The pricing of tax-exempt bonds and the Miller hypothesis

A-Tier
Journal: The Review of Financial Studies
Year: 2021
Volume: 34
Issue: 1
Pages: 509-568

Authors (4)

Tania Babina (not in RePEc) Chotibhak Jotikasthira (not in RePEc) Christian Lundblad (not in RePEc) Tarun Ramadorai (Imperial College)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We evaluate the impacts of tax policy on asset returns using the U.S. municipal bond market. In theory, tax-induced ownership segmentation limits risk sharing, creating downward-sloping regions of the aggregate demand curve for the asset. In the data, cross-state variation in tax privilege policies predicts differences in in-state ownership of local municipal bonds; the policies create incentives for concentrated local ownership. High tax privilege states have muni bond yields that are more sensitive to variations in supply and local idiosyncratic risk. The effects are stronger when local investors face correlated background risk and/or diminishing marginal nonpecuniary benefits from holding local assets.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:rfinst:v:34:y:2021:i:1:p:509-568.
Journal Field
Finance
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-29