Using a rich dataset of high frequency historical information from 2004 to 2013 we study the determinants of European sovereign bond returns over calm and crisis periods. We find that the sign of the equity beta crucially depends on country risk. In low risk countries, government bonds represent...

Using a sample of US bank mergers from 1995 to 2012, we observe that the pre-post merger changes in CEO bonus are significantly negatively related to the strength of corporate governance within the bidding bank. This suggests that bonus compensation is not consistent with the “optimal...

Using a unique dataset of detailed portfolio holdings of US money market funds, we study the funds' behavior in the context of the European sovereign debt crisis. These important players in the shadow banking sector were particularly vulnerable to liquidity shocks before the introduction of...

In this study we investigate the factors responsible for diversification in international corporate bond portfolios. We observe that interest rate factors are the most important single cause of diversification of total portfolio returns. Maturity diversification follows as the second most...

Rating agencies are known to be prudent in their approach to rating revisions, which results in delayed rating adjustments. For a large set of eurobonds we derive credit spread implied ratings and compare them with agency ratings. Our results indicate that spread implied ratings often anticipate...

Banks have recently developed new techniques for gauging the credit risk associated with portfolios of illiquid, defaultable instruments. These techniques could revolutionise banks' management of credit risk and could in the longer term serve as a more risk-sensitive basis for calculating...

Basel II rules allow qualified banks to assess the risk in their portfolio of credit exposures with a methodology based on the informational content of credit ratings and two crucial assumptions: (1) the credit risk of individual exposures is driven by one systematic risk factor only and (2) the...