This page contains an overview of my current working papers and work-in-progress. Comments are welcome.

  • "Carry trades and debt imbalances"
    Jonas N. Eriksen and Mads M. Kjær
    Working paper, 2025
    working paper

    Abstract:

    The G10 carry trade embeds a borrower-lender mismatch tied to net foreign debt imbalances: it buys high-interest-rate borrowers and sells low-interest-rate lenders. We link the carry trade's crash and global risk exposure to a mismatch-driven unpriced component. In contrast, the carry trade's risk premium and pricing ability arise from a carry strategy among borrower currencies. This strategy, debtor carry, emerges as a priced risk factor that belongs to the SDF, even when accounting for existing currency factors. These findings challenge theories linking carry trade returns to crash and volatility risk and provide a new benchmark for understanding currency risk premia.


  • "Carbon tilts and factor returns"
    Jonas N. Eriksen, Magnus B. Frische, and Niels S. Grønborg
    Working paper, 2025
    working paper

    Abstract:

    Carbon transition risk is increasingly reflected in asset prices and is central to the sustainability debate. We study how carbon risk affects the cross-section of expected U.S. equity factor returns using carbon tilts, defined as the value-weighted difference in carbon transition risk between a factor’s long and short legs. While carbon-intensive factors earn lower realized returns, forward-looking expected returns based on the implied cost of capital indicate a positive carbon tilt premium that increases with unanticipated climate concerns and over time. Carbon risk varies across investment styles and is most pronounced for strategies linked to profitability, investment, and valuation.


  • "Biodiversity and financial flexibility"
    Jonas N. Eriksen and Anil Kumar
    Working paper, 2025


    Abstract:

    Firms that rely on ecosystem services face substantial financial risk from biodiversity loss and regulatory preservation efforts. We explore how firms adjust financial flexibility in response to biodiversity-related risks using firm-level disclosure-based biodiversity measures. Firms exposed to biodiversity risks improve their financial flexibility by increasing cash holdings and reducing long-term debt. Using the 2021 Kunming Declaration in a difference-in-difference design, we find that exposed firms significantly improve financial flexibility in the post-Kunming period. These effects are strongest for firms referencing regulatory risks or negative sentiments. Our results are robust to alternative biodiversity risk measures, emphasizing the importance of biodiversity in corporate decision-making.


Work-in-progress

  • Currency Imbalances in Global Banks and the Dollar (with Anders M. Posselt and Mads M. Kjær)
  • Dissecting the biodiversity risk premium