Michel Levasseur

The Economics of Adding and Subdividing Independent Risks: Some Comparative Statics Results

In this paper we address the problem of determining whether adding independent risks or subdividing them is a good substitute for insurance. Despite the fact that accepting more i.i.d. risks increases total risk, it is shown that some risk-averse decision makers can rationally reduce their demand for insurance by doing so. Similarly, a better diversified portfolio of i.i.d. risky assets can rationally be more insured, even if diversification is a risk-reduction scheme. We derive conditions sufficient to obtain unambiguous comparative statics results. Assuming that absolute risk aversion is decreasing and that the fourth derivative of the utility function is positive, we show that diversification is an exceptionally good substitute for insurance. Under the same conditions, adding independent risks to wealth reduces the demand for insurance on each unit.

Do Stock Prices Reflect Growth Forecasts

In this paper we propose a new analysis of the association between the growth of the earnings per share (EPS) as reflected in analysts’ forecasts, the book value of equity, the EPS and the market value of equity. Specifically, we motivate and introduce a new specification of the dynamics of the growth in EPS and test its implications in equity valuation. Our empirical results support the predictions of the valuation model and appear consistent with the time varying level of association between the stock prices, the EPS and the growth in EPS.

Firm Uncertainty and Financial Analysts’ Activity

Using implied volatility surfaces provided by the Optionmetrics database for the period 2003-2007, this study documents the strong, positive relation between investor perceptions of firm uncertainty and financial analysts’ activity. Granger causality tests reveal that an increase in perceived uncertainty leads to a subsequent increase in financial analysts’ activity, but this increase in activity does not seem to lead to lower firm uncertainty perceptions. The results from a sample of merger and acquisition transactions completed by S&P500 firms confirm a positive relation between firm uncertainty perceptions and financial analysts’ subsequent activity.

Heterogeneity effects from market interventions

The aim of this paper is to test whether the European Commission activities generate a heterogeneity effect on the merging parties. A sample of 74 firms involved in 45 contested merger and acquisition operations during the years 1990 to 1999 is used. The methodology is based on the GARCH framework. The main result is that, globally, the DGC interventions seem not to reduce significantly the heterogeneity among investors, except for the operations where it takes strong decisions like prohibition. In these last cases, the signal coming from the DGC encompasses valuable information and is well understood by market participants.