Corporate Swap Use and Its Effect on Swap Spreads
by Christopher Paul Lin Abstract Interest rate swaps are financial derivatives that allow people to speculate on interest rates or hedge certain interest rate exposures. Corporations, in particular, can use the swap market to effectively change fixed rate debt into floating rate debt or vice versa. This paper empirically tests whether debt issuance by financial […]
The Closed-End Fund Puzzle: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of U.S. Closed-End Fund Discounts
by David Lefty Abstract This paper examines the effect of systematic beta risk, expense ratios, and fund size on the cross-sectional variation of closed-end fund discounts. Using a methodology similar to that of Gemmill and Thomas (2002) and Flynn (2004) on a sample of 50 U.S. closed-end funds, the data indicate that expense ratios have […]
PUBLIC EDUCATION IN PUERTO RICO: DOES CLASS SIZE MATTER?
by Eddy V. Leal Abstract Even though there is a large literature concerning the effects of class size on educational achievement, no previous research has formally examined the class size reduction policy in Puerto Rico. The evidence in this paper suggests that class size does not have a causal effect on student achievement in Puerto […]
The Elusiveness of Systematic Jumps
by Tzuo Hann Law Abstract We test for the presence of jumps and measure the price variance of 40 major stocks and the index they form using intra-day returns. Subsequently, we find that jumps can be classified into two groups: systematic and idiosyncratic. Idiosyncratic jumps are firm specific and are usually larger than systematic jumps […]
An Empirical Study of the Anticommons Effect on Public vs. Private Researchers
by Serena S. Lam Abstract The “anticommons effect” is a recently coined term to describe the phenomenon of stifled research and innovation in the biomedical research arena due to the growing number of overlapping patents in particular domains. Murray and Stern (2005) was the first to devise a novel strategy to quantify this effect by […]
Strategic Behavior in Online Auctions: An Analysis of Sniping
by Claudia Lai Abstract Sniping is a prevalent phenomenon in eBay auctions, which have a fixed end time. Such practice seems apparently inconsistent with standard auction theory – last minute bids are received with reduced probability, and should rationally be submitted earlier – yet previous literature has shown that bidders typically do not engage in […]
Maternal Labor Decisions and the Effects on Adolescent Risky Behavior
by Stephen M. LaFata Abstract This paper examines the effects of maternal employment on the decisions of adolescents to engage in risky behavior. I attempt to control for possible endogeneity of maternal employment by implementing instrumental variables. Ultimately, except for low SES families, maternal labor is found to have no statistically significant effects on adolescent […]
Book-building versus Auctions: An investigation into which IPO pricing and selling method more effectively promotes the aims of an IPO issuer
by Amrith Krushnakumaar Abstract In recent years, book-building has emerged as a method of choice among investment banks in the U.S and around the world for pricing and selling initial public offerings (IPOs). Proponents of the book-building method argue that discriminatory share allocations, the pooling of IPOs and other standard book-building practices price new shares […]
Multi-Variable Regression Analysis For the Prediction of Equity Returns Over 10 Year Periods
by Arjun Singh Jaswal Abstract The use of 5 variables is examined in order to forecast ex ante the total return from holding equities over 10 year periods. The 5 variables are a moving average of Campbell and Shiller’s P/E ratio, Robert B. Barsky and J. Bradford De Long’s log price predictor, a function of […]
A Case Study on the Informational Role of Futures Markets: Can Weather Futures Forecast Electricity Consumption?
by Ying Chiat Ho Abstract This paper provides a case study on the informational role of futures prices by investigating the ability of Cooling Degree Day (CDD) futures prices to forecast electricity consumption for New York State. I develop a cross-sectional model relating electricity consumption with the cumulative CDDs in a month for New York […]
