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Testing the credit-market-timing hypothesis using counterfactual issuing dates

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  • Frank, Murray Z.
  • Nezafat, Mahdi

Abstract

Do bond issuers successfully time the market? To answer this question, we compare market conditions on an issue day with conditions on days in a window around the issue day. We find that compared with windows of 21 days around issue days, bond issuers time the risk-free rate better than pure chance, with an average gain of 8 basis points; bond issuers also time the CDS spread better than pure chance, with an average gain of 12 basis points. Issuers who issue bonds more frequently do better than less frequent issuers do. Both risk-free rates and CDS spreads are lower on days when shelf-registered bonds are issued than they are on the days surrounding the issue days. Only CDS spreads are lower on days when privately placed bonds are issued.

Suggested Citation

  • Frank, Murray Z. & Nezafat, Mahdi, 2019. "Testing the credit-market-timing hypothesis using counterfactual issuing dates," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 187-207.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:58:y:2019:i:c:p:187-207
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2019.05.005
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Credit market timing; Behavioral finance; Corporate bond market;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G17 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Financial Forecasting and Simulation
    • G40 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - General

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