We document that managers have a propensity to disproportionately report total revenue numbers just above base-ten thresholds (e.g., ten million, thirty million, one billion). Further tests investigate whether managers are motivated to beat these thresholds because of pressure to beat revenue...

This study examines the change in crime observed in the weeks following the release of both violent and non-violent top-selling video games between 2006 and 2011. We find that the release of Mature-rated video games is associated with an increase in overall crime in the weeks following release....

We examine how corruption influences the mortgage market. Prior research documents that corruption is most costly in cases, like home buying, where government interaction is frequent and necessary. Accordingly, after anti-corruption laws pass bank-offices both accept more mortgage applications,...

We examine the influence of mobile communication on local information flow and local investor activity using the enforcement of state-wide distracted driving restrictions, which are exogenous events that constrain mobile communication while driving. By restricting mobile communication across a...

We examine changes in bank loan contracts after borrowers experience a nearby local newspaper closure. Compared to a sample of control firms, we find that the closure of a local newspaper leads to higher interest spreads for borrowers. The effect is stronger when the local newspaper is more...

This paper examines the real effects of weather on firm performance, using temperature as our proxy for weather. The relation between temperature and performance depends on season, industry, geographic location, and is often firm-specific. Therefore, to test this relation we adapt a measure of...