This paper details a methodology used to construct a capstone course for the economics major. The capstone course should require students to utilize key concepts that they have learned. The lack of a meaningful topic, however, detracts from a showcase for student understanding. The author...

This dissertation focuses on the mortgage default behavior and the valuation of distressed properties. Three essays are included.The first essay uses New Orleans foreclosure data, where each property has three appraisals, to investigate the factors affecting appraisal bias and accuracy, and to...

Graham and Harveys (2001) survey evidence and Baker, Greenwood, and Wurgler (2003) indicate that firm managers try to time debt markets based on term spreads or excess bond returns when choosing the maturity of new debt issues. Whether debt market timing increases firm value via a reduced cost...

The structure of the U.S. hog industry is changing rapidly. U.S. hog farms have become smaller in number, larger in size and more specialized. This study examines the factors that influence the hog producer's choice among business arrangements offered in the U.S. hog industry. A national survey...

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to develop a composite agribusiness stock index and then compare the returns and volatility to other broad‐based market indices. The paper then evaluates the diversification potential of agribusiness stocks in the context of an investment portfolio....

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) on water pollution was investigated with both semiparametric and parametric models using watershed level data for the state of Louisiana, USA. The parametric model indicated the turning points within the range $10241–$12993, $6636–$13877, and...