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Risk-shifting, equity risk, and the distress puzzle

Date

2017-06

Authors

Li, Keming, author
Lockwood, Jimmy, author
Miao, Hong, author
Journal of Corporate Finance, publisher

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Abstract

Higher default probabilities are associated with lower future stock returns. The anomaly cannot be explained by strategic shareholder actions, traditional risk factors, characteristics, or mispricing, but, instead, is consistent with a risk-shifting hypothesis. Consistent with the risk-shifting hypothesis, we find that distressed firms tend to overinvest, destroy value, and exhaust their cash flows. Effects are concentrated in firms with wide credit spreads, firms with no convertible debt, and in cases where CEOs receive above-average equity-based compensation. As default risk rises, credit spreads rise, equity betas fall, and equity returns fall.

Description

Includes bibliographical references (pages 22-24).
Published as: Journal of Corporate Finance, vol.44, June 2017, pp. 275-288, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2017.04.003.

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Subject

financial distress
bankruptcy
risk-shifting
credit spreads

Citation

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