French stock market volatility observed over the last 150 years presents a huge instability. From a very low level before the First World War, it shows a continuous increase during the inter-war period. Despite peace and economic stability, volatility has never converged to levels seen pre-1914....

Relative P/E-ratio valuation apparently still plays an important role among investment research analysts and advisors (cf. Goldman Sachs,1999). In a valuation model of this kind, the value of owners´equity is typically calculated as a function of an observed P/E-ratio for some peer company, or...

The bond yield dynamics implied by a welfare-maximizing monetary policy and its credibility are explored in general equilibrium. Credibility is captured by a regime change from discretion to commitment. The policy determines the optimal output and inflation responses to a source of inflation...

Three interrelated aspects typical of most financial crisis of domestic origin are brought together in a model in this paper. The first aspect is debt financed consumption boom supported by rising asset prices which ultimately leads to credit crunch and debt deflation as lenders lose confidence...

This paper presents a number of extensions to the theory of profit- and wage-led growth by integrating selected aspects of asset markets and housing markets. Theoretical results from comparative statics are then presented and discussed, notably with reference to recent housing market bubbles....

Abreu and Brunnermeier (2003) study stock market bubbles and crashes in a dynamic model with a continuum of rational small traders. We introduce a large trader into their model and apply it to currency attacks. In an attack against a fixed exchange rate regime with a gradually overvaluing...

The literature on leverage until now shows how an increase in volatility reduces leverage. However, in order to explain pro-cyclical leverage it assumes that bad news increases volatility. This paper suggests a reason why bad news is more often than not associated with higher future volatility....

Previous research on point spread betting assumed that bookmakers attract an equal volume of bets on either side of games in order to maximize profits. This paper examines the viability of this assumption from a theoretical and empirical perspective. The model of bookmaker behavior developed...