This paper investigates whether the reputation of acquiring private equity groups (PEGs) is related to the financing structure of leveraged buyouts (LBOs). Using a sample of 180 public-to-private LBOs in the US between January 1, 1997 and August 15, 2007, we find that reputable PEGs are more...

Firms with poor aftermarket performance are given higher target prices and are more likely to receive strong buy recommendations, especially by analysts affiliated with the lead underwriter. This favorable coverage is relatively short-lived, lasting for only the first one or two analyst reports,...

We examine how analysts establish target prices for IPO firms and whether comparable firms used to support target prices are helpful in explaining IPO offer prices. From 1996 to 2000, the average target price is set at a level more than twice the offer price that was established less than a...

Since the early 1990s, a number of mutual funds have emerged that cater exclusively to institutional investors, i.e. pension funds, trusts and corporate benefit plans. Information on the performance and flows into institutional mutual funds provides a unique opportunity to compare the factors...

This paper describes the RAROC system developed at Bank of America (B of A) in order to examine how risk-based capital allocation models work. I begin by discussing the economic rational for allocating capital in a diversified organization like the B of A. Drawing on recent work by Froot and...

This paper examines the determinants of financial covenant thresholds in bank loan agreements and information conveyed through the selection of tight financial covenants. We find that riskier firms and firms with fewer investment opportunities select tighter financial covenants. We also find...

Reputational capital is a frequently cited attribute of private equity transactions. In this paper we construct a simple model to illustrate the relationship between reputational capital, covenants and loan spreads in the leveraged loan market. Our model predicts that reliance on reputational...

Using hand-collected data on corporate bond and stock offerings, we identify the impact of government debt on corporate financing during World War I. The early twentieth century provides a unique opportunity to identify the impact of government debt on private financing because during this...

Past studies find that commercial loan spreads are “sticky,” in the sense that they do not fully respond to changes in market rates or observable firm credit risk characteristics. In this paper, we provide evidence that the appearance of stickiness arises, in part, because the intensity of...

This paper investigates the performance sensitivity of geographically diversified and non-diversified banks to local housing prices in the United States. We find that despite enduring the limitation of risk diversification, local banks experience a lower performance sensitivity to housing prices...