Short squeezes often lead to sudden, large increases in stock prices. We show that uncertainty about the likelihood of a short squeeze is a proxy for skewness-seeking investors, and they use call options in their quest. In particular, these investors are willing to pay a premium for the upside...

Artificial intelligence (AI), powered by machine learning algorithms, is capable of extracting information efficiently from big data and, therefore, has great potential for improving financial decision-making. In this chapter, we summarize several important applications of AI in this context....

The literature has demonstrated that historically stocks with skewness-like characteristics -- lotteryness-- have been the target of a type of investors willing to pay a premium to achieve exposure to skewness. We show that, nevertheless, it is mostly stocks without options the ones that have...

In this paper, we examine the economic value of a text-based measure of financial integration. Our attention measure of financial integration is a strong positive predictor of currency excess returns. Specifically, the financial integration measure is positively priced in the cross-section of...

This project explores capital markets risk exposure from water use in key industrial sectors in the Great Lakes region, represented by a subset of the region's largest companies and water users. The largest industrial water users in the Great Lakes region include (in decreasing order):...

We develop a way of ranking and scoring actively managed funds and investment strategies. Our performance measure accounts for the feature that investors may exhibit caution, via the mechanism of ambiguity aversion, when evaluating investment strategies. Linking developed theory to data, we...

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing has mushroomed in the recent past. As assets under management have grown impressively, so have questions. This chapter surveys the landscape of ESG investing, starting with definitions, components, investing strategies, market size, and the...

It is shown, through a theoretical model, how firms fundamentals should influence stock (scaled) prices. A sample of about five thousand stocks from thirty developed countries is studied over a period of seventeen years. The empirical evidence is consistent with the theoretical assumptions made,...

We review the burgeoning sustainable finance literature, emphasizing the value implications of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and CSR (corporate social responsibility) practices. We use a discounted cash flow valuation framework to identify value drivers through which such practices...

We find that institutional investors' local culture of religiosity influences their stock lending decisions and short-sell constraints. Firms with higher ownerships by blockholders located in more religious counties are associated with higher utilization of lendable shares. This effect is driven...