"This paper examines the impact of mergers on default risk, finding that, on average, a merger increases the default risk of the acquiring firm. This is surprising for two reasons: risk reduction is among the reasons commonly cited for mergers, and asset diversification should reduce default...

This study examines the level of unsecured borrowing done by the firms that ultimately rescued Long-Term Capital Management in the days leading up to the hedge fund's rescue. Although these banks borrowed less at the height of the crisis, evidence suggests that this reduction in borrowing was...

This paper develops a structural, dynamic model of a banking firm to analyze how banks adjust their loan portfolios over time. In the model, banks experience capital shocks, face uncertain future loan demand, and incur costs based on their proximity to regulatory minimum capital requirements....

This paper examines the likelihood that failure of one bank would cause the subsequent collapse of a large number of other banks. Using unique data on interbank payment flows, the magnitude of bilateral federal funds exposures is quantified. These exposures are used to simulate the impact of...

We analyze how price discovery in the inter-dealer market for U.S. Treasury securities differs during stressful times from normal periods. We distinguish between three forms of stress: intense trading activity, asymmetric depth and market maker risk aversion. Using tick-by-tick data on...