We investigate intermediary asset pricing theories empirically and find strong support for models that have intermediary leverage as the relevant state variable. A parsimonious model that uses detrended dealer leverage as a price-of-risk variable, and innovations to dealer leverage as a pricing...

We model irrational investors who can impact prices to cause predictability in returns and rational investors who are wealth-constrained in their attempts to arbitrage mispricing. We show that rational investors relax wealth constraints by forming financial intermediaries which leverage the...

The demand for cash balances of financial intermediaries that establish contractual liabilities with credit-sensitive customers is characterized. As stated by Merton, the success of the business activities of such firms crucially depends on their credit quality, and hence, they are obliged to...