- 10For examples of this approach in the asset pricing literature see, e.g. Gomes, Kogan, and Zhang (2003) and Zhang (2005). 11To ensure idiosyncratic earnings volatility, Ãid X, is truly idiosyncratic, we assume it is constant and thus independent of the state of the economy. We also assume that the correlation coefficient, ÃÂXC, is constant. 12The extension to more than two states does not provide any further economic intuition and is straightforward. In particular, the 3-state version of our model and its quantitative implications are very close to that of the 2-state model. Details are available upon request.
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- 2The credit risk puzzle refers to the finding that structural models of credit risk generate credit spreads smaller than those observed in the data when calibrated to observed default frequencies. Recent evidence is presented in Eom, Helwege, and Huang (1999), Ericsson and Reneby (2003), and Huang and Huang (2003).
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- 3E.g., Lemmon, Roberts, and Zender (2008) find empirically that financing decisions show strong path-dependence. 4In contrast with our structural-equilibrium model, in pure structural models, it is impossible to recover actual default probabilities since the mapping between the risk neutral and actual probability measure is not modeled. Consequently, such models alone cannot be used to explain the credit spread puzzle.
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- 5While contemporaneous work by Chen (2008) seeks to resolve the low-leverage and credit spread puzzles, it considers only the results at the optimal refinancing point for an individual firm, which makes it impossible to address the impact of cross-sectional dynamics on default probabilities and credit spreads. Neglecting cross-sectional dynamics also leads Chen to the conclusion that he can resolve the low-leverage puzzle. As shown in Bhamra, Kuehn, and Strebulaev (2008), this conclusion is overturned when cross-sectional dynamics are accounted for. Chen also does not analyze the term structure of credit spreads (he focuses only on tenyear spreads) and does not study comovement between bond and stock markets and the equity premium puzzle.
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- 6The model of Hackbarth, Miao, and Morellec (2006) may also imply, in a different setting, that asset-value and earnings default boundaries can move in opposite directions.
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- 7David (2008) also accounts for inflation risk and in addition to resolving the credit spread puzzle, he prices equity (his model matches the historical Sharpe ratio when risk aversion is 16). Tan and Yan (2006) use the same framework as David (2008), but with an observable mean-reverting growth rate for firm earnings and without explicitly accounting for inflation.
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- 9In assuming so, we follow such papers as Kandel and Stambaugh (1991), Cecchetti, Lam, and Mark (1993), Campbell and Cochrane (1999), and Bansal and Yaron (2004).
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