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We examine the connection between firm performance and a CEO's previous position (inside or outside the firm), using Covid-19 as an exogenous shock. Firms led by insider CEOs outperformed those led by outsider CEOs in terms of return on assets during the Covid-19 crisis period in 2020, but there was no performance differential in the period before the crisis. Additional tests indicate that outperformance under insider CEOs is observed in firms holding more cash and firms with a higher proportion of internally promoted non-CEO executives. These findings have important implications for boards of directors making CEO appointments.

Treasury yields in the global bond market exhibit a secular decline in the past four decades. We show that this long-run trend of yield curve is associated with two key macroeconomic variables, the trend inflation and the equilibrium real short rate. These variables demonstrate substantial variation over time. Accounting for time variation of these macro trends is crucial for understanding yield dynamics. Changes in both trends can explain high persistence in interest rates. Furthermore, substantial predictive gain is obtained by including both trends in the predictive regression for bond risk premia in international bond markets.

This paper aims to reexamine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance (CFP) using a panel dataset of Chinese listed firms. Previous studies obtained divergent empirical evidence on the CSR-CFP relationship due to unclear, incomplete, or inappropriate consideration of endogeneity issues. By introducing a Heckman-2SLS model, we comprehensively address the main endogeneity problems (i.e., sample selection bias, reverse causality, and unobserved heterogeneity) simultaneously within the CSR-CFP relationship. Results not only indicate a robust CSR-CFP relationship after correcting for endogeneity issues but also serve as a strong case for future investigation and correction of endogeneity issues.