The leverage effect has become an extensively studied phenomenon that describes the (usually) negative correlation between stock returns and volatility. All the previous studies have focused on the origin and properties of the leverage effect. Even though most studies of the leverage effect are based on cross-sectional calibration with parametric models, few of them have carefully studied its e...

Speculative episodes typically involve leverage. For example, the well known tulipmania episode was accompanied by the introduction of foward contracts which allowed speculators to take leveraged positions in tulip bulbs. More recently, the Great Crash of 1929 was exacerbated by leveraged trusts which used leverage to buy stocks. These leveraged trusts could in turn be bought on margin which al...

Abstract Many financial instruments are designed with embedded leverage, such as options and leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Embedded leverage alleviates investors’ constraints, and, therefore, we hypothesize that lowers required returns. Consistent this hypothesis, find empirically ETFs provide significant amounts of leverage; increases return volatility in proportion to the higher is ...