While algorithmic trading now dominates financial markets, some exchanges continue to use human floor traders. On March 23, 2020 the NYSE suspended floor trading because of COVID-19. Using a difference-in-differences analysis, we find that floor traders are important contributors to market...

We study the impact of index investing on firm performance by examining the link between commodity indices and firms that use index commodities. Around 2004, there was a dramatic increase in commodity index investing, an event referred to as the financialization of commodity markets. Following...

We analyze the contribution to price discovery of market and limit orders by high frequency traders (HFTs) and non-HFTs. While market orders have a larger individual price impact, limit orders are far more numerous. This results in price discovery occurring predominantly through limit orders....

This paper provides novel evidence that corporate political influence operates through renegotiations of existing government contracts. Using detailed data on contractual terms and renegotiations around sudden deaths and resignations of local politicians, the estimates show that politically...

We show that global political uncertainty, measured by the U.S. election cycle, on average, leads to a fall in equity returns in fifty non-U.S. countries. At the same time, market volatilities rise, local currencies depreciate, and sovereign bond returns increase. The effect of global political...

This paper examines whether shareholder litigation contributes to the decline in U.S. stock market listings. We find that higher litigation risk induces firms to delist. We establish causality by exploiting a 1999 decision by the Ninth Circuit Court that reduced litigation risk. The effect is at...