BOND BETA AND DEFAULT RISK

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between bond betas and default risk. Previous studies conclude that there is an apparent lack of a significant and direct relationship and offer various explanations. This paper illustrates that beta is influenced by offsetting or conflicting factors that cause the relationship to be ambiguous. Empirical evidence confirms the explanation.     

BOUNDING CERTAINTY EQUIVALENT FACTORS AND RISK ADJUSTED DISCOUNT RATES

The risk adjustment parameters of the certainty equivalent and risk adjusted discount rate models are defined under the additive time-state-preference valuation. Bounding numerical values of such parameters before estimation starts is of little help when expected cashflow value is close to zero or if the cashflow is a mixture of contingent in - and outflows. A constant parameter over time involves very restrictive cashflow and valuation assumptions in either model. Intuition may be a poor guide for a priori sefecting a class of time profiles, particularly so if the cashflow changes sign over time.