Liquidity Pools, Risk Sharing, and Financial Contagion

This paper reevaluates the Allen–Gale (2000) analysis of interbank deposits to explain financial contagion. This paper modifies the pecking order of asset liquidation developed in Allen–Gale, which is essential in fragility analysis. Furthermore, we also provide a claim structure called liquidity pool that can both achieve risk sharing and prevent financial contagion across regions when asymmetric information about bank assets is absent. This model can partly explain why bank panics reduced substantially after the founding of the Fed and the role of IMF in regional financial crises.     

INFLATION,SECURITY VALUES,AND RISK PREMIA

The impact of stochastic inflation on the cross-sectional structure of nominal securities yields is examined. The analysis indicates that equilibrium required returns on debt and equity securities are affected differently by inflation and that the “Fisher Effect” is more likely to hold for equity returns than for debt yields. Implications for empirical investigations of portfolio performance and the real interest rate are explored.     

Lysine and Price Fixing: How Long? How Severe?

In October 1996 the Archer Daniels Midland Company(ADM) pleaded guilty to criminal price fixing withrespect to sales of lysine and agreed to pay a $70million fine. Earlier, in August 1996 two Japaneseproducers and a Korean producer of lysine had agreedto plead guilty to criminal price fixing charges. Andearlier still, in July 1996 ADM and the two Japanesecompanies settled the civil suits filed by some harmedbuyers by agreeing to pay a sum of $45 million.It is this last event that serves as the focus forthis paper. The adequacy of the settlement amount wasa major area of dispute. Connor (1996, 1997, 1998)has claimed that the trebled damages to lysinepurchasers were an order of magnitude larger. Crucialto Connor's conclusions are his assumptions as to thetime period during which the conspiracy had an effecton prices and the but for price that otherwise wouldhave prevailed in the absence of the conspiracy. Thispaper will argue that Connor substantiallyover-estimated the period of the conspiracy andunder-estimated the but-for price.     

Internal Versus External Capital Markets in the Insurance Industry: The Role of Reinsurance

This study compares internal and external sources of capital in the insurance industry by analyzing reinsurance activity between affiliated and unaffiliated insurers. Tests are performed using data from a large sample of property-liability insurers that are affiliated with at least one other property-liability insurer. Results indicate that while demands for internal and external reinsurance have some factors in common, there are cost-based differences in internal and external capital, as well as structural differences in the use of internal and external reinsurance. Results are consistent with previous theories related to internal versus external capital markets.     

RESTRICTED VOTING SHARES,OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE,AND THE MARKET VALUE OF DUAL-CLASS FIRMS

In this study, financial implications of differential voting right/multiple ordinary share class capitalizations are examined using data from British dual-class firms. Positive wealth effects are observed after announcements of plans to issue restricted voting (RV) shares, and also after announcements of RV share enfranchisement plans. The two share classes are usually created through large, noncash stock dividends or recapitalizations and, although corporate insiders hold about three times as large a fraction of superior voting (SV) shares, their RV shareholdings average a nontrivial 10.1 percent. Finally, compensation is usually paid to SV shareholders when RV shares are enfranchised.