Same firm, two volatilities: How variance risk is priced in credit and equity markets

Abstract

Variance risk premia (VRP) based on equity and credit market information for the same firm differ substantially in magnitude. VRP is strongly dependent on firm characteristics. Higher-leveraged and larger firms have lower VRP. The smirk in the plot of VRP vs. leverage is higher for low-levered firms than for high-levered firms. This smirk is more pronounced in the credit market than in the equity market. VRP, and especially credit VRP, correlates with higher future returns and is a priced source of risk in both markets.