International diversification has costs and benefits, depending on the degree of assetdependence. In light of theoretical research linking diversification and dependence, weexamine international diversification with two dependence measures: correlations andextreme dependence. We document several...

The size effect and distress risk have both presented puzzles in modern finance. In thispaper, we build on the methodology of Campbell et al (2008) and Shumway (2001) toconsider potential time variation in pricing behavior of size and distress. We adjustthis methodology in two ways. First, we...

When assets exhibit asymmetric dependence or joint downside risk, diversificationcan fail and financial markets may be prone to systemic risk. We analyze thedependence structure of risk factors in the US economy, using both correlations anda parsimonious set of copulas. We find evidence of...

A central role for economic policy involves understanding and reducing the impact of unexpected,extreme events. In this paper, we develop a simple economic framework with latentregime switches. This framework explains why investors and policymakers can decide not tohedge against extreme events,...

A central role for economic policy involves reducing the incidence of systemic downturns,when key economic variables experience joint extreme events. In this paper,we empirically analyze such asymmetric dependence using two approaches, correlationsand copulas. We document four findings. First,...

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Extreme events affect both the real economy and financial markets, and it is valuable to understand their interrelationship. We analyze the likelihood of crises in the macroeconomy and in financial markets. We compare rare disaster data from Barro and Jin (2011), crisis data from Reinhart and...

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Can added value be obtained from better collaboration between oil companies and contractors? The topic is addressed by analysing organisational patterns, contracts and compensation formats.Specific issues raised in this paper include the following questions. Are adjustments needed to contractual...