The Samuelson hypothesis predicts that futures price volatility increases as the contract expiration date nears. We analyze the economic conditions that underlie this prediction, and highlight the crucial role of mean reverting spot prices. We show that the clustering of information flows near...

This paper studies expectations of capital appreciation in the housing market. We show that expectations impounded in the rent/price ratio at the beginning of the decade successfully predict appreciation rates, but only if we first control for cross-sectional differences in the quality of rental...

We use predictions of aggregate stock return variances from daily data to estimate time varying monthly variances for size-ranked portfolios. We propose and estimate a single factor model of heteroskedasticity for portfolio returns. This model implies time-varying betas. Implications of...

We investigate IPO market efficiency using a sample of equity carve-outs offered during the period of 1985-2005. Unlike IPOs examined in previous studies where trading during the pre-IPO book-building period does not exist and trading on the IPO date is rationed, in equity carve-outs, investors...

The relations between volume, volatility, and market depth in eight physical and financial futures markets are examined. Evidence suggests that linking volatility to total volume does not extract all information. When volume is partitioned into expected and unexpected components, the paper finds...

This study analyzes the effect of managerial style on firm value by partitioning general and administrative (G&A) expenses in the real estate investment trust industry into a nondiscretionary "structural" component associated with the costs of asset and liability management and a discretionary...

We trace the effects of corporate focus by examining the relationships among focus, cash flows and firm value. In contrast to past studies that examine the effects of diversifying across SIC-code-defined industries, we show that diversification, even within a single industry, reduces value. Our...

In this study, we examine the relationship between the liquidity of equity and its market value. We find that creating liquid equity claims on relatively illiquid property assets increases value by 12-22%. However, the fixed costs associated with creating these claims offset these liquidity...