the use of positive abnormal working capitalaccruals and...

After Hurricane Andrew the U.S. Congress entertained proposals to allow insurers to employtax-deferred loss reserves. Interest was strong at first, but as the events receded interestwaned. After the most recent hurricane seasons, interest in the proposals has rejuvenated. Weexamine the use of...

The Fama and French (1993) three factor model has been used in controlling for risk in theestimation of abnormal returns stemming from various events (e.g., IPOs, takeovers, etc.),portfolio strategies (e.g., those exploiting accounting numbers such as post-earningsannouncement drift or total...

In this paper we analyse the comparative pricing of vanilla and GDP linkedsovereign debt. The key feature of GDP linked bonds is that their cashflowscoupons,principal or both-are linked to the evolution of the country’s nationalincome. While it has long been argued that indexing debt to...

We explore the capital market consequences of achieving analyst earnings expectations,distinguishing between expectations achieved genuinely or through earnings guidance ormanagement. We examine an inclusive set of earnings management tools: real earningsmanagement, working capital accruals...

In the UK, SSAP 13 requires that firms immediately expense most of their R&D expenditures.The reported earnings of high-R&D expenditure firms are therefore likely to convey less valuerelevantinformation to investors than those of less research-intensive firms. Using a sample offirms from the...

We use a unique dataset of bond downgrades from a niche rating company that has been found to be reacting faster to publicly available information than its competitors. Using regime-switching models we propose risk measures to quantify stock return disturbances (distress costs) associated with...

This paper examines the price impact of trading intensity on an emerging futures market. Utilizing anovel volume-augmented duration model of price discovery, the intensity effect is decomposed intoliquidity and information components for the MexDer 28-day interest rate futures contract. We...

Forbes and Rigobon (2002) claim there was no contagion among international stock markets duringthe 1997 Asian crisis, with contagion being defined as an increase in dependence. We revisit thisissue using a more robust methodology based on copula. After controlling for heteroskedasticitywith the...