Using loan-level data, we analyze the quality of subprime mortgage loans by adjusting their performance for differences in borrower characteristics, loan characteristics, and macroeconomic conditions. We find that the quality of loans deteriorated for six consecutive years before the crisis and...

This article provides an empirical decomposition of the default, liquidity, and tax factors that determine expected corporate bond returns. In particular, the risk premium associated with a default event is estimated. The intensity-based model is estimated using bond price data for 104 US firms...

We study whether option-implied jump risk premia can explain the high observed level of credit spreads. We use a structural jump-diffusion firm value model to assess the level of credit spreads generated by option-implied jump risk premia. Prices and returns of equity index and individual...