This volume contains a broad range of papers examining contemporary managerial and public policy issues in finance and banking. Special emphasis is given to financial institutions, instruments, and markets.

Prudential regulations, restructuring and competition: the case of the Argentine banking industry (T. Burdisso, L. D'Amato). Time-varying conditional skewness and the market risk premium (C.R. Harvey, A. Siddique). Do banking crises permanently lower output? implications for growth theory (P. Evans). Banks forward loan commitments and the effect on real estate development activity (E. Kraizberg). Debt financing and myopia: cause or consequence? (G. Goswami, T.H. Noe and M.J. Rebello). The underpricing of initial public offerings: a general framework (T. Berglund). Capital market integration and exchange-rate regimes in historical perspective (J.R. Lothian). The impact of a dealer's failure on OTC derivatives market liquidity during volatile periods (L.D. Wall, E.W. Tallman and P.A. Abken). The evolution of cost and profit efficiency in the European banking industry (M. Dietsch, L. Weill). The dynamics of international stock index returns (H. Gulen, S. Mayhew). Demographic influences and personal bankruptcies (J.R. Mason). The price and volatility effects of stock option introductions: a reexamination (R. Kabir).