Danika Wright PhD, CFA, FHEA
Associate Professor of Finance
The University of Sydney
Email: danika.wright @ sydney.edu.au
I am an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Finance at The University of Sydney, Australia. My research interest is in Empirical Corporate Finance, and more broadly I seek to change our understanding of old problems using new data and methods to tackle complex social and industry issues.
I am keen to explore applications of financial models to different settings, particularly where incentives and investment decisions align to ultimately make things better for all stakeholders. Current projects include examination of the value of human capital and diversity in executive teams, how regulation and investment structure can promote innovation with particular focus on the biomedical industry, and the social implications of weak market competition and housing affordability.
Recent publications
"Residential property in Australia: Mismatched investment and rental demand", with Maria Yanotti, 2023, Housing Studies, 38, 1110-1131.
"Time to acquire: Regulatory burden and M&A activity", with Attila Balogh and Usha Creedy, 2022, International Review of Financial Analysis, 82, 102047.
"Speculative trading preferences of retail investor birth cohorts", with Grace Lepone and Joakim Westerholm, 2022, Accounting and Finance, 63, 555-574.
"The impact of machine learning on UK financial services", with Bonnie Buchanan, 2021, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 37, 537–563.
"Ethical investing has no portfolio performance cost", with Yufen Fu and George Blazenko, 2020, Research in International Business and Finance, 52, 101117.
"Home advantage: The preference for local residential real estate investment", with Maria Yanotti, 2019, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, 57, 1-21.
"Are paper winners gamblers? Evidence from Australian retail investors", with Alex Frino and Grace Lepone, 2019, Accounting and Finance, 59, 593-614.
"Wealth transfer, signaling and leverage in M&A", with Jiri Svec and Ben Murray, 2017, International Review of Financial Analysis 52, 203-212.
"Investor characteristics and the disposition effect", with Alex Frino and Grace Lepone, 2015, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal 31, 1-12.
Working papers
"Housing market spillovers and COVID-19", with Maria Yanotti and Moses Kangogo
"Does stakeholder outrage determine executive pay?" with Attila Balogh and Jason Zein
"Firms that age well: Life cycles and default risk", with Attila Balogh and Jiri Svec
"Housing spillovers and demographic shifts in Australia", with Moses Kangogo, Somwrita Sarkar and Maria Yanotti
Work in progress
"Other CEO compensation: Perquisites, pensions and payouts"
"Valuing human capital: Evidence from all-cash companies"
"Forced corporate divestments and the value of subsidiary assets"
"Biopharmaceutical IPOs", with Matt Mikhael
Grants
Regional housing market spillovers, 2022 AHURI National Housing Research Program - Inquiry Research Project, with Maria Yanotti, Somwrita Sarkar and Moses Kangogo
Valuing human capital: Evidence from all-cash companies, 2021 Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ) Research Grant
Teaching - Scholarship
Featured in "This University Found a Way to Make Huge Classes Feel Small. Could It Work for You?", The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 2023
"Student engagement, performance and opportunity", Research presentation, Business School L&T Forum, September 2022
"Increasing and improving student survey responses," Research presentation, Discipline of Finance L&T Symposium, June 2021
"Enhancing student feedback and managing large units", Faculty seminar, Excellence in Business workshop series, March 2021
Teaching - Courses
Advanced Risk Analysis (executive education)
Mergers and Acquisitions (undergraduate / graduate)
Capital Markets and Corporate Finance (graduate)
Investments and Portfolio Management (undergraduate)