Title page
Contents
Abstract 2
1. Introduction 3
2. Literature 8
2.1. The link between CDS and credit risk 10
3. Data description and some stylized facts 11
3.1. CDS use and firm characteristics 14
4. CDS positions and corporate credit risk 17
4.1. Extensive CDS use and corporate credit risk 17
4.2. Intensive CDS use, over insurance and corporate credit risk 21
4.3. CDS protection and high quality borrowers 24
5. Robustness 25
5.1. Instrumental variable analysis 25
5.2. Impact of Index CDS trading 27
5.3. Four-week CDS positions 28
6. Discussion and Conclusions 29
References 31
TablesTable 1. Variable Definitions 38
Table 2. Summary Statistics on Firm, Loan and Bond Characteristics 39
Table 3. Loan Amount by Rating 40
Table 4. Value of Bond Holdings by Rating 41
Table 5. Credit Protection Bought by Type of Credit Exposure 42
Table 6. Determinants of the Probability of a Downgrade 43
Table 7. Determinants of the Probability of Default 45
Table 8. CDS Hedge Ratios 46
Table 9. Probability of Downgrade and Over Insurance 47
Table 10. Probability of Default and Over Insurance 48
Table 11. Probability of downgrade, CDS protection and Investment Grade Firms 49
Table 12. Probability of Default, CDS protection and Investment Grade Firms 50
Table 13. Instrumental Variable Analysis 52
Table 14. CDS Positions including CDS Indexes by Type of Credit Exposure 53
Table 15. Determinants of the Probability of Downgrade - Index Trading 54
Table 16. Determinants of the Probability of Default - Index Trading 56
Table 17. Probability of Downgrade and Overinsurance - Index Trading 57
Table 18. Probability of Default and Over Insurance - Index trading 58
Table 19. Determinants of the Probability of Downgrade - Four-week Window 59
Table 20. Determinants of the Probability of Default - Four-week Window 61
Table 21. Probability of Downgrade and Overinsurance - Four-week Window 62
Table 22. Probability of Default and Over Insurance - Four-week Window 63
Figures
Figure 1. Loan Positions 35
Figure 2. Bond Positions 36
Figure 3. CDS Use and Insured Positions 37