Default Risk Premia in the Near Cash Investment Market: The Case of Auction Rate Preferred Stock and Commercial Paper.

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Daniel T. Winkler, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Auction rate preferred stock (ARPS) is often regarded as an alternative to other near-cash instruments such as commercial paper while the dividend exclusion for ARPS offers tax advantages to corporate purchasers. The mean default risk premium for ARPS, relative to commercial paper, is estimated at 83 basis points during stable financial markets. This default premium appears to surge during unstable equity markets, having jumped by 192 basis points in November 1987. Lower-rated ARPS shows even larger changes, with yields 40-50 basis points above yields on high-rated ARPS, adjusted for the normal risk premium differential. The perceived risk change of ARPS underscores how quickly market participants re-evaluate default risk, and even the importance of the priority order among debt and equity claimants. Findings suggest ARPS and commercial paper are not an acceptable substitute for commercial paper during times of unsettled equity markets.

Additional Information

Publication
The Journal of Financial Research, Winter 1991, pp. 337-343
Language: English
Date: 1991
Keywords
Auction rate preferred stock (ARPS), Default Risk Premia, Near Cash Investment Market,

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