Based upon structural credit models, we investigate the changes of the effects of employee stock options (ESOs) on bond yield spreads due to the revision of SFAS No. 123R (No.123R) which requires expensing ESO amounts. Using American bond observations from year 1995 to 2007, we find that the...

We examine IPOs in Korea during the period August 2000–January 2002. We conclude that the high level of underpricing in Korean IPOs is the unintended consequence of regulations designed to promote fairness. Two aspects of the regulations distort the process — an “essential price” formula...

This paper documents some stylized facts about the Canadian financial structure. I explore these empirical facts in the context of the Canadian financial legislation. I find that, over the 1990s, Canadian businesses became more heavily dependent on financial markets as their primary source of...

This paper revisits the impact of OBS activities on Canadian banks risk-return trade-off. Recent studies (Stiroh and Rumble 2006, Calmès and Liu 2007) suggest that increasing OBS activities do not necessarily yield straightforward diversification benefits. However, adding a risk premium to...

This paper revisits the impact of off-balance-sheet (OBS) activities on banks risk-return trade-off. Recent studies (e.g., Stiroh and Rumble 2006) suggest that increasing OBS activities do not necessarily yield straightforward diversification benefits for banks. However, introducing a risk...