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Firm Policies and the Cross-Section of CDS Spreads


Andrea Gamba


Warwick Business School - University of Warwick

Alessio Saretto


University of Texas at Dallas - School of Management - Department of Finance & Managerial Economics

February 4, 2013


Abstract:     
We study the relation between Credit Default Swaps (CDS) spreads and corporate policies in the context of a structural model of firm's default that accounts for firm heterogeneity, and real and financial frictions. First, we estimate and test the model using simulated method of moments. We find that the model cannot be rejected by the data and successfully matches the cross section of empirically observed CDS spreads, while addressing the credit spread puzzle. Second, we study how CDS spreads are related to observable characteristics of the firms in the simulated economy and in the observed data. We find that, controlling for financial leverage, CDS spreads are positively related to operating leverage, and negatively related to growth opportunities. Consistent with the idea that growth options reduce the credit riskiness of firms, we find that investments are negatively related to changes in CDS spreads.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 57

Keywords: CDS, leverage, credit risk, default

JEL Classification: G12, G32

working papers series


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Date posted: July 31, 2012 ; Last revised: March 4, 2013

Suggested Citation

Gamba, Andrea and Saretto, Alessio, Firm Policies and the Cross-Section of CDS Spreads (February 4, 2013). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2120904

Contact Information

Andrea Gamba
Warwick Business School - University of Warwick ( email )
Scarman Road
Coventry, CV4 7AL
Great Britain
+44 (0)24 765 24 542 (Phone)
+44 (0)24 765 23 779 (Fax)
Alessio Saretto (Contact Author)
University of Texas at Dallas - School of Management - Department of Finance & Managerial Economics ( email )
800 Campbell Road
SM 31
Richardson, TX 75080
United States
972-883-5907 (Phone)
HOME PAGE: http://www.utdallas.edu/~axs125732
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