Rating agencies act as intermediaries for investors in evaluating the creditworthiness of borrowers. The role of ratings agencies is particularly crucial in market-based systems, because, in contrast to long-run bank relationships, outside investors are confronted with greater obstacles to...

The discussion of diversification discounts is one of the most controversial in corporate finance and strategic management. We are eager to reexamine this issue from the standpoint of vertical versus lateral diversification, and horizontal growth through construction industry M&A. We build on...