I derive indifference curves in mean-standard deviation space for investors with prospect theory preferences when returns are normally distributed. The normality assumption creates a mapping between model parameters and the investment opportunity set. The model is then calibrated to historical...

If individuals derive a small utility from gambling, we should observe high turnover in stock portfolios that are of only marginal importance to them. By the use of detailed individual financial data, as weIl as trades from a Swedish online broker, we measure the frequency and cost of online...

"I explore cross-sectional portfolio performance in a sample containing 324,736 transactions conducted by 16,831 Swedish investors at an Internet discount brokerage firm during the period May 1999 to March 2002. On average, investors hold undiversified portfolios, show a strong preference for...

Previous studies of investor behavior have documented that trading is harmful to the portfolio return, but have been unable to measure how important this underperformance is for the individual. By the use of detailed individual financial data, as well as trades from a Swedish online broker, I...

This article documents a link between trading and diversification by using detailed trading records from a Swedish discount broker matched with individual tax records. Diversification is measured by the investors' stake size, defined as the fraction of their risky financial wealth invested in...

We characterize incentive-efficient merger outcomes when payments can be made both in cash and stock. Each firm has private information about both its stand-alone value and a component of the (possibly negative) potential synergies. We study two cases: when transfers can, and cannot, be made...

We study the relation between compensation practices, incentives, and performance in private equity using new data that connect ownership structures, management contracts, and quarterly cash flows for a large sample of buyout and venture capital funds from 1984-2010. Although many critics of...

Using data from a finance theme park at Junior Achievement of Southern California, we explore how timely decision support is impacted by previous exposure to financial education. Some students received a 19-hour curriculum before participating, and some did not. Trained students were more...