We explore how the expertise of a bank holding company's management team affects its asset securitization policies. We find management team members with an MBA degree and top management experience securitize more low risk loans while those with core functional executive positions securitize fewer high risk loans. In addition, internal liquidity, governance quality, and risk management quality moderate these effects. Moreover, risk management concerns are the main driver of the negative effect of the percentage of core functional executives on asset securitization. We also provide evidence that core functional executives deem securitized mortgage loans riskier after the subprime crisis.

This study examines the effects of information uncertainty and information asymmetry on corporate bond yield spreads using American data from 2001 to 2006. Empirical results of this study show that investors charge a significant risk premium for both information uncertainty and information asymmetry when controlling for variables well known in the literature. The results are robust even when controlling for credit ratings. Finally, information uncertainty and asymmetry help structural-form credit models explain the yield spreads of bonds with short maturities.

This work investigates the effects of agency and information asymmetry issues embedded in structural form credit models on bank credit risk evaluation, using American bank data from 2001 to 2005. Findings show that both the agency problem and information asymmetry significantly cause deviations in the credit risk evaluation of structural form models from agency ratings. Five independent factors explain a deviation of 42.6–78.3% and should be incorporated into future credit risk modeling. Additionally, both the effects of information asymmetry and debt-equity agency positively relate to the deviation while that of management-equity agency relates to it negatively.

Based upon structural credit models, we investigate the changes of the effects of employee stock options (ESOs) on bond yield spreads due to the revision of SFAS No. 123R (No.123R) which requires expensing ESO amounts. Using American bond observations from year 1995 to 2007, we find that the revision decreases the information benefits of ESOs disclosure. When controlling for credit ratings and potential endogeneity problems, we also find that ESOs are significantly and positively related to bond yield spreads in post-No.123R period while have an opposite effect in pre-No.123R period. We conclude that information effect mainly drives the ESO’s effects on credit risk in both pre- and post-No.123R periods.

The recent global financial crisis reveals the important role of internal liquidity risk in corporate credit risk. However, few existing studies investigate its effects on bond yield spreads. Panel data for the period from year 1993 through 2008 show that corporate internal liquidity risk significantly impacts bond yield spreads (and changes) when controlling for well-known bond yield determinant variables, traditional accounting measures of corporate debt servicing ability, cash flow volatility, credit ratings, and state variables. This finding indicates that internal liquidity risk should therefore be incorporated into bond yield spread modeling.

This study explores internal liquidity risk (ILR) and financial bullwhip effects on corporate bond yield spreads along supply chain counterparties by employing American market data from year 1997 to 2008. This study finds that the ILRs of suppliers and customers positively affect a firm’s bond yield spreads and the effects of customers’ ILRs are greater. This research also finds a financial bullwhip effect that the ILR effect becomes greater upwardly along the supply chain counterparties. The results are robust when controlling for well-known spread determinant variables.

This study investigates the information asymmetry effects of suppliers and customers on a firm’s bond yield spreads by employing American bond market data from 2001 to 2008. This study finds that both suppliers’ and customers’ information asymmetry effects significantly explain a firm’s bond yield spreads. Besides, the information asymmetry effects of more important suppliers and customers are more significant than those of less important ones. The results are robust even after controlling for other well-known firm specific and economic variables.