Volatility movements are known to be negatively correlated with stock index returns. Hence, investing in volatility appears to be attractive for investors seeking risk diversification. The most common instruments for investing in pure volatility are variance swaps, which now enjoy an active...

We present a new method to measure the intraday relationship between movements of implied volatility smiles and stock returns. It is based on an enhanced smile regression model which captures patterns in the intraday data which have not yet been reported in the literature. Using transaction data...

In the three-factor model of Fama and French (1993), portfolio returns are explained by the factors Small Minus Big (SMB) and High Minus Low (HML) which capture returns related to firm capitalization (size) and the book-to-market ratio (B/M). In the standard approach of the model, both the test...

This paper examines the reliability of financial analysts’ consensus earnings forecasts in the 1990s. Analysts are often accused of having fuelled the stock market boom with exaggerated evaluations of firms’ prospects. However, this criticism primarily refers to the analysts’ buy...

The influence of credit ratings on eurobond prices has been neglected for a long time. It is questionable whether non-US investors relate their investment decisions on US ratings and whether ratings from US agencies are relevant information sources for international capital markets. This paper...