We analyze optimal financial contracts when the specificity of investments is endogenous. Specialization decreases the liquidation value of assets, but improves the asset's long-term productivity. While the former is known to make financing more difficult, we show that the latter can ease...

The probability of entry and exit of dealers on the NASDAQ National Market (NNM) is significantly affected by trading intensity, volatility and the quoted bid-ask spread. Entry and exit of market makers is a pervasive phenomenon. Large-scale entry (exit) is associated with substantial declines...