Turmoil and uncertainty confront firms when they are named as defendants in class action lawsuits. In this article, we consider whether option markets interpret the implications of these dramatic corporate events for mid-to-long term performance. In particular, we consider relatively simple,...

Behavioral theories contend that the human decision-making process tends to both incorporate anchor points and improperly weight low probability events. In this study, we find evidence that equity option market investors anchor to prices and incorporate a probability weighting function similar...

Recent work has considered whether information is simultaneously reflected in both option and equity markets. We provide new evidence supporting Black's (1975) conjecture that information is first revealed in option markets. Specifically, changes in call and put open interest levels have...

Recent work considers whether information is simultaneously reflected in both option and equity markets. We provide new evidence supporting Black's (Financ. Anal. J. 31:36–72, 1975) conjecture that information is first revealed in option markets. Specifically, changes in call and put...

The BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20, 2010, leading to an unprecedented environmental and financial disaster. This paper details responses in the financial markets for BP securities, including stock, bonds, options, and credit default swaps. Following the disaster BP shares...

The structure of a firm-commitment Seasoned Equity Offering (SEO) resembles a put option underwritten by an investment bank syndicate. Employing implied volatilities from issuers' stock options as a direct forward-looking measure, this paper examines the impact of expected price risk on the...