Anchoring Credit Default Swap Spreads to Firm Fundamentals
59 Pages Posted: 15 Mar 2012 Last revised: 29 Jul 2018
Date Written: December 6, 2014
Abstract
This paper examines the capability of firm fundamentals in explaining the cross-sectional variation of credit default swap (CDS) spreads. The paper constructs a fundamental-based CDS valuation by combining the Merton distance-to-default measure with a long list of firm fundamental characteristics. Regressing market CDS quotes against the fundamental valuation cross-sectionally generates an average R-squared of 77%. The cross-sectional explanatory power is stable over time, and robust in out-of-sample tests. Deviations between market quotes and the fundamental valuation predict significantly future market movements. The results highlight the important role of firm fundamentals in differentiating the credit quality of different firms.
Keywords: structural model, firm fundamentals, credit default swap, cross-sectional variation, relative valuation
JEL Classification: C11, C13, C14, G12
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?
Recommended Papers
-
Explaining the Rate Spread on Corporate Bonds
By Edwin J. Elton, Martin J. Gruber, ...
-
The Determinants of Credit Spread Changes
By Pierre Collin-dufresne, J. Spencer Martin, ...
-
How Much of Corporate-Treasury Yield Spread is Due to Credit Risk?
By Jing-zhi Huang and Ming Huang
-
How Much of the Corporate-Treasury Yield Spread is Due to Credit Risk?
By Jing-zhi Huang and Ming Huang
-
How Much of the Corporate-Treasury Yield Spread is Due to Credit Risk?
By Jing-zhi Huang and Ming Huang
-
Corporate Yield Spreads: Default Risk or Liquidity? New Evidence from the Credit-Default Swap Market
By Francis A. Longstaff, Sanjay Mithal, ...
-
Equity Volatility and Corporate Bond Yields
By John Y. Campbell and Glen B. Taksler
-
Equity Volatility and Corporate Bond Yields
By John Y. Campbell and Glen B. Taksler
-
Structural Models of Corporate Bond Pricing: An Empirical Analysis
By Young Ho Eom, Jing-zhi Huang, ...
-
By Roberto Blanco, Simon Brennan, ...